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Monterey Bay Aquarium Annual Review PDF

17 Pages·2017·2.11 MB·English
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Inspiring New Generations of Ocean Leaders ANNUAL REVIEW 2016 2016 You helped make these milestones possible. Thank you. We opened ¡Viva Baja! Life on the Edge to share with visitors the unique and fragile ecosystems of Baja California. We welcomed 2.1 million visitors—making this the third consecutive year we have hosted 2 million people. We convened a first-ever international “Bluefin Futures Symposium” to bring the plight of these fish center stage, and helped tag a record 3,000 Pacific bluefin tuna off Japan. Encouraging new research revealed that sea otters we raised and released into Elkhorn Slough have helped restore this vital wetland. Construction began on our Center for Ocean Education and Leadership to expand our ocean science programs and reach thousands more students and teachers. Millions of California voters trusted our support of Proposition 67 and approved a statewide law to ban single-use carryout plastic bags—the first in the nation. Black sea nettle Chrysaora achlyos EE XX EE CC UU TT II VV EE DD II RR EE CC TT OO RR ’’ SS RR EE PP OO RR TT C H A I R M A N ’ S L E T T E R I ’m proud of society’s success in solving the envi- Construction is well under way, so the many ways ronmental challenges of this century we can welcome the first students the Aquarium is will depend on our ability to give early in 2019. Thanks to our generous having an impact young people the knowledge, skills donors, notably the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. on the health of and motivation to create effective Foundation, and Gordon and Betty the ocean, from solutions for the future. Moore, we are closer than ever to our leadership in Today, we face a crisis in science raising the necessary funds for the JJUULLIIEE PPAACCKKAARRDD STEPHEN C. NEAL California and and environmental education. Center and the staff who will bring EExxeeccuuttiivvee DDiirreeccttoorr Chairman nationally to Schools and teachers struggle to its mission to life. tackle the challenges of global climate meet the needs of growing student I’m so grateful to all of you who In 2016, your generosity helped us make a difference for our ocean planet, now change and ocean plastic pollution, populations with diverse languages supported our vision by joining us to the global reach of our sustainable and cultures, and a declining focus at Hewlett Packard Enterprise head- and for decades to come. Together, we’re poised to accomplish even more, with seafood work. on science learning. Outside of quarters when we honored Gordon We are building strong relationships school, kids spend less time outdoors, Moore with our second David Packard new experiences for visitors, innovative education programs and through the with policy and business leaders, and which means fewer opportunities to Award. Thanks to Event Chair Meg growing global reach of our conservation and science work. we are making a difference. experience nature and make the Whitman and her generous co-chairs, This is also evidenced by the strong connections that are vital precursors we raised nearly $4 million to support support we’re receiving as we move to caring for the environment. the Center. to complete our Center for Ocean Informal learning institutions like On behalf of the Board of Trustees, U nique among ocean conservation Because of your partnership in our aquaculture practices. In Southeast Education and Leadership—a new the Aquarium have such a powerful my deepest thanks. organizations, we inspire 2 million vision and our work, I’m confident Asia, we’re working with seafood center of excellence in ecosystem- role to play in meeting needs that people each year when they we’ll make significant progress on producers to improve the sustainability based science education for students, schools can’t provide. That’s what the visit our living exhibits. We reach issues that matter for the ocean. of shrimp aquaculture and fisheries. teachers and emerging teen leaders. new Center for Ocean Education and far beyond our walls as well, engaging Our most ambitious investment in In the U.S., we championed rules for The vision behind the Center stems Leadership will allow us to do. over 3 million followers through social the future is our new Center for Ocean imported seafood that will reward from our clear understanding that media channels. Thanks to the powerful Education and Leadership. Please responsible fishing fleets. impact of an Aquarium visit, the accept my deepest thanks for your We led creation of a new alliance energy and engagement I see in our wonderful support of this important of U.S. public aquariums to advance online audience and the Aquarium’s project that will allow us to better awareness—and mobilize action—on growing stature as a trusted source of serve California’s students, teachers critical ocean conservation issues, science-based conservation solutions, and emerging teen leaders. We’re also focusing first on plastic pollution. B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S I’m very optimistic about the future preparing to expand our veterinary And, our research team crafted a new As of December 2016 of the ocean. facilities, so we can continue to vision to take our impact to the next Last year, your donations enabled provide the highest level of care for level, from strengthening our voice creation of a new special exhibition, our animals, and contribute even at policy forums like the U.N. climate Stephen C. Neal, Chairman M.R.C. Greenwood ¡Viva Baja! Life on the Edge, where more to the recovery of threatened talks to creating an Ocean Memory Peter S. Bing, Chairman Emeritus William Landreth we celebrate the stunning diversity and endangered species. Lab where we’ll analyze marine life Julie Packard, Vice Chairman and Executive Director Joan Lane of wildlife in Baja California. It was The global reach and influence of samples to measure changes in ocean one of many notable achievements our Seafood Watch team grows with health over the past century. Susan Bell Michael A. Mantell made possible with your help—from each passing year—and was recognized You are the driving force behind Meg Caldwell Connie Martinez the passage of a statewide ban on when the State Department invited this critical work. I’m excited about Samantha Campbell Pietro Parravano single-use plastic bags in California, to us to present at its “Our Ocean” our growing impact and so grateful a first-ever gathering of international conference in Washington, D.C. for your unwavering support for the Caroline Getty Christopher Scholin experts to map a path for recovery of Today, we’re engaged more deeply Aquarium, and our mission to inspire Juan Govea Mark Wan global bluefin tuna populations. than ever with business, government conservation of the ocean. Thank you. Gideon Yu We have so much more planned and conservation partners to shift to this year, and in the years to come. more sustainable global fishing and 2 3 You are Driving Our Impact as a Global Conservation Leader From Monterey Bay to the Sea of Japan, our international research and conservation work remains focused on one urgent goal—ensuring the health of the global ocean. Your support enables us to study and protect marine wildlife from sea otters to white sharks, as well as collaborate on solutions to ocean plastic pollution, and champion sustainable fisheries and aquaculture around the world. Sea Otters Ocean Plastic Pollution Climate Change White Sharks Pacific Bluefin Tuna Fisheries and Aquaculture Our work with We played a Our new director Our research We partnered Our Seafood southern sea otters leading role in of science, Kyle Van team continues to with Stanford Watch program validates why a the successful Houtan, was a voice employ advanced University to represented the healthy population of Proposition 67 for the ocean at the technologies to convene the global sustainable these iconic marine campaign to up- U.N. Climate Change track and analyze first-ever seafood movement mammals is critical to hold California’s Conference (COP22) the movement international at the third “Our maintaining thriving statewide ban in Morocco, where and behavior “Bluefin Futures Ocean” conference coastal habitats. on single-use he underscored how of white sharks Symposium,” in Washington, D.C., plastic grocery carbon emissions are along the coasts connecting hosted by Secretary For more than 30 years, we have worked bags. Hundreds of thousands of affecting ocean health—and human survival. of California and Baja, Mexico. the world’s leading bluefin tuna of State John Kerry. Leaders from around to understand how sea otters affect coastal people embraced the messages of scientists and managers with expert the world—government, industry and ecosystems. We’ve long understood their support we shared through social In California, which continues to lead Working with engineers at the stakeholders from academia, industry nonprofit leaders, and emerging young vital role in restoring and maintaining kelp media and other channels, helping the way nationally in enacting laws to Monterey Bay Aquarium Research and nonprofits to chart a course for voices—attended this significant ocean forests; now, our researchers have docu- to pass this important legislation. address climate change and mitigate its Institute, we developed a prototype recovery of these remarkable and conservation event. mented a similar effect in coastal wetlands impacts, we supported key legislation “shark cam” that we will deploy to threatened fish. —especially Elkhorn Slough. The data we Julie Packard was one of three that addresses greenhouse gas emissions. capture underwater video footage of Our major business partners Target, collect can be used to support policies that authors for the “Yes on Proposition We worked locally with public officials to these mysterious animals when they In collaboration with colleagues and Aramark, Blue Apron and Hello Fresh are protect and restore coastal habitats on 67” ballot argument in the official develop mitigation plans for sea level rise travel far offshore from California. commercial fishermen in Japan, we making progress toward achieving their which sea otters depend for their recovery. Voter Information Guide, and was and other unavoidable impacts. tagged over 3,000 Pacific bluefin sustainable seafood commitments. And, honored by Governor Jerry Brown for We collaborated with colleagues in tuna in the Sea of Japan—an we partnered with the U.S. Agency for Toward that goal, in 2016 we completed a her leadership in this campaign and We are telling the climate change story to Baja to assess genetic variation in unprecedented effort to understand International Development to improve three-year study of sea otters in Elkhorn her longstanding commitment to our visitors and online audiences—including juvenile white sharks using teeth from what lies behind the dramatic decline traceability of seafood imports entering Slough. We and our partners are analyzing protect the ocean. We deployed through our new “Journey to Baja” “shark mummies,” identified a new in their population. Our policy team the North American market. the more than 41,000 data points we col- volunteers on college campuses, auditorium program and through a new nursery area on Baja’s Pacific coast, worked with fisheries agencies and lected on such behaviors as diving, foraging created a new web page about ocean web page that raises awareness of this and documented high bycatch of parliamentary leaders on new Seafood Watch joined international seafood and feeding. Over 10 scientific papers will plastic pollution, produced a podcast critical issue for ocean health. We have newborns in gillnets there. approaches to manage bluefin tuna rating organizations to create the Global result from this collaboration, affirming the series that explored the issues and coordinated a network of climate change on Japanese spawning grounds. Seafood Ratings Alliance to coordinate vital role played by sea otter recovery and solutions, and created engaging interpreters who work at aquariums, zoos rating programs in the U.S. and around the range expansion in supporting a resilient online videos to support the and science centers nationwide to further world as a way to accelerate the movement California coast. “Yes on 67” campaign. raise awareness about practical actions toward seafood sustainability. people can take, individually and We regularly collaborate with other biologists We also hosted the inaugural Aquarium collectively, to make a difference to study population dynamics not only of the Plastic Pollution Symposium, where for the ocean and for us all. southern sea otters that live off California, but over 100 colleagues from aquariums also the northern sea otters off Alaska and across the United States and Canada Canada. This helps us to better understand discussed how to work together in a these ecosystem engineers, and how the conservation partnership over the next two populations are connected. two years to reduce plastic pollution in our ocean, rivers and lakes. Our Conservation Research Helps Sea Otters and Their Habitats For over 30 years, donor support has allowed us to rescue and care for hundreds of injured, sick and stranded sea otters, while advancing our understanding about the threats they face in the wild. With your help, we saw important advances in 2016. Genome Sequencing We’re collaborating with UCLA scientists to sequence the first-ever Ecosystem Engineers sea otter genome, using a blood Our surrogate-raised pups— sample from one of our resident sea and their offspring—make up the otters. This first genome will provide majority of sea otters in Elkhorn a template for the sequencing of an Slough, where this keystone additional 60 genomes from across species has helped restore this the sea otter range, and represents productive coastal wetland. a huge technical and computational We’re now exploring the potential effort. Understanding the genetic benefits of introducing surrogate- diversity of the southern sea otter reared otters into other portions population will inform recovery plans. of their historical range. A Birth Seen Around the World The birth of a wild sea otter pup in the Great Tide Pool gave us an unprecedented opportunity to share our conservation mission in real time. While hundreds of Canadian Cousins people witnessed the birth live at the Aquarium, thousands around the world Our researchers studied how northern sea watched the first-ever live stream of a otters on British Columbia’s Central Coast sea otter birth on Periscope. Over 14 contribute to the health of local ecosystems. million people eventually saw archived They gained insights that will inform our footage of the momentous event as social work with California’s threatened sea media fans and international news otter population, and deepened their outlets shared the good news. understanding of the many ways the two populations are connected. 6 7 Seafood Watch Steps Up its International Role Through its own initiatives and a partnership with the USAID Oceans program, Seafood Watch is helping seafood producers in the Asia-Pacific region Seafood Watch scientists often work in the field, researching our rigorous scientific reports or to develop a tool to help identify the risk of human rights abuses. improve their practices so they can gain access to the U.S. market and, ultimately, bring more sustainable choices to consumers. Increasingly, we’re invited to share our work at international forums—including the State Department’s “Our Ocean” conference in Washington, D.C. S ince 1999, our sustainable its goal of having all of its fresh Netherlands and the United Kingdom We also helped to establish a new improve the traceability of seafood chose Seafood Watch as the only seafood initiative Seafood and frozen seafood both sustainable who develop sustainable seafood collaborative through which producers products entering the North American sustainable seafood NGO invited to Watch has empowered and traceable. standards in their countries. At a from Southeast Asia can improve the market from the Asia-Pacific region, present at its international “Our consumers and businesses meeting in Monterey, they agreed sustainability of the region’s shrimp the world’s largest seafood exporter Ocean” conference, hosted by to support ocean-friendly In 2016, longtime partner Aramark to collaborate in new ways that will aquaculture and fisheries. We’ll and home to rich marine ecosystems. Secretary of State John Kerry. fisheries and aquaculture through committed to serving sustainably expand the reach and effectiveness continue to work with this group, The end goal: make the region a their purchasing decisions. Now, sourced skipjack and albacore tuna in of all of our programs. and with business and government global model for sustainability and “I encourage all of us—NGOs, govern- Seafood Watch is assuming an the U.S. The company also has sustain- partners, to upgrade environmental good labor practices. ments, the seafood industry—to work international leadership role in able seafood programs underway in Seafood Watch is actively working sustainability and labor practices in cooperatively from all of our angles to the movement. Canada, Germany and the United to improve aquaculture practices in the region. Ultimately, we want to We made significant progress on our scale up and embrace the opportunity Kingdom. We also now count among Southeast Asia—the source of most make it easier for U.S. consumers Human Rights Risk Tool, which we before us,” Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly, More than 68,000 business locations our official partners food delivery shrimp imported to the U.S. We to find sustainable seafood choices plan to launch this year. The tool will director of global fisheries and worldwide use Seafood Watch guide- services Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. created a special protocol to give at their local stores. help businesses identify where there aquaculture for Seafood Watch, told lines to inform their purchasing shrimp farmers in this region a flexible may be human rights issues in their dignitaries gathered in Washington, decisions, either as a direct Aquarium The Seafood Watch team further way to meet our standards and Our work in Asia earned us a seafood supply chain and take steps D.C. “We are at a critical point where partner or through one of our many advanced the sustainability move- secure access to a U.S. market that partnership with the U.S. Agency for to mitigate them. the global market and governments conservation partners. This includes ment internationally by bringing increasingly demands sustainably International Development Oceans need to work together to ensure large retailers like Target, which is together colleagues from Canada, produced seafood. and Fisheries Partnership (USAID Our positive impact was affirmed in sustainable, legal fisheries to maintain now 97 percent of the way toward South Africa, Japan, Brazil, the Oceans). Together, we will work to October when the State Department ocean and human health.” 8 9 Our Exhibits and Animals (Real and Imaginary) Inspire Visitors Our living exhibits transport visitors into a magical underwater world, and have inspired others to take journeys of their own. They’re the heart of what we do. Our impact begins when people come face to face with ocean wildlife—real and even imagined. Finding Dory Breeding Breakthroughs Cracking the Comb Jelly Code Welcome, Selka Happy 10th, Makana! Pokémon Phenomenon Years before We bred Pacific For the first Selka, the newest As the only The Aquarium its release, we seahorses for time ever, our member of our Laysan albatross became home schooled staff at the first time at staff cultured Sea Otter exhibit, at any zoo or to some unusual Pixar Animation the Aquarium the elusive is a rescued aquarium in the animals when Studios in marine to ensure a comb jelly. California sea United States, the viral mobile animal biology healthy exhibit Figuring out otter that lived Makana’s a game “Pokémon and behavior for population for how to raise in the wild, valued ambas- Go” engaged Finding Dory, ¡Viva Baja! comb jellies survived a sador for her visitors who Disney Pixar’s and we shared in-house is a shark bite, and species and for were glued to 2016 summer our secrets— big deal in the contributed all seabirds and their phones blockbuster. We were also an inspiration and seahorse babies—with other scientific world. It allows aquariums to important research into under- marine life that face deadly threats more than usual, searching for cute for the design of and operations at the aquariums and zoos to protect wild to exhibit these animals year-round standing her species. Now she’s on from ocean plastic pollution. Visitors cartoon creatures inside our exhibits fictional Marine Life Institute, and for populations. We also became the for public education without collect- track to become another surrogate learn Makana’s story—and how they —and even in our cafe! Blending the look and function of bird feathers first aquarium in North America ing from the wild—and may also mother for stranded pups. can reduce their reliance on single-use digital and real worlds together, in the accompanying Oscar-winning to exhibit and raise striped pyjama help improve our picture of how plastics—during her popular the game was the first success animated short, Piper. squid (pictured below), and sent our life on Earth began. daily program. story for the use of augmented home-grown squidlings to other reality technology. institutions, spreading the pyjama party far and wide. Striped pyjama squid Sepioloidea lineolata 10 11 Green moray eel Desert spiny lizard Pacific seahorse Gymnothorax sp. SOcepliospthoortueus tmhias gsips.ter Hippocampus ingens ¡Viva Baja! Highlights Conservation Connections with Our Southern Neighbor ¡Viva Baja! Life on the Edge invites visitors to explore the unique and fragile coastal habitats of Baja California while watching flashy fishes, colorful crustaceans and riveting desert reptiles—a first for us. Our newest special exhibition, which opened in March 2016, shows how we all are connected to this special place (only a few hundred miles south of Monterey) whose future hangs in a delicate balance. Our companion auditorium program, “Journey to Baja,” tells the uplifting success story of how acting to protect ocean animals from threats, including climate change, helps build a better future for us all. Your support of these exhibits and programs allows us to share how the Thank you. Aquarium and other conservation organizations are working to protect the unique wildlife of Baja California and beyond. 12 13 Empowering Future Ocean Stewards through Innovative Science Education Our commitment to engaging children with science remains as strong today as when we opened our doors. With generous support from our donors, we’ve hosted over 2.3 million students and teachers—free of charge—in a suite of education and leadership programs. We’re now poised to dramatically expand the reach of our programs and serve thousands of additional students and teachers. With your help, we have begun construction of our state-of-the-art Center for Ocean Education and Leadership, which will open its doors in 2019. School Programs Home School Days Teacher Programs Teen Programs Teaching with Tech Summits and STEM In 2016 we Over 9,200 Through in-person A total of 225 We continued Over 300 welcomed nearly family members and virtual work- teens participated utilizing technol- students and 85,000 school- participated shops, conference in our suite of ogy to advance teachers attended aged children on in one of six presentations and programs designed our mission in our fifth Ocean complimentary Home School other professional for middle and high new ways as Plastic Pollution field trips. Of Days offered development school students. we hosted 326 Summit last those, over 31,000 during the events, we shared teachers and spring, presenting participated in a year. Under a ecosystem-based Mentored by students in on- results of their staff-led program theme of “Life approaches to Teen Conservation site professional year-long projects. in either our auditorium or Discovery on the Edge,” we guided families to science education with nearly 2,000 Leader alumni, over 100 teen volunteers development workshops and off-site Participants were inspired by two teens Labs. Our bilingual education staff encounter animals that live where teachers. We hosted hundreds of provided superlative on-site visitor experi- virtual field trips. from Bali whose “Bye Bye Plastic Bags” served 1,500 preschool students visiting the ocean meets the shore, and to educators for our annual Ocean Plastic ences for Aquarium summer guests, and movement succeeded in banning single- from 43 Head Start centers in Monterey learn about unique adaptations and Pollution Summit, and brought secondary created humorous and hopeful posts A total of 85 preschool to 12th grade use plastic bags from that island province. and Santa Cruz counties. behaviors that allow them to survive school teachers to the site of the former about the ocean for Instagram, Snapchat teachers attended the “Connecting Their campaign sparked similar initiatives waves, tides and exposure to air. San Clemente Dam on Carmel River, and Facebook. Conservation and Technology” by teens around the world. The fall kick- where they explored restored habitats one-day workshop, which covered off event was attended by 91 preschool along the riverbanks. Elementary teachers In our Young Women in Science program, topics such as integrating coding to 12th grade students and teachers. collaborated to design schoolyard habitat 63 middle school girls immersed them- into lessons, helping students create Keynoter Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres set projects that they later created with selves in the life history of sea otters, virtual reality tours and programming the tone for the inspirational weekend. their students. while 39 alumnae in the Ocean Guardians microcontrollers for use in data camp focused on the impacts of plastic collection projects. We created a uniquely Aquarium STEM Our staff welcomed 95 Head Start waste on marine food webs, and used (Science, Technology, Engineering, teachers, staff and administrators for social media to inspire others to find We also hosted a hands-on, virtual Math) challenge at the San Francisco professional development sessions as alternatives to single-use plastic. field trip experience that introduced Bay Area Maker Faire. Using a variety part of our Splash Zone partnership. 241 middle and high school students of materials and their imaginations, Through our Watsonville Area Teens to the habitats of Monterey Bay and visitors designed a wave machine that Conserving Habitats program, 70 the animals that live there. would create enough water motion to students representing all three high keep kelp fronds moving. This spin-off schools in Pajaro Valley Unified School design of our own kelp forest piston District collaborated to learn about local won the Faire’s “Best in Class” award ecosystems and the environmental for educational projects. challenges they face—and what teens Bat star can do to make a difference. Patiria miniata 14 15 Gordon Moore accepted the David Packard Award from Aquarium Board Chairman Stephen C. Neal and Executive Director Julie Packard (top, left). Marcia McNutt, National Academy of Sciences president, delivered the keynote address (top, left). Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, Brandee Krzanich and Gordon Moore with HPE President & CEO Meg Whitman (bottom, left). Charlotte Shultz, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, Griffith Harsh, Meg Whitman, John Doerr (top, right). The event benefitted our new Center for Ocean Education and Leadership (bottom, right). George Shultz (our 2014 David Packard Award Honoree), and Julie Packard (bottom, right). We Honored Intel Co-Founder Gordon Moore with the David Packard Award S ome of the nation’s most iconic technology companies and industry leaders joined us in May 2016 as we honored Intel co-founder Gordon Moore with our second David Packard Award. Chaired by Meg Whitman and held at Hewlett Packard Enterprise headquarters in Palo Alto, the event raised nearly $4 million to support our new Center for Ocean Education and Leadership. We celebrated with 400 guests, including inaugural award recipient and former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz. Co-chair Bill Gates provided an inspiring video message to Gordon, whom we recognized as an innovator, entrepreneur and ocean conservationist. “It is so important that we use the technology available to us to learn about our ocean, which have such a huge impact on the future health of our entire planet,” said Meg Whitman in her welcoming remarks. “I am deeply grateful to all of you for supporting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and its work to understand and protect our ocean.” 16 17

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provided superlative on-site visitor experi- ences for Aquarium summer guests, and created humorous and hopeful posts about the ocean for Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. In our Young Women in Science program,. 63 middle school girls immersed them- selves in the life history of sea otters,.
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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.