The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean.
Our diverse and dedicated team works in many ways to assure the future health of the ocean and the people who depend on a healthy ocean for their survival.
Our living exhibits and visit programs are considered among the best in the world. We offer free education programs for more than 100,000 schoolchildren and educators each year -- and our new Bechtel Family Center for Ocean Education and Leadership is taking that work to a new level.
Rigorous science underpins all of our work to advance policies that promote ocean health in the United States and internationally. Our respected Seafood Watch program is a global leader, giving businesses and consumers the tools to transform how fish are caught and farmed around the world.
Our award-winning exhibits feature the rich diversity of marine life along California’s central coast -- from sea otters and kelp forests to jellyfish and sharks. Our newest exhibition, "Into the Deep / En lo Profundo," features never-before-see animals from the deep ocean. We attract nearly 2 million visitors a year and engage 3 million followers through our social media channels.
Our education programs are shaping a new generation of science-literate ocean conservation leaders, and giving educators better tools for ecosystem-based learning.
We promote science-based action on behalf of key species like sea otters, sharks, and Pacific bluefin tuna. We've advocated successfully to create marine protected areas, eliminate ocean plastic pollution, and end to the shark fin trade, and we support policies to address climate change and ocean acidification, which threaten ocean health, and our own survival.
The New England Aquarium is a catalyst for global change through public engagement, commitment to marine animal conservation, leadership in education, innovative scientific research, and effective advocacy for vital and vibrant oceans.
It is the only Boston-based cultural institution with a mission focused primarily on the environment, promoting the importance of protecting the blue planet through innovative exhibits and educational programs. These are some highlights of the Aquarium’s mission in action, on exhibit, and through our education, conservation, and research programs here on Central Wharf and around the globe.
-The Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank and the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center showcase the diversity and importance of marine animals.
-The Giant Ocean Tank inspires visitors with the beauty and complexity of marine habitat through replication of a Caribbean coral reef.
-Aquarium educators lead a nationwide initiative on climate change and inspire future ocean protectors with hands-on programs such as Harbor Discoveries Camps and live blue™ Ambassadors.
-The Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue Team leads regional efforts to rehabilitate and release endangered species of sea turtles at our state-of-the-art Animal Care Center.
-Aquarium scientists advise some of the nation’s largest seafood companies on methods to enhance the sustainability of commercial fisheries worldwide.
-The Aquarium is home to the world’s longest-running right whale research program, coordinating efforts along the East Coast of the U.S. to restore the population of this endangered species.
-The Aquarium collaborates with partners around the world to protect ocean ecosystems, such as coral reefs. In 2008, we partnered with the island nation of Kiribati and Conservation International to create the Phoenix Islands Protected Area.
Learn more about the New England Aquarium: http://www.neaq.org - http://www.andersoncabotcenterforoceanlife.org