# Monterey Bay Aquarium

> Monterey Bay Aquarium is a nonprofit public aquarium and ocean-conservation organization in Monterey, California. It turns close encounters with kelp forests, sea otters, tuna, jellies and deep-sea animals into education, scientific research, animal rehabilitation, consumer guidance and policy work. Its distinctive advantage is the loop between a place, a public audience and applied conservation programs such as Seafood Watch: ticket, membership and donor revenue help fund animal care and mission work, while the institution's science and exhibits give complex ocean issues a vivid public language.

- **Founded:** 1984
- **Headquarters:** Monterey, United States
- **Founders:** Robin Burnett (Co-founder and marine biologist), Nancy Burnett (Co-founder and marine biologist), Chuck Baxter (Co-founder and marine biologist), Steve Webster (Co-founder and marine biologist)
- **Team size:** Approximately 850 employees; LinkedIn lists 501-1,000 employees.
- **Products:** Public aquarium experience, Seafood Watch, Education programs, Sea Otter Program, Conservation science and policy
- **Notable:** Opened the world's first large living kelp forest exhibit., Became the first aquarium to successfully exhibit young white sharks and return them to the wild., Pioneered large-scale jellyfish exhibitions and husbandry techniques later adopted across the aquarium field.

## Products & services

- **Public aquarium experience** — Nearly 200 living exhibits focused largely on Monterey Bay and California marine habitats, including Kelp Forest, Open Sea, sea otters, jellies and deep-sea life.
- **Seafood Watch** — Science-based seafood ratings and guides for consumers and businesses, designed to shift demand toward environmentally sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
- **Education programs** — Free field trips, educator development, lesson plans, online courses, teen programs and ecosystem-based science learning.
- **Sea Otter Program** — Rescue, rehabilitation, surrogate rearing, release, monitoring and research supporting recovery of threatened southern sea otters.
- **Conservation science and policy** — Research, advocacy and partnerships addressing sustainable seafood, plastic pollution, climate, ocean wildlife and protected habitats.
- **Into the Deep / En lo Profundo** — A bilingual exhibition developed with MBARI that presents living deep-sea animals, robotics, imagery and immersive interpretation.
- **Memberships, events and retail** — Annual memberships, donor circles, private events, tours, food service and an online and onsite store that support operations and mission work.
- **Live webcams and digital media** — Free live streams and editorial content that extend access to animals and ocean learning beyond Monterey.

## Achievements

- Opened the world's first large living kelp forest exhibit.
- Became the first aquarium to successfully exhibit young white sharks and return them to the wild.
- Pioneered large-scale jellyfish exhibitions and husbandry techniques later adopted across the aquarium field.
- Hosted more than 70 million visitors through the end of 2023 and more than 72 million by 2026.
- Provided education programs to more than 2.75 million students through the end of 2023.
- Developed Seafood Watch, whose influence is reflected in sustainable-seafood commitments covering more than 85 percent of top U.S., Canadian and European seafood retailers.
- Helped build support for California's statewide network of marine protected areas.
- Helped lead the successful 2011 campaign to ban shark-fin trade in California.
- Released nearly 300 rehabilitated southern sea otters by 2025; surrogate-raised otters and descendants accounted for more than half of Elkhorn Slough population growth during a 15-year study.
- Opened Into the Deep in 2022 after a decade of research and innovation with MBARI.
- Committed to net-zero emissions and waste across its campus by 2035.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — The aquarium publicly opposed federal changes that weaken habitat protections under the Endangered Species Act.
- **2026-05** — Dr. Jenny Gray joined as Nancy Burgermeister Chief Executive Officer, succeeding founding executive director Julie Packard, who remains on the board.
- **2026-04** — Southern sea otters Suri and Willow made their public debut.
- **2025** — A new Sea Otter Program facility expanded capacity for rehabilitation and animal care.
- **2025** — The organization published its 2025 Annual Review and continued work under its 2024-2029 strategic plan, Flourishing Ocean, Thriving People.
- **2024-02** — A 40th-anniversary brand refresh by Pentagram introduced new type, color and shape systems while refining the kelp-swirl logo.

## Links

- Website: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/monterey-bay-aquarium/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/montereyaq
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MontereyBayAquarium
- Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/montereybayaquarium.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/montereybayaquarium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montereybayaquarium
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@montereyaq

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13