We’ve expanded our capacity to care for rescued sea otters
SAVING THE SUNFLOWER STAR
We’re raising baby sea stars as part of a scientific partnership
SPLASH ZONE REMODEL
A reimagining of our beloved family gallery is coming soon
Feathered cirri, or hairlike filaments, emerge from a giant
acorn barnacle, Balanus nubilus, to filter food.
3 Director’s Note
We’re upholding our values and moving forward on our priorities during a time of transition 4 Connections
Dynamic wildlife off our back deck, summer scuba for kids returns, and discover how we’re becoming fully bilingual 6 New Sea Otter Facility
Take a peek inside our Sea Otter Conservation Center, built to support the species’ recovery 8 Creature Feature
The fuzzy sand dollar may look like an oversized coin but it’s a sandy seafloor relative of the sea urchin with a knack for snagging a drifting meal 10 Saving the Sunflower Star
We’re part of a collaborative that’s helping to bring back the largest sea star species in the ocean
Reimagining Splash Zone
There’s still time to make memories in our fabulous family exhibit gallery before we begin building a new exhibition to serve our youngest guests
Margaret
ON THE COVER Western snowy plover, Charadrius nivosus nivosus, in the Aviary
SHORELINES® is published for members of the Monterey Bay Aquarium; 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, California 93940-1023; P: 831.648.4800.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID #94-2487469.
A time of transition
AS YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD, after 40 years as executive director I will soon pass the torch to a new leader who will build on our success to chart the Aquarium’s course in the decades to come. The Board of Trustees has launched a global search and – when a successor is appointed –I will transition to a new leadership role on the board. Rest assured: While my title and responsibilities are changing, I’ll remain deeply involved in this remarkable institution.
The Aquarium is the best in the world and will continue to shape a brighter future for the ocean. Our work is more important than ever and we’re seeing tangible improvements in ocean health on so many fronts. Our extraordinary living exhibits and growing online presence have inspired people to care more – and do more – to protect and restore the ocean. We’ve redefined the role aquariums can play as conservation leaders. And we’re helping new generations discover how to use their talents to create a future where the ocean flourishes and people thrive in a just and equitable world.
With friends like you in our corner, we’ve built a strong foundation over the past 40 years. With you at our side and with a strong team in place, the Aquarium’s future is brighter than ever. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
As always, we have exciting projects underway this year. In the fall, we’ll begin constructing a reimagined exhibit gallery for our youngest visitors and their families. You’ll have a last chance to visit Splash Zone during the spring and summer before we build a new set of engaging live exhibits and hands-on experiences.
Old favorites like the African penguins will have a larger home and we’ll be adding a huge coral reef exhibit as well as species that I know will become family favorites.
We’ll be connecting young people and teens with ocean life in other ways this summer, whether through our camps like Ocean Learning Adventures, programs for Teen Conservation Leaders, or the opportunity to experience surface scuba in the Great Tide Pool as part of Underwater Explorers.
Our policy team will work to secure a lasting recovery for Pacific bluefin tuna during international negotiations this summer. In California, we’re making continued progress toward reducing plastic pollution at the source.
Your support has helped the Aquarium become a trusted voice for the ocean. When our founders first envisioned an aquarium focused on the marine life of Monterey Bay, we had high expectations. With your help, we’ve achieved so much more than anything we could have imagined.
And for that I’m forever grateful.
Julie Packard Executive Director
Left: A great egret, Ardea alba, stands on a rock at the Great Tide Pool as it hunts for a meal.
New ways to experience the Aquarium
THERE’S ALWAYS something new to explore and see on Monterey Bay no matter the season. And our staff are always working hard to innovate and deliver programs that excite visitors from around the world.
Enjoy the bay in any season
Winter storms have churned up Monterey Bay, making it a turbid soup of rich nutrients — the perfect recipe for growth. As the days lengthen and the chill of winter fades, we start to see new life and growth from our back decks. The kelp forests become lush again, coming back from their barren winter look and transforming into golden giants with hundreds of
flowing blades. Our Kelp Forest exhibit mirrors this change — you can see the kelp fronds changing with the seasons due to the raw ocean water that we pull in from the bay.
As this shift takes place, many other species of algae bloom and grow with the influx of nutrients swept up from the seafloor. Phytoplankton populations are also growing rapidly, providing a source of food to many levels of the
ocean food web. All this growth and food means a boom in plankton and schooling fish, and eventually creates an ideal place for our summer visitors to rest and feast. These include a variety of whales and migratory birds, all of whom are stopping by to rest and eat during their long journeys. We hope you can visit our back deck soon to watch the changing seasons and immerse yourself in the wonder of Monterey Bay.
Guests entering Into the Deep/En lo Profundo, one of our bilingual exhibits.
Visitantes ingresando a Into the Deep/En lo Profundo, una de nuestras exhibiciones bilingües.
Learn about the ocean in your language Aprende sobre el océano en tu idioma
One of our strategic objectives is to become fully bilingual (English and Spanish) in our exhibits, programs, and digital content by 2029. Our staff are working hard to bring this vision to life, like exploring the addition of Spanish to Shorelines. You might hear them speaking English and Spanish during our feedings and presentations as we work toward our goal. You can also explore one of our bilingual exhibits Into the Deep/En lo Profundo to learn about our deep-sea animals in both languages. Our staff and volunteers can communicate in many languages in addition to English and Spanish. Just look below their name tags for languages spoken.
Uno de nuestros objetivos estratégicos es convertirnos en una organización completamente bilingüe (inglés y español) en nuestras exhibiciones, programas y contenido digital para el año 2029. Nuestro personal está trabajando arduamente para darle vida a esta visión como explorar la adición del español a Shorelines. Es posible que los escuche hablar inglés y español durante nuestras alimentaciones y presentaciones mientras trabajamos para lograr nuestro objetivo. También puedes explorar una de nuestras exhibiciones bilingües Into the Deep/ En lo Profundo para aprender sobre nuestros animales del fondo marino en ambas idiomas. Nuestro personal y voluntarios pueden comunicarse en muchos idiomas además de inglés y español. ¡Busca etiquetas de identificación que indican qué idiomas hablan el personal y los voluntarios!
Left: Our bilingual staff and volunteers can enhance the Aquarium experience for visitors who speak other languages
Nuestro personal bilingüe y nuestros voluntarios pueden mejorar la experiencia del Acuario para los visitantes que hablan otros idiomas.
Summer scuba opportunity for kids
Summer is just around the corner! Are you looking for a fun ocean activity for kids? We’re excited to welcome you back in June for Underwater Explorers, our unique summer program that gives kids ages 8-13 the opportunity to surface scuba dive in our Great Tide Pool. No prior scuba experience is needed!
Kids slip into full scuba gear and are guided around by our certified scuba instructors, who point out our underwater marine neighbors — from gumboot chitons, sea cucumbers, and limpets to rockfish, anemones, and massive sea stars.
The Underwater Explorers program, which marked 50,000 participants last year, is an immersive opportunity to educate and inspire the younger generation and nurture a sense of responsibility and love for the ocean from an early age.
Reasons to celebrate!
WITH YOUR SUPPORT, we made progress this year on a number of goals — building our capacity to rehabilitate stranded sea otters and advocating for national and global action on plastic pollution. We also advanced our goal of providing paid internships — and in the process gained important new animal care resources.
Otter Care Facility
We’ve built a new Sea Otter Conservation Center! For over 40 years, we’ve been the primary organization in California responsible for rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing stranded sea otters back to the wild — and our new facility is an enhanced and improved space to care for rescued otters.
While not open to the public, our new center is designed to meet otter welfare needs. It’s made of thick concrete to help keep noise
out — since these are wild otters, we want to isolate them as much as possible from the impacts of people and other noise. The facility includes two holding tanks that can hold five or six otters for rehabilitation and two troughs that can hold one otter each for intensive care.
We put careful thought into every aspect of the facility — including a feeding system for the otters, the clam cannon. This device uses the tank’s circulated water to introduce food items into
the bottom of the tanks, which encourages more natural feeding behaviors from the otters as they must forage for food like they would in the wild.
Southern sea otters restore wetlands and protect kelp forests — they’re critically important to marine habitats. We’re so grateful to the donors who made this facility a reality — it will allow us to care for more sea otters that strand each year and to support the recovery of the species. We’re thrilled to see our Sea Otter Program grow and positively impact the wild sea otter population found along the California coast.
Left: Our new Sea Otter Conservation Center gives our team a dedicated facility with holding space for rescued pups, juveniles, and older otters. It includes slightly deeper holding tanks that afford easier access for staff as they work with the animals.
Scientific illustrators advance our animal care
Thanks to a generous grant from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation and in partnership with the Science Illustration Certificate Program at California State University, Monterey Bay, we offered two paid internships in scientific illustration last year! Here at the Aquarium, scientific illustrations are incredibly useful reference materials for our staff. Our two interns – Ken Naganawa and Ezra Edwards – worked on
Moving toward a Global Plastics Treaty
a number of projects, including diagramming a Japanese spider crab, illustrating the internal and external anatomy of Japanese isopods, and detailing our local tunicate species. Their projects are helping our team better care for our animals – with detailed diagrams of internal anatomy, our veterinary team can more safely perform procedures. Additionally, the illustrations are very useful in training staff. We’re grateful to Ken and Ezra for their important contributions to our conservation medicine team.
Over the past year, Margaret Spring, our chief conservation and science officer, has participated in negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty. Advocates,
Far left: Scientific illustration of a deep-sea isopod by Ken Naganawa helps our team take better care of our animals.
Left: Ezra Edwards’ anatomical illustration of a sea otter is a helpful tool for our veterinary care team.
including many nations, scientists, and communities, are pushing for a robust treaty to limit the production of new plastic and regulate the harmful chemicals used in its production. However, oil- and gasproducing countries whose industries supply the raw materials for plastic are against these regulations. They support focusing only on waste management rather than addressing the problem at its source. Despite high hopes for a resolution during the November negotiation session, the parties couldn’t reach an agreement for a treaty. Negotiations have now been extended into 2025, and we’ll continue advocating for a strong treaty that safeguards the health of our planet and communities.
Want to stay informed and take action? Join our Ocean Action email list for updates and opportunities to get involved in tackling the global plastic crisis. Please scan this QR code. MontereyBayAquarium.org/OceanAction
Creature Feature
Sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus
While sand dollars look like fuzzy coins, these flat, disk-shaped wonders are actually a type of sea urchin! Their bodies are covered in tiny spines that help them move, dig, and sift through sand in search of food — mostly tiny plankton and other microscopic snacks. When it’s calm, sand dollars can stand on end to capture food slowly drifting by in the water column. In rough waters, sand dollars burrow into the sandy seafloor, hiding in plain sight like the ocean’s treasure. Though they might seem like a peaceful part of the landscape, sand dollars are busy workers, quietly contributing to the health of the ocean floor. Like little vacuum cleaners of the sea, they help keep the sandy seafloor clean of organic material and detritus. Be sure to see some stupendous sand dollars in the Sandy Seafloor gallery during your next visit to the Aquarium!
Saving the sunflower star
Sunflower stars, the largest species of sea stars in the ocean, play a role in balancing kelp forest ecosystems by preying on sea urchins, which are the main grazers of kelp.
On the hunt for food, the sunflower star glides along on its 15,000 tube feet, moving at an impressive speed of over 40 inches (1 m) per minute — one of the fastest animals in its biome. These voracious predators can swallow an entire sea urchin, digest it internally, and then expel its test, or exoskeleton.
Sunflower stars can grow up to 3 feet wide and are found in low intertidal and subtidal zones from Alaska to San Diego. Sadly, in 2013 a mysterious disease called sea star wasting disease wiped out these giant predatory sea stars along the California coastline, pushing them to the edge of extinction. No one is certain yet what’s causing the disease, but there’s evidence that warming water temperatures can increase the symptoms and possibly make outbreaks last longer.
Through a collaborative conservation partnership among institutions across the country, including the California Academy of Sciences, Aquarium of the Pacific, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and the Sunflower Sea Star Lab, we’re working hard to save this species from extinction.
We currently have 11 baby sunflower stars from Moss Landing Marine Labs that measure from under a centimeter to about 3 centimeters long. All juvenile sunflower stars start with five arms; as they mature, they can grow up to 24 arms!
If predators such as crabs come after the sunflower star, it can detach itself from one of its arms and make a quick getaway.
Our main goal for the young sea stars is to nail down their nutrition requirements and track their growth over time so we can optimize their survival rate. Once that occurs, we hope to put them on exhibit.
Sunflower star and conservation efforts
More than 90 percent of the sunflower stars, or Pycnopodia helianthoides, found off the Pacific coast of North America died between 2013 and 2017 due to sea star wasting disease. This sea star was listed as critically endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2023. In addition to our conservation efforts raising babies behind the scenes, Aquarium researchers had an opportunity to study this species on a dive research trip in the ocean around Antarctica last spring.
Let’s make more memories
Have you been a part of the clam squad?
GENERATIONS OF MEMBERS and guests have taken photos in the iconic clamshell in our Splash Zone exhibit. From annual traditions to wedding photos, this spot has been shell-ebrated for years. Splash Zone will close temporarily this fall, so we encourage you to visit the clam soon and take photos of loved ones seated in this memory-making mollusk. As a member, you’ll have the opportunity to visit during our July Member Night. We encourage you to be a little shellfish and give some extra love to the clamshell on your next visit.
SPLASH ZONE FIRST OPENED as a special exhibition in 2000 and families immediately began making memories across the gallery. It was last remodeled in 2008. Now the time has come again to make it even splashier. Be sure to visit Splash Zone before fall when it will close for reimagining and rebuilding. You’ll be able to make new memories when our new experience opens in 2026!
Have you ever noticed our penguins chasing a child’s light-up shoes from behind the exhibit window? Or interacting with children as they push a plushie against the acrylic? How about the sparkling smiles the penguins elicit as they steal and stack stones to build their nests?
Penguins are cute and amazing — members have loved visiting our colony of African penguins since they first joined us in a temporary exhibit in April 2000. In the decades since, our birds have served their critically
endangered wild counterparts as both parents and preservationists, teaching our millions of visitors how this species needs their help. We are committed to supporting conservation of wild African penguins, too. We’ve sent staff to South Africa to help a conservation organization there with rehabilitation of injured and ill wild penguins. And we promoted a crowdfunding campaign for artificial nest boxes to protect penguin eggs from human-caused changes to their nesting beaches.
Be sure to visit our penguins and make some new memories before the current exhibit closes for its exciting renovation. When it reopens, we’ll have even more space for breeding and caring for our delightful feathered friends.
Giving back to the ocean
THE AQUARIUM’S Endowment Fund provides essential revenue to us now, while also ensuring that our cutting-edge science, education, and conservation programs endure in perpetuity. Endowment gifts can be made during your lifetime or through your estate plan, or both. Your support of the Aquarium through your membership and your donations to our annual fund sustain our day-to-day operations. Our global conservation programs, animal care, school programs, teacher development, and many other activities depend on contributed support — and a growing portion of that support comes through our endowment funds. We welcome the opportunity to work with you to create your special endowment gift.
Please contact Ann Dabovich at LastingLegacy@mbayaq.org or 831.648.4913 to learn more.
Margaret Plumley’s deep dedication to the Aquarium
Margaret first connected with us while living in Seattle, escaping the winter cold by visiting Monterey. The Aquarium quickly became her favorite destination, and each visit deepened her appreciation for our exhibits and mission. Her love for the area was so profound that she made Monterey her home, settling just up the hill from the Aquarium.
Margaret’s dedication to the Aquarium has grown over the years. She joined the Betty White Ocean Legacy Circle in 2024 by including the Aquarium in her estate plans to ensure her support continues beyond her lifetime. As a volunteer guide, Margaret passionately shares her enthusiasm with visitors, introducing them to the jellies and the awe-inspiring kelp forest.
It’s easy to join the Betty White Ocean Legacy Circle by making the Aquarium a beneficiary of your retirement funds or by including us in your will or trust. Call Ann Dabovich at 831.648.4913 to join today.
“
The Aquarium does a wonderful job of sharing not only the beauty of the underwater world, but also of educating guests about the ocean and their relationship with it. Being a part of this has been both inspiring and rewarding.
— Margaret Plumley
Endowment Society
Anonymous
Wallis Annenberg
Tila Bañuelos & Guerrero Family in memory of Jonelle Verdugo
Eugene Cheng, MD and Maribeth Colloton
Michael Dawson in memory of Audrey Dawson
Robert and Flora Day for the Day Nissim Family Fund
John and Jean De Nault
Richard G. and Mae F. Dong
Alan Feinberg and Joan Weber
M. Jean Fisher
Denise Foderaro and Frank Quattrone
Gill Family Trust in loving memory of Ravinderjit Kaur Gill
Jaswant Singh Gill
The Green Family
Charles E. Halfmann and G. Robert Yee
The Koo Family in memory of
Ted Swei-yen and Pei-fen Koo
Wendy W. Kwok and Family
Douglas Lee and Kellee Noonan
William J. Lloyd in memory of W. Arthur and Eva L. Lloyd
Worth and Andy Ludwick
Connie and Bob Lurie
Jay and Susan Mandell
Dr. Hugh A. McAllister Jr.
David McKay
John and Judith Mitchell in memory of Megan Liane Mitchell
Dean Morton
Lori S. Nye
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Pamela J. Pescosolido
Pomatto Family
In memory of Howard T. Powell
Purdy Legacy Foundation
Walter and Ramona Reichl
Jane and Chuck Rubey
Karl and Alice Ruppenthal Family Foundation
Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
Robert and Janice Scott Foundation
Patricia Showalter and Steven Longcor
Denise Littlefield Sobel
Curtis and Priscilla Tamkin
Suzanne Francoeur Taunt
The Terry Family Foundation
Leon Thomas and Betty Bird
Davis L. and Patricia M. Todhunter
Dr. Thomas Weber and Stephanie Reib
Alan Williams
Honorarium Gifts
George Abbott
Judson Althoff
Joshua Balan
Christine Barnes
Cindy Bowers
Tammy Preston Boyd
Sarah Brennan
Carol Brown
Margaret L. Burklund
Beth Buzza
Valerie Cabaniss
Scott Candey and Georgia White
Kathryn Caulfield and Robert Chrobak
Jim Covel and Christine Revelas
Douglas R. Curtis
Jane Curtner
Cindy Davis
Ron Dercole
Stephanie Flaniken
Julie Gabel
Marti and Robert Gastineau
Andrea Gaulke
Jay Singh Gill
Joyce Goodrich
Matt Gorsuch
Maclean Greedy
Jack Grippi and Holley Arbeit
Brandon Groocock
Graham Grosso
Nora and Al Gurevich
Ryan Hamby
Glenn Harrell
Teresa Haw
Mari Headley
Karen Hellstern
Emily Holtzclaw
Gale Anne Hurd
Bridgitte Isom
Roger and Peggy Isphording
Noel Jennes
Bryant Jew
Eileen Rose and Robert K. Johnson
Kristin Jose
Margie and Bill Krend
Meredith Kummell
Keiichi Kuroki
Thomas Kurtz and Jessica Ikenberry
Kimberly Liem
Ching Tzung Lin and Tsun-Tsun Ho
Andy Liu
Michael and Maxine Mantell
Kathy Maslach
Diana McLean
Dennis and Ann Merideth
Paul Morris
Stephen C. Neal and Michelle S. Rhyu
Christina and Ian Nyquist
Jenna Ogrodnick
Christine O’Leary
Carolyn Orens
Ronald Pinsky
Merle and Jo Price
Margaret L. Purchase
Dorie Readers
James and Dianne Ruggles
Sydney Samoska
Melly Sani-Watt
Vicki Sarris
Jeff Scroggin and Courtney Yuen
Barry Shimelfarb and Patience Nalugo
Kate Shute
Patricia Skinner
Wayne and Linda Skladal
Stephen Stone
Lisa Sunderland and Paul Cummings
Carol Surman
Davis Tantillo
Karen Throop
Audrey Tsai
W. Sloan Upton
Carol Vovis
Carla Wagner
Mark and Lisa Wan
Kingsley Williams
Douglas Wreden
Felix Yang
Carol Zeidman
Memorial Gifts
Willow Alcala
Linda M Andersson
James Barton
Clarence Bauer
William Berry
Robert Blankenbaker
Christopher Bogdanov
Marjorie Louise Bower
Darlene Brannen
Mara Bronstone
Ruth Buell
Kathleen Bylsma
Linda Charles
Mr. & Mrs. Lau Chor-Tak
Nan Citron
Dan E. Craig
Lynda Cumstay
Kathleen Dadey
Nora M. Daly
Christina K. Davis
Barbara Dawson
Lucy Decher
Randi DiCicco
Sherwin Drobner
Peggy Etra
David and Jane Firth
Iris French
Cindy Garnero
Theodore Glaza
Pamela Gorin
Dave and Jean Grabost
Pamela Greth
Peggy and William Hamner
Diane L. Hanger and Valerie Graber
Glenn Harrell
Adrienne Herman
Daniel Hernandez
Carol Hipp
Elizabeth Hoskins
Audrey Dawson
Sue Y. Fong
Charlotte Jackson
Jane Kamvar and Wynne Sin
Kevin Larson
Bill Leifhelm
Chin H. Li and Judy A. Hsieh
George P. Koo
Patti Lively
Thomas MacGugan
Duane Matterson
Joann Mauro
Alan McMasters
John (Jack) C. Mellor
Wendy Morehouse
George Norris
Lynda Basel Orth
Nancy Oyama Bowman
Laszlo Palmai
Lorraine Y. Parmer
Valerie Pasdera
Howard (Tony) Paulsey
Leland and Marion Petersen
Gail Petersen-Latipow and Kurt Latipow
Lynne Powers
Padmaja and Vinay Pradhan
Howard and Jean Pugh
Judith Ann Quinn
Sean Remen
Robert W. Richerts
Diana Riggs
Steven Riggs
Ian Robertson and Gayle Paride
Paul Rubstello
Joan Safajek and Wiley Birkhofer
Maria Saltzberg
Rachael Sammet
Jason Bradley Scaccia
Rudolf Schmitz
Mildred Schubert
Mary Sharp
Wayne and Linda Skladal
Karen Stef
Carol Surman
Madhusudan Swamy
Devin Swanick
Hans E. Thalmann
Donald Eugene Thompson
John Michael Thornton
Michael Tighe and Julie Fletcher-Tighe
Mary Todd
Terri Trojan
Dennis Troper
Leonardo Upadhyay
Dr. Hugh Visser
William Waid
Bill Wald
David Wool
Joan T. Wrenn
Ayse Yalcinkaya
Ted Swei-yen and Pei-fen Koo
Carol Zeidman
Left: Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus
Business Donors
Thank you to our generous business and corporate donors. The below lists include gifts over $1,000 or more received in 2024.
$10,000 and above eFishery
Granite Construction
Minh Phu Seafood Corp.
Monterey Peninsula Foundation, host of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Pure Insurance Championship
Impacting the First Tee
Ocean’s Halo
Open Water
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pebble Beach Company Foundation
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
SSA Group
U.S. Bank
Western Digital
$2,500-$9,999
Bechtel Corporation
Chambers & Chambers
Epicurean Group
Finch Montgomery Wright PC
Frank M. Booth, Inc.
Golden Memorial
Golden State Cider
Integris Wealth Management
InterContinental The Clement Monterey
Montage Health
Nordic Naturals
Off The Charts
Business Donor spotlight
Otto Construction
Pisoni Vineyards & Winery
Portola Hotel & Spa
System Studies
TPH Architects
Trinity Fruit Company, Inc.
Trinity Packing Company, Inc.
Wild Planet Foods, Inc.
Up to $2,499
ARS Roofing, Gutters & Solar
Atmos Financial and account holders
Bergeson, LLP
Big Creek Lumber Company
Carmel Insurance Agency
Craft
Diaz Liqours
Elsa Corp
Environmental Investigation Services
Fishwife Restaurants
Hadland Imaging
Illusions of Grandeur
James P. Bennett & Company
KORE Physio PLLC
KSBW TV
Law Office of Paula Canny
Love2Dance
Manco Abbott, Inc.
Mixable LLC
Monterey Bay Boatworks
Monterey Bay Heating & Cooling
The Morrison & Foerster Foundation
Nico’s Ice Cream
Noland, Hamerly, Etienne & Hoss
Otter Spirit
Paradigm Winery
PowerQuip
PowerQuip Minnesota, LLC
Premium Packing, Inc.
Primerica - Watsonville
QZR Consulting, Inc.
Rutherford & Chekene
San Francisco Genetic Counseling
Sea Dreams
Silva Injury Law, Inc.
Stocker and Allaire, Inc.
Struve Financial & Insurance Services
Taskmaster Technologies INC
Tolkan & Ito, CPAs
Veterinary Eye Clinic Monterey Bay
Whitson Engineers
Wise Oak Consulting, LLC
Zen Oceanic
In-kind Contributions
Berlin Food and Lab Equipment
Open Water
Pisoni Vineyards & Winery
Rhônedonnée Wines
SSA Group
Berlin Food and Lab Equipment is an award-winning sheet metal fabrication company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that uses sustainable materials with a reduced environmental impact. The company is also committed to giving back—and has made generous contributions of stainless steel equipment for the Juli Plant Grainger Animal Care Center.
Trinity Packing Company and Trinity Fruit Company, led by David E. White, are both familyowned grower, packer, and shippers of California fresh-fruit products. This includes fresh and frozen fruit, and an expanding lineup of fresh-pressed juices. Under David’s leadership, the companies remain committed to encouraging sustainable, regenerative farming practices while working to upcycle all byproducts. They have joyfully supported the Aquarium since 2019.
Ask employers to match your gift. We are very grateful to the many companies that match their employees’ contributions. To learn if your company matches contributions and what you can do to double your gift, please scan this QR code. MontereyBayAquarium.org/matchyourgift.
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, California 93940
Time-dated materials enclosed
Member Calendar
PLEASE JOIN US for fun events this spring and summer. We hope to see you soon!
Donor Morning
June 7
Join us for an exclusive donor-only morning event for our Packards’ Circle, Leadership Council, Endowment Society, Ocean Advocate Circle, and Betty White Ocean Legacy Circle donors.
Underwater Explorers
June 14-September 1
During this immersive program, our expert staff guide kids ages 8-13 on a surface scuba exploration of the Great Tide Pool.
Member Night
July 10
Enjoy our exhibits and special programs, dine on food and drink specials, and make memories in this all-ages member event.
AQ Live!
August 2025
Join us for this exclusive member-only digital program, presented live from the Aquarium.
Early entry for members
(weekends and holidays in the summer)
Members enjoy early entry on Memorial Day and weekends during Spring Break, and on weekends and holidays during summer months.*
Extended hours
(summer Saturdays until 7 p.m.)
Enjoy smaller crowds and see the Aquarium as the day draws to a close. We’re open until 6 p.m. during spring break and until 7 p.m. on Saturdays throughout the summer.*
*Please check MontereyBayAquarium.org/hours for specific dates.
Take our brief survey to shape your Shorelines magazine! Scan this code to leave your feedback on this important member benefit, or type in https://mbayaq.co/shorelines2025
