NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM CORPORATION
CENTRAL WHARF, BOSTON, MA 021103399 www.neaq.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM SEEKS TO BE A CATALYST FOR GLOBAL CHANGE IN PROTECTING THE OCEANS THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMITMENT TO MARINE ANIMAL CONSERVATION, LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION, INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR VITAL AND VIBRANT OCEANS.

EXHIBITION: THE AQUARIUM IS A MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER 180 NON-PROFIT CORPORATION FORMED FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPERATING A PUBLIC AQUARIUM IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. THE MISSION OF THE AQUARIUM IS TO BE A CATALYST FOR GLOBAL CHANGE THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMITMENT TO MARINE ANIMAL CONSERVATION, LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION, INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR VITAL AND VIBRANT OCEANS. IN ADDITION TO ITS EXHIBITS, THE AQUARIUM OPERATES AN IMAX THEATER, GIFT SHOP, CAF, CATERED EVENTS, EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SPONSORED PROGRAMMING IN MARINE RESEARCH, CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION. THE AQUARIUM RELIES ON ADMISSIONS REVENUE, RETAIL SALES TO ITS VISITORS AND PRIVATE GIFTS AND GRANTS FOR THE MAJORITY OF ITS OPERATIONS. THESE REVENUES AND SUPPORT ARE PRIMARILY DERIVED FROM VISITORS AND DONORS FROM THE GREATER BOSTON AREA, THE NEW ENGLAND REGION AND TOURISTS TO THE CITY.OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON CONTINUING TO IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE WITH NEW EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS; EXPANDING OUR CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION WORK BEYOND OUR WALLS INTO THE COMMUNITY; STRENGTHENING SCIENCE LEARNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH; AND ADVANCING STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES.ON THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE FRONT, WE HAVE:-INDO-PACIFIC CORAL REEF EXHIBIT - WE COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW FLOOR-TO-CEILING 9,000-GALLON TANK AND ASSOCIATED IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT THAT HIGHLIGHTS "CORAL COMMUNITY". THIS IS PART OF THE "EXIT EXPERIENCE" OUTLINED IN THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY DEVELOPED.-SHARK AND RAY TOUCH TANK - PERFORMED RENOVATIONS AND REPAIRS TO THIS HIGHLY POPULAR EXHIBIT, INCLUDING USING A HYPERSALINITY TREATMENT (UTILIZING 13,000 POUNDS OF SALT) TO REMOVE AIPTASIA (A FOULING ANEMONE THAT GROWS ON EVERYTHING) FROM THE TOUCH TANK ITSELF.

RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION: IN 2019, THE ANDERSON CABOT CENTER FOR OCEAN LIFE AT THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM (ANDERSON CABOT CENTER") CONTINUED TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS ON MEETING HIGH-LEVEL OCEAN SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION GOALS. SPECIFICALLY, WE FOCUSED ON CONDUCTING CUTTING-EDGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH TO FILL DATA-GAPS ON HOW TO MANAGE AND MITIGATE NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES (E.G. COMMERCIAL FISHING, OFFSHORE RENEWABLES) ON OCEAN SPECIES AND HABITATS. WE ALSO CONTINUED TO BUILD CAPACITY THROUGH ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL HIRES.NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS- ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR, THE AQUARIUM'S MARINE CONSERVATION ACTION FUND (MCAF) CONVENED ITS VERY FIRST (GLOBAL) MCAF FELLOWS SUMMIT, BRINGING ITS FIRST COHORT TEN OF THE AQUARIUM'S INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION FELLOWS TO BOSTON FOR A PACKED WEEK OF NETWORKING, COLLABORATING, LEARNING AND SHARING. THE SUMMIT CULMINATED IN A THOUGHT-PROVOKING SYMPOSIUM, FEATURING THE MCAF FELLOWS ALONGSIDE NOTABLE BOSTON COMMUNITY LEADERS, INCLUDING REVERAND MARIAMA WHITE-HAMMOND, ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE AT BETHEL AME CHURCH, AND INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATIONISTS INCLUDING KALANI QUIOCHO, THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN PROGRAM SPECIALIST, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES' PAPAHNAUMOKUKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT.- THE ANDERSON CABOT CENTER CONVENED A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER EVENT AT THE ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY FACILITY IN SOUTH BOSTON TO SHOWCASE OUR WORK AND PARTNERS, CELEBRATE OUR COLLECTIVE PROGRESS ADDRESSING KEY OCEAN CONSERVATION ISSUES, AND TO HONOR THE 40-YEAR LEGACY OF OUR RETIRING SENIOR SCIENTIST, DR. SCOTT KRAUS, A PIONEERING NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE SCIENTIST.- AT THE OUR OCEAN CONFERENCE IN OSLO, NORWAY, AQUARIUM PRESIDENT AND CEO VIKKI SPRUILL ANNOUNCED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH DRAPER LABS FOCUSING ON "COUNTING WHALES FROM SPACE." THE COMMITMENT AIMED TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY TO DETECT LARGE MARINE LIFE IN AREAS OF THE WORLD THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SURVEY USING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES. TOGETHER WITH DRAPER, THE AQUARIUM COMMITTED MONETARY SUPPORT AND TOPICAL EXPERTISE TO ENGINEER NEW CAPABILITIES TO MONITOR THE NUMBERS AND TYPES OF LARGE ANIMALS AT THE OCEAN'S SURFACE.- ANDERSON CABOT CENTER AND ADDITIONAL AQUARIUM STAFF PUBLISHED 35 TOTAL PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS/CHAPTERS IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS/BOOKS IN 2019.- THE ANDERSON CABOT CENTER WELCOMED TWO NEW LEADING SCIENTISTS IN 2019: DR. PETER CORKERON, SENIOR SCIENTIST AND CHAIR OF THE KRAUS MARINE MAMMAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM, IS A MARINE ECOLOGIST, WHO USES SCIENCE TO HELP MITIGATE HUMAN IMPACTS ON MARINE WILDLIFE, PRIMARILY CETACEANS, INCLUDING THE NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE, WHICH HAS BEEN THE MAJOR FOCUS OF HIS WORK NOW FOR MANY YEARS; DR. JESSICA REDFERN, SENIOR SCIENTIST AND CHAIR OF THE NEW ECOMAP PROGRAM, BRINGS AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG BACKGROUND AS A TEAM LEADER AND EXPERT IN HABITAT AND SPATIAL MODELING AND RISK ASSESSMENT, FOCUSING ON THREATS SUCH AS SHIP STRIKES, CHRONIC NOISE AND ENTANGLEMENT.

EDUCATION: FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, THE AQUARIUM HAS PROVIDED LIFE-CHANGING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, FROM A CHILD TOUCHING A SEA STAR TO AN ADULT LEARNING HOW HIS/HER DAILY ACTIONS CAN AFFECT THE OCEAN. THE AQUARIUM'S EDUCATIONAL IMPACT IS BROAD. FROM TODDLERS TO RETIREES, FROM THE HEART OF BOSTON, ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND AROUND THE WORLD, OUR DIVERSE AUDIENCES HAVE EXPERIENCES THEY WILL NEVER FORGET.WE ARE BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS THROUGH PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH, COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND ADULT VOLUNTEERS.- TEEN INTERNS OF 67 SUMMER TEENS HIRED, 76% HAIL FROM EDUCATIONALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES INCLUDING BOSTON (57%), CAMBRIDGE, CHELSEA, EVERETT, QUINCY AND SOMERVILLE. BOSTON'S PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL (PIC) IS DIRECTLY SUPPORTING 10 OF THESE TEENS AND JOHN HANCOCK'S MLK SCHOLAR PROGRAM IS DIRECTLY SUPPORTING 5 OF THESE TEENS.- CLIMATEENS WE HAVE 36 TEENS IN OUR YOUTH CLIMATE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THIS YEAR (2018-2019), WHICH INCLUDED DELIVERING A CLIMATE CHANGE PRESENTATION, CREATED AND LEAD BY THE CLIMATEENS, TO TWO DIFFERENT LOCAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSES.- LIVE BLUE AMBASSADORS (LBA) THE LIVE BLUE AMBASSADORS PROVIDES YOUTH AGES 14 THROUGH 18 OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN FIELD- BASED CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES WHERE THEY TAKE PART IN DIRECT ACTIONS TO IMPROVE COASTAL HABITATS AND SYSTEMS. IN 2019, 195 INDIVIDUAL YOUTH PARTICIPANTS SERVED 2230 HOURS OVER THE COURSE OF 80 EVENTS. -MARINE BIOLOGIST IN TRAINING (MBIT) CONTINUED TO OFFER AN IN-SCHOOL VERSION OF MBIT AT THE DEARBORN STEM ACADEMY FOR THE 12TH GRADE BIOLOGY II CLASS AND THE 11TH GRADE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CLASS. THE PROGRAM WAS FOCUSED ON RIGHT WHALES, HABITAT AND FOOD WEB DYNAMICS IN THE GULF OF MAINE.- HARBOR DISCOVERIES 228 SUMMER CAMPERS WERE ENROLLED, INCLUDING 64 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS, 65% OF WHOM ARE BOSTON RESIDENTS. WE ARE A NATIONAL LEADER IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC IN CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUILDING COMMUNITY CLIMATE RESILIENCE.-NNOCCI NETWORK WE SECURED FUNDING FROM THE PISCES FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT OUR TRANSITION TO A SUSTAINABLE, SELF-GOVERNING NATIONAL NETWORK. WE HELD OUR FIRST NETWORK-WIDE ELECTION FOR A NEW EXECUTIVE CHAIR POSITION, AND RECRUITED 29 ALUMNI TO SERVE ON NNOCCI'S SIX NEW LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO FACILITATE TRAINING, MEMBER ENGAGEMENT, EVALUATION AND NEW RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT.- COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FOR RESILIENCE (CPR) THIS NOAA-FUNDED PROJECT WORKS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM CITY/TOWN PLANNING, PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FROM CHELSEA, LYNN AND HULL, MA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COLLEAGUES FROM THE METROPOLITAN AREA PLANNING COUNCIL. TEACHERS IMPLEMENTED A CLIMATE RESILIENCE CURRICULUM IN THE CLASSROOM TO LEAD STUDENTS TO CREATE A PUBLIC EDUCATION PROJECT ON RESILIENCE EFFORTS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.-CHANGE MAKERS ADVANCING SCIENCE LITERACY (CASL) THIS NSF-FUNDED PROJECT HAS FORMED A TEAM OF COLLEAGUES FROM NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN EAST BOSTON. THIS "CITY TEAM" IS LISTENING CAREFULLY TO THE ASPIRATIONS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS A KEY STEP TOWARD BUILDING CLIMATE ACTION PLANS, USING TOOLS AND PROTOCOLS FROM PARTNERS AT THE HARWOOD INSTITUTE.WE ARE HELPING TO PROMOTE STEM FLUENCY FOR EDUCATIONALLY UNDERSERVED YOUTH IN BOSTON THROUGH PROGRAMS IN SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, AND DURING THE SUMMER.-EARLY EDUCATION WE PROVIDED THREE NEW WORKSHOPS ON HOW TO DEVELOP EARLY CHILDHOOD STEM FLUENCY FOR 85 TEACHERS, AS WELL AS A WORKSHOP FOR THE YMCA ANNUAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT SYMPOSIUM FOR 31 OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PARTNERS.-PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES - WE SERVED 220 TEACHERS AT SCHOOLS FROM 75 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES, EXTENDING FROM MAINE TO CONNECTICUT. OF THE TEACHERS SERVED, 20% CAME FROM THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. TEACHERS SERVED RANGED FROM EARLY EDUCATORS TO HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS, AS WELL AS INFORMAL EDUCATORS. THE COURSES FOCUS ON PROVIDING THE TOOLS FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE A STUDENT'S CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS TO CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF OCEAN PROBLEM-SOLVERS.-COMMUNITIES CONNECTING TO THE OCEAN (C2O) WE COMPLETED AFTER SCHOOL SERIES WITH SIX BOSTON COMMUNITY CENTERS, HELPING YOUTH TO FOSTER THEIR IDENTITY AS A SCIENCE LEARNER BY PROVIDING THEM WITH TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO INVESTIGATE LOCAL TIDE POOL ANIMALS.-5TH QUARTER LEARNING PARTNERING WITH HAYNES ELEMENTARY, AS WELL AS BOSTON AFTER SCHOOL AND BEYOND, OUTDOOR FIELD-BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WERE PROVIDED FOR RISING KINDERGARTNERS OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER 6 WEEKS IN THE SUMMER. THROUGH PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND NETWORKS, WE EXTEND THE REACH OF THE AQUARIUM IN PROMOTING OCEAN STEWARDSHIP.-LECTURES OUR PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES, SUPPORTED BY THE LOWELL INSTITUTE, REACHED 1463 PEOPLE AT 10 EVENTS COVERING A RANGE OF SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION TOPICS.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202013119349301106_public.xml