Dr. Sandy Trautwein

With more than 30 years of executive leadership in accredited aquariums and a Ph.D. in Biology, Sandy brings extensive operational experience, scientific credibility, and a deep commitment to advancing animal well-being in service of public education and conservation impact.

Sandy spent over two decades at the Aquarium of the Pacific, where she helped prepare the Aquarium’s exhibits for its grand opening.  In her last role as Vice President of Husbandry, Sandy oversaw animal care operations supporting more than 700 species. She founded the white abalone species recovery program in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and also helped initiate the expansion of the sea otter surrogacy program in direct partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Throughout her tenure at Aquarium of the Pacific, Sandy led multidisciplinary teams across husbandry, veterinary services, dive operations, and water quality, ensuring alignment between animal welfare excellence, accreditation standards, guest engagement, and institutional strategy.