2020 Annual Report
Letter from the Chair of the Board of Directors
With all of the challenges of 2020, the Aquarium of the Pacific is proud to have achieved many major accomplishments in ocean education, conservation, and animal care. The COVID-19 pandemic did not prevent us from reaching millions of students, families, and online followers with ocean education programs and engaging hundreds of thousands more with outdoor exhibits. And even though we endured staff and expense reductions, we continued our important conservation work by supporting and restoring endangered species and habitats in our local ocean.
These important programs would not have been possible without the donations of individuals, foundations, corporations, and government funders. This support helped us get through the most difficult year in our history. On behalf of the entire the Aquarium, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Kathleen M. Eckert
Chair, Board of Directors
The COVID-19 pandemic did not prevent us from reaching millions of students, families, and online followers with ocean education programs and engaging hundreds of thousands more with outdoor exhibits.
Letter
from the
President and CEO
2020 was not the kind of year any of us hoped for. People around the world faced uncertainty and hardships and most tragically, the loss of many loved ones. Many businesses and institutions like ours suffered severe financial losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In my tenure at the Aquarium, which began in August 2020, I was challenged to lead a beloved icon through its most difficult year ever. At every turn I was consistently impressed and buoyed by the Aquarium’s culture of innovation, optimism, and resilience. Throughout the year, the staff pulled together to make the best of a dire situation, looked at every option to maximize revenue and cut costs, and prioritized safety to ensure the health and well-being of visitors and staff.
I am also proud the Aquarium took a stand many years ago on diversity and inclusion through our cultural festivals, heritage awards, accessibility efforts, and community outreach. The launch of our African American Scholar Program in 2020, our most challenging year, is a testament to the continuing commitment of our staff and Board in making meaningful changes to increase diversity in our field and at the Aquarium and make the marine sciences accessible to all.
Even with all of the difficulties, I was always able to find reasons to be hopeful. I often watched as families explored Shark Lagoon, children laughed at the penguins, or others marveled at touching sea jellies. The Aquarium offered to our visitors exactly what they needed in these dark times—a place of inspiration, respite, and communing with nature. And we will never stop pursuing that mission.
Sincerely,
Dr. Peter Kareiva
President and CEO
The Aquarium offered to our visitors exactly what they needed in these dark times—a place of inspiration, respite, and communing with nature.
LEADERSHIP
Retiring President and CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel Redefined the Modern Aquarium
Dr. Jerry Schubel retired from his position as president and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific on July 31, 2020, ending an eighteen-year career in the role.
“Dr. Schubel was the driver of the Aquarium’s vision, to create an aquarium that builds and conserves natural capital—nature and nature’s services—by building social capital, the connections between and among people,” said Board Chair Kathleen Eckert. “His numerous efforts to connect the public with ocean science and the issues facing our planet, using the arts, technology and more, created an institution that sets the standard for the future of aquariums.”
Dr. Schubel led the development, construction, and opening of Pacific Visions, the Aquarium’s first major expansion. Pacific Visions represents a departure from conventional aquarium expansions, combining cutting-edge multimedia technology and immersive experiences to focus on humans’ relationship with Earth and explore pathways to a more sustainable future.
“Dr. Schubel leaves a lasting legacy that will benefit the Aquarium for years to come. He has been a visionary leader, has made the Aquarium one of the most innovative and successful aquariums in the world, and has helped put Long Beach on the map as a cultural and educational center,” said Board Vice Chair Doug Otto.
During his tenure at the Aquarium Dr. Schubel created the Aquatic Forum that brings together scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore ways of dealing with important, complex, and often controversial environmental issues facing California and the nation. Dr. Schubel also directed the Aquarium’s Marine Conservation Research Institute, which hosts many of these forums and engages in research and policy work on the local and national level.
Dr. Schubel also developed the Aquarium’s Aquatic Academy, a series of evening courses for adults that fosters dialogue on issues related to the ocean and environment. These courses bring together experts in science, business, conservation, policy, and academia to share their knowledge and experiences with attendees.
Under Dr. Schubel’s leadership, the Aquarium developed partnerships with numerous agencies and organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, XPrize, Conservation International, the Annenberg Foundation and Annenberg Space for Photography, GIS mapping firm Esri, and the ArtCenter College of Design, and with scientists at many universities and institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Through these partnerships, Dr. Schubel sought the expertise of scientists and other outside experts for the development of Aquarium exhibits and programs. He and his wife, Margaret Schubel, wrote all of the scripts for the films the Aquarium produced, which have won a total of forty-seven international Telly Awards over the years.
Prior to joining the Aquarium of the Pacific, Dr. Schubel served as president and CEO of the New England Aquarium. From 1974 to 1994 he was dean of Stony Brook University’s Marine Sciences Research Center, and for three of those years, he served as provost of the university. Dr. Schubel was also a research scientist and associate director of Johns Hopkins University’s Chesapeake Bay Institute.
Dr. Schubel formerly served on the Board of Governors of the Savannah Ocean Exchange and as a member of NOAA’s Science Advisory Board. He chaired the National Sea Grant Review Panel; the National Research Council’s (NRC) Marine Board; and the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel. He has served on numerous NRC committees and is a former member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, the Census of Marine Life U.S. National Committee, and the National Science Foundation’s Education and Human Resources Advisory Committee. In 2015 Dr. Schubel was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the California Ocean Science Trust. He is also a member of the Science Advisory Panel for California’s Ocean Protection Council.
Dr. Schubel plans to continue his work relating to ocean and environmental issues.
New CEO and President Dr. Peter Kareiva Envisions a Vibrant Future Connecting People and Nature
The Aquarium welcomed Dr. Peter Kareiva as its new president and CEO on August 1, 2020. Dr. Kareiva came to the Aquarium from his position as director of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Prior to UCLA, Dr. Kareiva led a research group at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, served as the vice president of science for The Nature Conservancy, and taught at several universities, including Brown University, University of Washington, Stanford University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Duke University and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University. His awards and appointments include a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Aquarium’s Ocean Conservation Award. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Kareiva has authored three books and over 200 research articles. His eclectic research has touched on everything from genetically engineered microbes, to wildebeest, to evidence of racism in conservation’s origins. Projects in Mongolia, Argentina, and China convinced Dr. Kareiva that taking care of people and economic development are essential for conservation. Consequently, he has increasingly focused on K through 12 education, collaboration with corporations, and partnerships with social justice groups. He sees all of these as key to meeting the climate crisis in a fair and equitable way.
Dr. Kareiva’s connection with the ocean started when he was a teenager in North Carolina, where he speared flounder, foraged for oysters, and worked on a fishing boat. He later spent a semester at the Duke University Marine Lab and served as a technician on an oceanographic research vessel.
While computer modeling took over much of his research life, Dr. Kareiva never lost his love for our oceans. He was drawn to the Aquarium out of concern for the future of marine ecosystems and a conviction that environmental policies will thrive only if they are rooted in personal connections between people and nature. “The future of the world depends on the future of the ocean, and there is no better place than the Aquarium of the Pacific to help make sure that future is vibrant,” he said.
The future of the world depends on the future of the ocean, and there is no better place than the Aquarium of the Pacific to help make sure that future is vibrant.
Aquarium Fulfills Mission during Pandemic
2020 brought drastic financial impacts to the Aquarium with two temporary closures, many months of outdoor-only operations, and reduced capacity. Ticket, retail, and other onsite sales represents more than 85 percent of our budget. The missed revenue added up to millions of lost dollars, resulting in major expense cuts and difficult reductions in labor. Despite these hardships, the institution continued to fulfill its mission, thanks to the quick action and nimble adaptation of the entire staff as well as our loyal supporters.
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Aquarium educators provided virtual ocean science classes for more than 25,000 schoolchildren through a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and to hundreds of thousands more at home through the Online Academy.
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All 12,000 of the Aquarium’s animals saw no change to their regular schedule of care, and important conservation work continued, thanks to the husbandry department’s strategic adaptations.
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The Aquarium staff went into overdrive to create fun and engaging content to help Aquarium fans and followers stay connected throughout the year.
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We also created new innovative programs to connect people with the Aquarium and develop new revenue streams, from COVID-safe Animal Encounters and virtual tours to online merit badge programs for scout troops and Zoom sessions with an animal for corporate events.
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The Aquarium also instituted programs to help take care of its own by running a donations-driven food pantry and a holiday toy drive for staff members facing reduced hours or furloughs during the pandemic.
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When health orders allowed, the Aquarium also continued to serve as a place where visitors could safely spend time relaxing with friends and family.
Aquarium’s operations and guest services teams conducted a thorough audit of the facility and added numerous protocols to ensure the health and safety of everyone on site.
Aquarium Creates Safe Experience
To safely welcome visitors back to the Aquarium while also protecting staff members, the Aquarium’s operations and guest services teams conducted a thorough audit of the facility and added numerous protocols to ensure the health and safety of everyone on site.
These measures included new signage to remind visitors about social distancing, marking pathways to ensure one-way foot traffic, and health checks at the visitor and staff entries, including required temperature checks and mandatory masks for everyone age two and older. The Aquarium also added hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility and increased its cleaning and sanitizing regimen.
Visitors were required to make a reservation online and select an arrival time to help regulate capacity, and parties were limited to six people. Many programs, including daily shows, mascot appearances, tours, and field trips, went on hiatus during the pandemic. However, the Aquarium soon developed and relaunched COVID-safe versions of several programs, including Animal Encounters and virtual tours.
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Aquarium Safety Protocols Video
Staff Continues Outstanding Animal Care
Animal care and exhibit maintenance during the pandemic were transformed to accommodate the staff’s reduced workforce and new safety measures. The husbandry department split into alternating teams to provide expert care for our 12,000 animals and maintenance for more than one hundred exhibits. Staff members cross-trained to cover animal care tasks outside of their normal duties—penguin trainers learned to feed sea lions and sea otter staff assisted with caring for sharks.
When health orders allowed and new safety measures were in place, the husbandry department was able to welcome volunteers back on site to reclaim many of their former duties, such as animal feeding, exhibit cleaning, and other tasks.
Staff members cross-trained to cover animal care tasks outside of their normal duties—penguin trainers learned to feed sea lions and sea otter staff assisted with caring for sharks.
Aquarium Creates New Animal Programs for Guests
The Aquarium retooled several of its visitor programs in 2020 to recoup lost revenue and offer the public up-close animal experiences during the pandemic. Prioritizing safety, tickets for these programs were limited to groups of four from the same household.
Penguin Encounters relaunched as daily offerings in June and saw high demand throughout the year. A limited-access Seals and Sea Lions pre-opening presentation was offered in the summer, replacing the daily Seal and Sea Lion shows normally offered to guests. Seal and Sea Lion Encounters and a redesigned Shark Encounter program relaunched in the fall. The Aquarium also sold cups of brine shrimp to feed moon jellies at the touch lab on Harbor Terrace on weekends.
Seal and Sea Lion Encounters relaunched in the fall.
Seal and Sea Lion Encounters relaunched in the fall.
Educators Bring Virtual Learning to Students and Families
When the Aquarium closed, we committed to continuing our connections
with the public and to offering engaging, interactive, and accessible
ocean education programs, as well as some fun and entertainment. We
gathered all of our existing online programs, created new ones, and packaged
them into the Online Academy.
With kids out of school and many people looking for online resources or even
ways to brighten their days, we made sure to have daily live and on-demand
content to help meet this need. We wanted to continue to serve our community, and that community grew—during 2020 people tuned in to Online
Academy programs from all over California, across the country, and internationally in Great Britain, India, and Indonesia. The Aquarium’s virtual programs were made possible with support from Windsong Trust, The Robert and Lisa Margolis Family Foundation, The Boeing Company, Healthpeak Properties, Inc, and many other Aquarium donors.
Sharks (Grades K-2)
We wanted to continue to serve our community, and that community grew—during 2020 people tuned in to Online Academy programs from all over California, across the country, and internationally in Great Britain, India, and Indonesia.
Our education team taught 277 online classes in 2020, representing more than 25,000 hours of watch time.
Our education team taught 277 online classes in 2020, representing more than 25,000 hours of watch time.
Hundreds of Online Classes Inspire Children
The Aquarium’s videoconferencing studio has provided the necessary tools for Aquarium educators to create interactive virtual field trips to audiences around the world for many years. Almost immediately after the initial closure in March 2020, this resource provided live, free programs.
During these broadcasts, viewers were able to send in their questions via text or email and have them answered live on air by our educators. The classes were targeted to various grade levels and covered topics including marine biology, conservation, and a look behind the scenes at the Aquarium. Accompanying educational worksheets and certificates of completion were available on our website. All of the Online Academy classes were archived on our YouTube page. Our education team taught 277 online classes in 2020, representing more than 25,000 hours of watch time.
The education department supplemented the Online Academy classes with Summer and Winter Kids Club programs replicating the day camps usually offered during school breaks. Summer Kids Club, sponsored by Mars Fish Care and the API® brand, provided 100 engaging episodes with free, downloadable materials to supplement learning. Winter Kids Club was sponsored by Macy’s and featured polar animals and habitats. The 120 Kids Club programs have more than 1,500 hours of watch time on YouTube.
Pacific Pals
In addition, the creative team that produces the Pacific Pals puppet shows at the Aquarium created The Daily Bubble, a YouTube series with episodes posted each weekday. Once the team was able to return on site and reopen their video studio, they launched The Pacific Pals Show, featuring updates on happenings at the Aquarium with interviews, news, and educational content in a news format. Pacific Pals created 52 videos with almost 45,000 views.
The Daily Bubble
Aquarium Takes Students on Virtual Field Trips
As schools remained closed in 2020, the Aquarium kept students engaged through virtual field trip offerings. In total 800 students participated in virtual field trips with the Aquarium in 2020, most of which occurred during the fall semester.
In June and July the education department provided STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programming for three local school districts as a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Summer of STEM. The programs explored habitats, sharks, and climate change through a combination of live events, pre-recorded videos, and digital resources and reached an estimated 15,600 students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.
For the 2020-21 school year, the Aquarium continued this effort, teaching classes primarily serving fifth graders in Local District Central within LAUSD. The participating organizations rotated programming in three-week sessions. The Aquarium taught Next Generation Science Standards-based programs for fifth graders and a free one-hour afterschool program for kindergartners through fifth graders for ten weeks.
These efforts with LAUSD were supported by grants from the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. They were offered in partnership with a large regional network of informal science education institutions.
Our education department reached an estimated 15,600 students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.
Virtual Guest Speakers Engage Adults
The Guest Speaker Series transitioned to a virtual format in April. While people were unable to come hear lectures in person, virtual speaking engagements made it possible for the Aquarium to host speakers from anywhere in the world and reach a wider audience. Virtual viewing climbed from 7,000 in 2019 to 12,500 in 2020 with viewing hours nearly doubling with a third fewer lectures. Speakers ranged from Dr. Randi Rotjan from Boston University and co-chief scientist on the world’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site discussing corals to Dr. Richard Somerville, distinguished professor emeritus at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, discussing climate change.
Dr. Randi Rotjan
Dr. Richard Somerville
Virtual viewing climbed from 7,000 in 2019 to 12,500 in 2020 with viewing hours nearly doubling with a third fewer lectures.
Aquatic Academy Explores the Connections between Earth and Human Health
The Aquarium hosted two series of Aquatic Academy courses for adults in 2020. The spring series explored ties between Earth’s health and human health. Aquatic Academy speakers addressed how human health will be affected by the impacts of climate change and what can be done.
In the fall Aquatic Academy presented a virtual series on the COVID-19 pandemic. Class sessions covered an overview of the disease and pandemic, the public health response in the U.S. and around the world, and impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, education, environment, businesses, museums, zoos and aquariums. It also addressed the intersections of healthcare and social inequities and what our future might look like in 2021 and beyond. Speakers included Peter Kareiva, president and CEO, Aquarium of the Pacific; John Keisler, director of Economic Development, City of Long Beach; Jill Baker, superintendent of Schools, Long Beach Unified School District; Celeste DeWald, executive director, California Association of Museums; Nicole Meek, director of visitor operations, Aquarium of the Pacific; Holly Buck, assistant professor of Environment and Sustainability, University of Buffalo; Kelly Colopy, director Health and Human Services Department, City of Long Beach; and Anissa Davis M.D., city health officer, Long Beach Health and Human Services; and Daniel Ives, managing director and equity analyst, Wedbush Securities.
Hosting the cultural festivals allowed the Aquarium to preserve its strong connections with local communities.
Hosting the cultural festivals allowed the Aquarium to preserve its strong connections with local communities.
Virtual Cultural Festivals Celebrate Diverse Communities
The Aquarium’s long-running tradition of hosting cultural festivals each year transitioned to a virtual platform in 2020. Starting with the Moompetam Native American Festival in the fall, the audio visual department established a de facto broadcasting studio in the Tropical Pacific Preview exhibit near the Aquarium entrance and produced each festival as a live streaming event.
Festival performers and cultural interpreters appeared in live segments hosted by an emcee, interspersed with appearances by the Aquarium’s Ambassador Animals. Hosting the cultural festivals allowed the Aquarium to continue its efforts in diversity and inclusion and preserve its important connections with local communities. Our six virtual cultural festivals received nearly 50,000 views.
At each festival the Aquarium presented an award to a local community member or organization in recognition of their service and efforts to preserve and promote their cultural heritage. Recipients included Baja Splash Heritage Award honoree Cindy Montañez, CEO of Treepeople; Moompetam Heritage Award honoree Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, Tribal Councilman for the Santa Ysabel Nation and director of Kumeyaay Community College; Southeast Asia Day Heritage Award honoree Chanwantha Sam Limon, human resources branch manager for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services; and the Autumn Festival Honoree the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California.
In celebration of the holiday season, the Aquarium also hosted virtual Hanukkah and Kwanzaa events. The Virtual Hanukkah event featured musician and storyteller Ms. Maureen and was emceed by Captain Quinn, one of the Aquarium’s Pacific Pals puppet characters. The Virtual Kwanzaa event featured Baba the Storyteller presenting the principles and practices of Kwanzaa and Axl the axolotl from the Pacific Pals as emcee.
Hosting the cultural festivals allowed the Aquarium to preserve its strong connections with local communities.
Our six virtual cultural festivals received nearly 50,000 views.
Our six virtual cultural festivals received nearly 50,000 views.
Moompetam Native American Festival
Baja Splash
Southeast Asian Festival
Autumn Festival video
Virtual Hanukkah
Virtual Kwanzaa
Aquarium Reaches Millions through Webcams
The Aquarium maintains seven live webcams in various exhibits throughout the Aquarium. Thanks to our partnership with explore.org and the Annenberg Foundation, the Aquarium stayed connected with millions during 2020. Families, teachers, and students connected with live views of the webcams. We received many reports of children and families tuning in to check in on the penguins, Tropical Reef animals, sharks, and sea jellies. This resulted in 3.7 million page views, totaling close to one million viewing hours from 139 countries.
This resulted in 3.7 million page views, totaling close to one million viewing hours from 139 countries.
Aquarium Improves Website Experience
The Aquarium’s web team launched a redesigned Aquarium website in September at aquariumofpacific.org. The new site is designed to be responsive to whatever device it is being viewed with and focuses on serving as a portal to key information for visitors and all of the Aquarium’s online programs.
Aquarium Engages Millions Globally through Social Media
Engagement with followers on social media increased significantly in 2020, when Aquarium fans found new ways to connect with the institution despite temporary closures. The most significant increase came from our TikTok platform, launched in early 2020. The Aquarium’s social media team focused on producing fun, educational videos tailored to the platform and its users. Within a month we had 100,000 followers and were approached by TikTok to apply for a special stipend to create ongoing educational content, which we received on an ongoing basis through the year. We ended 2020 with close to 800,000 followers and millions of views. Social media also proved to be an important fundraising tool not only on the Aquarium’s social media platform, but also on the personal platforms of our members, staff and other supporters who raised funds for the Aquarium.
We ended 2020 with close to 800,000 followers and millions of views
We ended 2020 with close to 800,000 followers and millions of views
Social media also proved to be an important fundraising tool not only on the Aquarium’s social media platform, but also on the personal platforms of our members, staff and other supporters who raised funds for the Aquarium.
Social media also proved to be an important fundraising tool not only on the Aquarium’s social media platform, but also on the personal platforms of our members, staff and other supporters who raised funds for the Aquarium.
Exhibits and Animals
Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities Gives New Perspective on Important Ecosystem
The Aquarium’s new exhibit for 2020, Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities, was only briefly open to the public for a few weeks in the summer. The exhibit featured a newly reimagined Tropical Pacific Gallery with many new animals and exhibits, new films, and more.
The entire Tropical Pacific Gallery was renovated to feature stories about coral reefs with a new entrance graphic and new signage about types of coral reefs, threats to coral reefs, and restoration efforts. The gallery improvements also include new corals and fish and three new films for the media wall. In addition, a coral-themed film was developed for the Ocean Theater.
Additional elements included new wall graphics, signage, and video at the Tropical Pacific Preview area, as well as several new features in Pacific Visions, including the interactive Paint a Fish activity in the art gallery, a modified preshow film in the orientation gallery, a new feature film in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater, and coral reef content on the bubble wall in the culmination gallery.
Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities allows visitors to learn more about these ecosystems, the threats they face, and what scientists and the public are doing to help protect them.
Exhibits and Animals
Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities Gives New Perspective on Important Ecosystem
The Aquarium’s new exhibit for 2020, Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities, was only briefly open to the public for a few weeks in the summer. The exhibit featured a newly reimagined Tropical Pacific Gallery with many new animals and exhibits, new films, and more.
The entire Tropical Pacific Gallery was renovated to feature stories about coral reefs with a new entrance graphic and new signage about types of coral reefs, threats to coral reefs, and restoration efforts. The gallery improvements also include new corals and fish and three new films for the media wall. In addition, a coral-themed film was developed for the Ocean Theater.
Additional elements included new wall graphics, signage, and video at the Tropical Pacific Preview area, as well as several new features in Pacific Visions, including the interactive Paint a Fish activity in the art gallery, a modified preshow film in the orientation gallery, a new feature film in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater, and coral reef content on the bubble wall in the culmination gallery.
Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities allows visitors to learn more about these ecosystems, the threats they face, and what scientists and the public are doing to help protect them.
Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities allows visitors to learn more about these ecosystems, the threats they face, and what scientists and the public are doing to help protect them.
Shelby the Harbor Seal’s Vision Partially Restored
Shelby, one of the Aquarium’s charter harbor seals, successfully underwent cataract surgery in both eyes on January 16. Veterinarian Dr. Lance Adams and an ophthalmologist from Florida performed the surgery.
Shelby was completely blind before this surgery. After the procedure she was able to follow moving objects and hand signals. While her eyes have a gray sheen that will improve but may never fully resolve, staff members reported that they can see notable improvements in her eye comfort and vision.
Shelby was completely blind before this surgery. After the procedure she was able to follow moving objects and hand signals.
Shelby was completely blind before this surgery. After the procedure she was able to follow moving objects and hand signals.
Pacific Visions Engages Audiences in New Ways
Equipment Upgraded
As part of the original Pacific Visions plan, the Honda Pacific Visions Theater was enhanced to include a Digital Cinema Initiatives-compliant projection system. This will allow us to display digital cinema with the same high level of technical performance and quality found in movie theaters. The installation of the projector will allow the Aquarium to show cinematic movies, participate in film festivals, and expand the uses of this unique theater. The system was installed in September.
Paint a Fish
A new feature was added to the art gallery that allows guests to paint one of four fish on a digital flat screen. After their new fish is complete, they are able to send it to swim among other fish in a virtual exhibit projected on the gallery wall.
Smart Glasses Provided Enhanced Accessibility
In January the Aquarium announced the integration of Epson Moverio® augmented reality smart glasses for Pacific Visions. The glasses display real-time captions and subtitles directly onto the glasses, eliminating a need for a separate closed captioning screen. The Moverio AR smart glasses debuted during the Aquarium’s Festival of Human Abilities.
Awards Earned in 2020
The Pacific Visions wing won two awards for construction. In January Clark Construction won the AGC (Associated Contractors of California) award for the projects under $30 million category. In February the National Electrical Contractors Association chose Pacific Visions as one of the recipients of the Award for Electrical Excellence.
Currently there are often more stranded sea otter pups than space to care for them. By adding this facility, the Aquarium will be saving their lives and giving them a chance for reintroduction to the wild.
Saving Endangered Species
Aquarium Announces New Sea Otter and Commitment to Help Save Sea Otter Pups
In late February the Aquarium welcomed a new sea otter, a four-year-old female named Millie, and announced that it will become a partner facility for rehabilitating stranded sea otter pups, rearing them with the help of surrogate mothers, and coordinating their release back into the wild. Currently there are often more stranded sea otter pups than space to care for them. By adding this facility, the Aquarium will be saving their lives and giving them a chance for reintroduction to the wild.
This project initiated a partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sea otter surrogacy program. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has rescued, rehabilitated, and released stranded sea otter pups since the 1980s, helping in the recovery of wild populations of this endangered species. Millie successfully raised a pup previously through this program, and based on her experience and disposition, experts believe she is ideally suited to serve as a surrogate mom.
The new surrogacy area at the Aquarium of the Pacific will be built behind the scenes of its Molina Animal Care Center and will accommodate three to four rescued sea otter pups each year. In addition, the Aquarium will develop interpretative material to educate the Aquarium’s visitors on the surrogacy program and the significance of recovering southern sea otter populations.
Thanks to a lead grant from the California’s State Coastal Conservancy Sea Otter Recovery Grant Program, initial construction of the sea otter surrogacy facility began in 2020. The husbandry team started working with a company to manufacture custom enclosures to house our sea otters for the sea otter surrogacy program.
Aquarium Takes Part in Historic Release of Giant Sea Bass Back to the Wild
In early 2020 California State University, Northridge (CSUN), the Aquarium of the Pacific, and Cabrillo Marine Aquarium announced a successful joint effort involving raising and releasing juvenile giant sea bass into the ocean.
In March the partners conducted the first of the planned releases off California’s coast. Giant sea bass are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Their populations are believed to be increasing slowly after years of decline. This was the first ever release of this species back into the wild.
In the past giant sea bass have been notoriously difficult to breed in an aquarium setting. The Aquarium of the Pacific was the first public aquarium to successfully hatch and raise a baby giant sea bass in 2016. After that initial success, aquarium professionals and researchers gathered to share their knowledge, and more juveniles were successfully hatched and raised in succeeding years. The releases in 2020 were conducted with approval from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This program is made possible by donors Gary and Cindy Matsumoto.
In addition, the Aquarium hosted its second Giant Sea Bass Symposium on February 18. Approximately forty scientists gathered to discuss the latest research on this endangered species.
The Aquarium of the Pacific took part in the first release of giant sea bass back to the wild.
Aquarium Continues Work to Save White Abalone
In 2020 the Aquarium’s divers returned to sites where white abalone were released in 2019 to monitor the animals’ health and locations, assess the habitat for suitability, and conduct predator surveys. These dives followed up on the initial release of abalone raised at aquariums and laboratories participating in the White Abalone Recovery Program.
In 2020 additional white abalone reared by the project partners were released after the partners determined that field work could safely resume with new protocols in the fall. On these return visits, divers made note of wild adult abalone in the area, which can signal suitable habitat, and conducted predator surveys, counting octopus, predator sea stars, and sheephead fish.
NOAA’s White Abalone Recovery Program is conducted in collaboration with the Aquarium of the Pacific, the University of California, Davis’ Bodega Marine Laboratory, the Bay Foundation, Paua Marine Research Group (PMRG), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and various other partners.
Aquarium Joins Programs to Save Sea Turtles and Monarch Butterflies
The Aquarium of the Pacific became an official partner of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) sea turtle and monarch butterfly programs. These partnerships will contribute to supporting field conservation, public education, and outreach regarding these threatened and endangered species.
Aquarium Joins Programs to Save Sea Turtles and Monarch Butterflies
The Aquarium of the Pacific became an official partner of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) sea turtle and monarch butterfly programs. These partnerships will contribute to supporting field conservation, public education, and outreach regarding these threatened and endangered species.
Sustainability for All
Aquarium Celebrates Diversity and Ensures
Sustainability and Access for All.
Sustainability for All
Aquarium Celebrates Diversity and Ensures Sustainability and Access for All.
Aquarium Commits to Scholarships for African American Students
On June 8, 2020, World Ocean Day, the Aquarium announced a new scholarship. Kathie Eckert, chair of the Aquarium’s Board of Directors, made the announcement on behalf of the Aquarium, its Board of Directors, and staff in a video. The new scholarship program will award at least $50,000 to African American students who express interest in the aquarium field. Applicants will pursue programs in ocean education, animal husbandry, microbiology, facilities, or business administration. “According to the most recent research from the National Science Foundation from 2017, only three African American students were awarded Ph.D. degrees in the United States in the marine sciences in an entire year. With that perspective, we believe that this program can have an important impact on increasing diversity in this field. We hope to bring meaningful opportunities in the marine sciences to African American students and to bring diverse minds to solving the issues facing our planet,” said Anthony Brown, Aquarium of the Pacific CFO and committee lead on the program.
This program was made possible by donations from Aquarium Board members and staff as well as community members and an anonymous matching gift.
According to the most recent research from the National Science Foundation from 2017, only three African American students were awarded Ph.D. degrees in the United States in the marine sciences in an entire year.
Aquarium Helps Determine Fate of Decommissioned Oil Rigs
From January 12 to 14 the Aquarium hosted a forum to examine the afterlives of decommissioned oil rigs off the coast of California. Experts, including representatives from federal and state agencies responsible for the decommissioning process, industry experts, and academic scientists, gathered to discuss sustainable options. The forum was sponsored by the Honda Marine Science Foundation and was open to the public, allowing local residents to learn about those platforms, what the decommissioning options are, and how the decisions will be made.
During the forum, attendees reached a consensus that because the underwater structures serve as artificial reefs and de facto marine protected areas, the state and residents should investigate all options for the oil rigs, from full removal to turning them into artificial reefs or repurposing them as bases for ocean research, monitoring, renewable energy production, or aquaculture.
The full report and videos from the forum are available on the Aquarium’s website at aquariumofpacific.org/mcri/forums.
The state and residents should investigate all options for the oil rigs, from full removal to turning them into artificial reefs or repurposing them as bases for ocean research, monitoring, renewable energy production, or aquaculture.
The state and residents should investigate all options for the oil rigs, from full removal to turning them into artificial reefs or repurposing them as bases for ocean research, monitoring, renewable energy production, or aquaculture.
Family Science Night Makes Science Accessible to Local Communities
The education department hosted its third Family Science Night on February 11. Family Science Nights allow the Aquarium’s education department to serve and connect with the Aquarium’s diverse local community through fun and accessible science programming.
The event was attended by over 1,600 people, representing communities served by a cohort of early childhood educators (ECE) in Long Beach. This group of twenty ECE teachers was recruited by our partners at the Mayor’s Fund for Education and participated in a professional development workshop here in fall 2019.
Education activities for the evening included kelp forest ethograms, shark research with Global FinPrint, data sets in the Ocean Science Center, a Sink or Float lab in the classroom, and a data dots station, which polled public opinion on whether they would rather be a shark or otter. Our colleagues from the California Science Center, KidSpace (Pasadena), Chapman University, and the Department for Health Services also participated in the event. These programs were made possible by support from The Miller Foundation.
Family Science Nights allow the Aquarium’s education department to serve and connect with the Aquarium’s diverse local community through fun and accessible science programming.
Arts and Cultural Events
Photographs Connect Visitors to Tidepools through Art
An exhibit of photographs by Patsee Ober was on view at the Aquarium from March 16 to May 16, 2020. Ober gave a talk about her process, equipment, and inspiration in creating the photos on the evening of March 16. She plans her photoshoots using tide charts, weather maps, and surf reports, and she captures the shapes, colors, and forms of diverse marine life found in tide pools. Ober is a lifelong sailor, swimmer, surfer, and a licensed yacht captain based in Laguna Beach, California.
Aquarium Highlights
Endangered Vaquita
In January the Aquarium hosted a screening of Sea of Shadows, a documentary from National Geographic Documentary Films and winner of the Sundance audience award, followed by a panel discussion featuring ocean conservation experts and one of the filmmakers. Sea of Shadows follows a team of scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists, undercover agents, and the Mexican Navy as they work to save the last remaining vaquita porpoises in the Sea of Cortez. Speakers in the panel discussion included José A. Zertuche-González, researcher and vaquita expert, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Ensenada; Matthew Podolsky, Sea of Shadows filmmaker; and Kim Thompson, director of the Aquarium’s Seafood for the Future program.
Cultural Festivals Shine Light on Diverse Communities
In January the Aquarium hosted its annual Festival of Human Abilities that celebrates the talents of people with disabilities. The event features wheelchair dance, live music, sign language choirs, art demonstrations, accessible SCUBA diving demonstrations, and free classes led by artists with disabilities. Our Glenn McIntyre Heritage Award honoree was Dani Bowman, who is on the autism spectrum. The award was given in recognition of Bowman’s outstanding efforts to help individuals with autism express their talents and develop career opportunities. The festival showcases the Aquarium’s many offerings to enhance the Aquarium experience for people with disabilities, including publications in braille, audio tours, and accessibility devices for theater programs.
In February we hosted our annual African-American Festival that features Mardi Gras second line dancers, hip hop and break dancers, jazz musicians, interactive drum circle musicians, West African dancers, storytellers, cultural displays, and handmade craftwork. The Heritage Award was presented to H. Maxie-Viltz, a lifelong resident of Long Beach and owner of Village Treasures, which showcases African art and culture and serves as a community gathering place.
Vice President of HR Kathie Nirschl and Honoree Dani Bowman
CFO Anthony Brown and Honoree H. Maxie-Viltz
Aquarium Reaches New Audiences at Jazz and Blues Festival
The Aquarium kicked off its performing arts season in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater with a Blues and Jazz Concert on President’s Day Weekend featuring four local acts with special guests. The sold-out event was produced in partnership with the Long Beach Blues Society.
Volunteers
Aquarium Provides Volunteer Opportunities During Pandemic
Throughout 2020 the Aquarium remained connected to its dedicated volunteer staff, developing new ways for volunteers to support the Aquarium, both on site and from their homes. The volunteer services team launched online engagement efforts to reach those volunteers who were unable to return to service on site. For example, volunteers sewed hundreds of cloth masks and donated them to our staff on site. Others provided services from home, including writing new content for the Aquarium’s website and participating in beach, park, and street clean-ups in their local areas.
Volunteers sewed hundreds of cloth masks and donated them to our staff on site.
Aquarium Expands Sea Turtle Monitoring to Los Cerritos Wetlands
The Southern California Sea Turtle Monitoring Project expanded efforts to the Los Cerritos Wetlands in order to provide species presence data to habitat resource specialists in the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Teen Volunteers Connect with Neighbors During Pandemic
Volunteer services suspended all guest-facing teen volunteer programing and all unpaid internships at the start of the pandemic, but two teen volunteer programs remained active, and a new program was developed. The Teen Climate Council continued its work virtually, including recruiting new members for the following year. Teen Science Café volunteers worked virtually with teen volunteers from the Los Angeles Zoo to educate one another on animals found at each other’s institutions via webinar meetings. A new program was developed called Ocean Neighbors where teen volunteers created educational posters to share conservation messages and ocean facts safely on their front yards with their neighbors. These teen volunteer programs were supported by Edison International and Bank of America.
Aquarium Volunteers Contribute to Landmark Findings on Sharks
A new landmark study published on July 22 in Nature by Global FinPrint revealed sharks are virtually absent on many of the world’s coral reefs, indicating they are too rare to fulfill their normal role in the ecosystem, otherwise referred to as functionally extinct. Of the 371 reefs surveyed in 58 countries, sharks were not observed on nearly 20 percent, indicating a widespread decline that has gone undocumented on this scale until now.
Volunteers from the Aquarium played an important role in gathering this data. The Aquarium began a partnership with Global FinPrint in 2017 and offered volunteers the chance to participate in shark surveys as a community science opportunity. Since 2017 forty-three Aquarium volunteers have participated, logging 4,040 hours of service to the project, and identifying 2,681 sharks. Volunteers at the Aquarium of the Pacific provided substantial data, viewing 1,807 of the 15,000 total videos collected by Global FinPrint, over 10 percent of the total.
Aquarium Offers Courses to Seniors and Students
Students with the California State University, Long Beach Osher Lifelong Learning Institute explored the Pacific Ocean during a winter session course with the Aquarium. The course covered the northern Pacific, tropical Pacific, and the future of the ocean in an interactive eight-week engagement for twenty-five students over the age of 55.
Volunteer services also partnered with Dr. Tara Prescott to offer Dive In! Community Engagement and the Urban Ocean as part of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) winter 2020 session. This course brought UCLA students to the Aquarium to engage in conservation education and communication with a focus on our urban ocean.
Seafood for the future
Seafood for the future
Sustainable Seafood Series Explores its Role in Nature and Society
In fall 2020, the Aquarium’s Seafood for the Future (SFF) program hosted a virtual panel series to explore sustainable seafood. The series featured scientists and experts who discussed the big picture of sustainable seafood and its role in and relationship with climate change, nutrition, livelihoods, policy, society, and more. Panelists also explored responsible seafood farming, or marine aquaculture, as a tool to sustainably expand our seafood supply. The series culminated in a live question-and-answer session streamed on YouTube. The series was sponsored by the Honda Marine Science Foundation and Pacific6 Enterprises.
Exploring Sustainable Seafood
Aquarium Supports #EatSeafoodAmerica
In 2020 Seafood for the Future (SFF) continued to support the #EatSeafoodAmerica campaign spearheaded by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries, The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Walton Family Foundation, and a number of industry colleagues.
SFF Offers Expertise on Sustainable Marine Aquaculture
SFF’s insight on marine aquaculture was requested by multiple organizations. In 2020 SFF Director Kimberly Thompson participated in a knowledge exchange panel on marine aquaculture in Maine; a virtual panel discussion hosted by The Fish Site; a guest lecture for a University of Southern California sustainable fisheries course; a plenary talk at the virtual Pacific Shellfish Grower’s Association conference; and a virtual presentation to the US Aquaculture Society.
Philanthropic Gifts Help Aquarium Survive
With the Aquarium only fully open 91 days in 2020, we experienced devastating financial impacts. In the face of this challenge, supporters reminded us all that the Aquarium, its mission, and its efforts are important to the community.
The Aquarium implemented new strategies to communicate the needs of the organization. Shared days of philanthropy, including #GivingTuesdayNow and Long Beach Gives raised significant funds. As programs shifted to a virtual platform, so did the annual Sea Fare fundraiser, which had its most successful year.
The Aquarium wishes to thank the members, foundations, paid and volunteer staff, corporations, friends, and fans that supported the Aquarium through philanthropic giving in 2020.
The Aquarium wishes to thank all those who gave matching gifts throughout the year to encourage others to give:
Frank and Margie Newell
Barbara Blackwell and Jean Bixby Smith
Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation
Steve and Marlene Young
#GivingTuesday Donors Support Aquarium
The Aquarium participated in #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of philanthropy, on May 5, 2020. #GivingTuesday is usually held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, but an additional day of giving was added in May to recognize the serious impact the pandemic has had on the world’s nonprofit institutions.
The day-long virtual event included live programming on social media with an insider’s look at the Aquarium Online Academy and enrichment sessions with sea lions and penguins.
The Aquarium exceeded its fundraising goal and secured over $48,000, including a $25,000 gift from Frank and Margie Newell on the morning of the event and a matching gift of $5,000 from the Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation.
The Aquarium exceeded its fundraising goal and secured over $48,000, including a $25,000 gift from Frank and Margie Newell on the morning of the event and a matching gift of $5,000 from the Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation.
Long Beach Gives Brings in Donations
On September 24, 2020, the Aquarium joined 150 local nonprofit organizations for the second Long Beach Gives, an annual day of giving that celebrates and supports organizations working in the community.
Long Beach Gives donors raised over $8,500 to help the Aquarium recover and grow from the impacts of COVID-19, including a matching donation of $2,500 from Barbara Bixby Blackwell and Jean Bixby Smith.
Long Beach Gives donors raised over $8,500 to help the Aquarium recover and grow from the impacts of COVID-19, including a matching donation of $2,500 from Barbara Bixby Blackwell and Jean Bixby Smith.
Virtual Sea Fare Breaks Records
The Aquarium’s first-ever virtual Sea Fare fundraiser was held on October 17, 2020, and raised over $214,000, a record for funds raised at this annual event. Viewers bid on auction items and made donations from home throughout the event.
Sea Fare sponsors:
- Esther S.M. Chui Chao
- Don Temple Family Charitable Foundation
- Kathleen M. Eckert
- U.S. Bank
- Johnny Carson Foundation
- Mark Bertrand
- The Boeing Company
- Norman and Diane Delaterre
- Kathleen M. Eckert
- Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg
- Bob Gordon
- Bob and Val Hoffman
- Keesal Young & Logan
- Northrop Grumman
- Susann Norton
- Mark Paullin
- Schulzman-Neri Foundation
- TMH Tippett Morrhead and Haden
Virtual Sea Fare
Sea Fare raised over $214,000, a record for funds raised at this annual event.
Year-end Gifts Help Aquarium Recover and Grow
As the Aquarium entered December, it was faced with another full closure, placing it in further financial jeopardy. After issuing a call for help via all our communications channels, including personal staff efforts, hundreds of individuals and businesses in our community and around the nation showed their support with donations, raising a record $900,000 in the month of December.
For a full list of donors, please visit our website.
Financial
Results
In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decrease in total revenue for the Aquarium. Due to the restrictions placed on institutions and businesses, the Aquarium was only fully open 91 days in 2020. Despite the financial challenges, the Aquarium was able to continue to care for its animals and offer virtual programs to the public. The continuity of care and the ability to offer programs was supported by a combination of a) cash reserves b) a reduction in operating expenses c) donors accelerating and/or shifting gifts toward general operating expenses and d) the Paycheck Protection Program loan offered by the federal government. Through careful management, donations, and hard work, the Aquarium was able to minimize the reduction in net assets and carefully position the institution to recover and grow from the crisis.
Staff
Board of Directors (as of 12/31/20)
- Mr. David Cameron
- Ms. Esther Chui Chao
- Ms. Kathleen Eckert, chair
- Mr. Ed Feo
- Mr. Bob Foster
- Mrs. Charlotte Ginsburg
- Ms. Jennifer Hagle, secretary
- Mr. Russell T. Hill
- Mr. Josh Jones
- Dr. Peter Kareiva, president/ceo
- Mr. Samuel King
- Mr. Bert Levy
- Mr. Henry Matson
- Mr. John Molina
- Dr. J. Mario Molina
- Mr. Stephan Morikawa
- Mr. Stephen Olson
- Mr. Douglas Otto, vice chair
- Mr. Mark Paullin
- Mr. Karl Pettijohn
- Mr. Kurt Schulzman
- Mr. Michael Sondermann
- Mr. Donald “Tip” Tippett
- Mr. Thomas Turney
- Mr. Stephen Young
Executive Officers (as of 12/31/20)
- Dr. Peter Kareiva, president and CEO
- Mr. Anthony T. Brown, vice president of finance and CFO
- Ms. Cecile Fisher, vice president of marketing and communications/corporate secretary
Vice Presidents (as of 12/31/20)
- Mr. Ryan Ashton, vice president of development
- Ms. Kathie Nirschl, vice president of human resources
- Mr. John Rouse, vice president of operations