Strategic Plan 2024-2029

Build the next generation of educational offerings to bolster educators and community groups, especially those most impacted by climate change, in elevating youth to transform the future of the ocean in a way that embraces the complexity of their lives.

Substantially increase the number of people we engage in learning and conservation action through a digital content and engagement strategy that activates more onsite audiences, deepens and extends relationships with existing audiences, and grows a global constituency.

Create age-appropriate informal learning experiences (exhibits, programs, digital content) for early learners and their caregivers that invite curiosity and empathy for ocean life.

Implement a comprehensive plan that assesses current facilities, long-term preventive maintenance needs, and scheduled replacements and upgrades, and integrates with a 5-year visitor experience plan.

Invest in research and development of innovative techniques and technologies in animal care, welfare, and exhibitions that keep us at the forefront of our field.

Create and implement an Aquarium-wide interpretive plan to serve as an evidence-based framework for how we connect our mission, messages, and stories with our audiences and mobilize constituencies for action across different communication modes and methods, from exhibits to programs to digital channels.

Offer English and Spanish interpretation in all of our exhibits, programs, and digital content as a next step in our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for our multilingual audiences.

Implement the equity roadmap, including leadership training and accountability, increasing staff diversity across workgroups, and transparent reporting on progress.

Build an organizational culture that fosters trust, psychological safety, and belonging, that’s driven by leadership throughout the Aquarium and bolstered by a new framing of our HR function to “People and Culture.”

Provide robust learning opportunities and create avenues for professional development, empowering staff with skills and knowledge necessary for continuous growth, inclusive leadership, and increased effectiveness of the organization as a whole.

Develop an equitable, organization-wide approach to on-site and remote work and other aspects of a fair and supportive work environment, including the policies, technologies, tools, and resources to support a range of employee experiences and enable them to do their best work.

Strengthen our compensation and benefits structure to attract and retain top talent and ensure equity, inclusion, growth, and transparency. This maintains our organization’s innovative legacy and allows us to stay competitive while boosting overall performance.

Develop an optimized and sustainable admissions strategy that benefits from technological and operational advances, maximizes and diversifies visitation to advance our mission, optimizes the guest experience, and enables growth in access for low-income community members.

Refine and put into action a campus plan that optimizes revenue from assets, maximizes mission impact, increases operational efficiency, improves environmental and financial sustainability, and supports staff well-being.

Investigate and implement options such as product licensing, off-site retail, digital subscriptions, virtual events, gaming, and other emerging possibilities for increased revenue and mission impact.

Raise $300 million in contributions and grow membership households to 100,000 by the end of 2026. Build endowment to $400 million through positive investment performance, contributions, and bequests toward the long-term goal of $500 million by the 50th anniversary.

Evaluate and improve our use of enterprise systems for ticketing and fundraising, financial, and customer management to achieve greater efficiency and interoperability, and leverage artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to maximize and protect our use of data.

Mobilize our audiences to support climate action by harnessing Aquarium-wide programs, assets, and partners, including MBARI and the Aquarium Conservation Partnership.

Make measurable progress on priority goals in addition to climate change: Improve the sustainability of global fisheries and aquaculture, reduce sources of plastic pollution, and restore and protect ocean wildlife and ecosystems, by increasing understanding, advancing policy, and improving business practices with local to global partners.

Make progress towards net-zero emissions and waste, and prioritize regenerative energy sources by implementing the Aquarium-wide environmental sustainability action plan.

Deepen supportive relationships with regional communities through an Aquarium-wide approach to engagement that centers equity, accessibility, and belonging, and is co-created with local groups.

Maximize staff engagement, learning, and impact by better connecting them and their individual roles with the Aquarium’s conservation goals and activities.

Understand and embed environmental justice and traditional knowledge in our work from the local to global level.