Collect, Connect, and Learn
Start 2026 by visiting the Aquarium or attending Aquarium events to begin or expand your collection of Marine Species Report Card trading cards
A few of the Marine Species Report Card trading cards Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific
January 20, 2026
New trading cards related to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Marine Species Report Card will be distributed in 2026. Each trading card features a species from the report card with a photo, key facts, and a QR code that links to the species’ story. The report card highlights thirty species found off the coast of California to help raise awareness about their current conservation status, their importance, the threats they face, and what is being done to help.
Guests can earn a different trading card every month after embossing the eight pages in the physical or virtual Visitor Guide as they explore the Aquarium. Simply show your complete set of stamps in your Visitor Guide to a staff member at Member Services (located inside the Aquarium’s main doors next to the entrance to the Pacific Visions Art Gallery). For those who have already collected the sunflower sea star card (as part of the Aquarium’s Stars of the Sea experience), there will be other options to choose from throughout the year, including the western snowy plover, gray whale, and giant kelp.
In addition to earning a trading card through the embossing activity, trading cards will also be distributed through upcoming select events hosted by the Aquarium such as the First Wednesdays lecture series. Previously distributed trading cards include the California spiny lobster, bull kelp, white abalone, ochre sea star, harbor seal, Garibaldi, and purple sea urchin.
Trading Card Distribution
| Month | Trading Card | Event & Date |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Western snowy plover Ochre sea star |
First Wednesdays | January 7 |
| February 2026 | Gray whale* Harbor seal |
First Wednesdays | February 4 |
| March 2026 | Giant kelp Garibaldi |
First Wednesdays | March 4 |
In case you missed them, the Aquarium will also redistribute some of the animal trading cards that came out when the Marine Species Report Card was launched in February 2025. The animals featured on the returning cards are the California sheephead (fish), the southern sea otter, and the California sea lion.
Also, as part of your visit, look for the Marine Species Report card logo on exhibits, in the Visitor Guide, or ask staff throughout the Aquarium for locations of species that correspond with those highlighted in the Marine Species Report Card. Aquarium guests are encouraged to check out the Marine Species Report Card online species information and stories to learn about all thirty species that are featured. You can also read through the Aquarium News, the Aquarium’s magazine Pacific Currents, as well as the conservation page to learn about how the Aquarium is contributing to multiple efforts with various species from sunflower sea stars to southern sea otters.
Stay tuned for updates for new events and releases for new trading cards
