Program areas at Florida Aquarium
Aquarium Visitation Admissions - With a keen focus on delivering world-class animal care to thousands of animals, The Florida Aquarium welcomes visitors (925,000 guests in 2022) to experience a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial animals with the goal of building awareness and inspiring action for species and habitat conservation. For edutainment, guests will also explore complex ecosystems, engage with interactive and informational exhibits and search for wild dolphins in Tampa Bay. More than a must-see attraction, The Florida Aquarium is working to protect and restore our blue planet through conservation efforts that included ground-breaking research and rescue efforts that help restore Florida's coral and sea turtle populations.
Education and Community Programs - The Florida Aquarium's learning center provides technology-rich spaces for innovative learning opportunities, including camps, field trips, and on-site programs for learners of all ages. Our outreach programs bring hands-on environmental science learning experiences into a variety of community spaces. We impact even more students through our professional development workshops for teachers and virtual class programming. In 2022, over 59,000 participated in the Aquarium's learning programs. Over the course of the Florida Aquarium's history, over 1.8 million people have benefited from its science education programs. Aqua Camps, educational day camps offered during school holidays and summer break each year, consistently sell out due to community demand and serve over 1,000 students each year. The Florida Aquarium's educators also travel up to 75 miles to provide in-person outreach programs in community spaces. Finally, our educators like to have fun with our guests too through sleepovers, birthday parties, animal encounters, and visits from Aquarium mascots, Tango and Rocky.
Conservation, Research and Animal Programs - The Florida Aquarium is dedicated to using a science-based, impact-driven approach to meet its Vision and Shared Purpose. With conservation being our foremost business focus we infuse our shared purpose throughout the Aquarium, from messaging, to sustainable business practices, to science, to action. We strategically focus on conservation initiatives that advance our Conservation Priorities, amplify our expertise, leverage and promote our partnerships, and maximize our ability to serve as Florida's leading conservation-based aquarium. We incorporate conservation messaging and action opportunities to connect our audiences to marine wildlife, expand their awareness of the Aquarium's conservation commitments and efforts, cultivate their understanding that they too can take impactful steps to help build a positive future, and provide opportunities to increase their conservation action engagement. The Florida Aquarium has identified four Conservation Priorities: * Safeguarding Imperiled Wildlife * Generating Healthy Habitats * Reducing Single-Use Plastic Consumption and Pollution * Advancing Sustainable Business Operations. Within these Priorities, we maintain a portfolio of Conservation Projects and Programs, such as our Coral Propagation and Restoration Program and Sea Turtle Conservation Program.