The Florida Aquarium

“First and foremost, our hearts go out to our Tampa Bay community and all those affected by Hurricane Milton across Florida.” - Roger Germann, President & CEO. Our animals remain safe and sound! At this time we are conducting a thorough assessment of both campuses. We want to thank everyone for the well wishes and support, we will recover together 💙

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we would like to provide an update on our facilities. While the Aquarium building remained largely undamaged and our animals are safe, our outdoor play area, including the splash pad, sustained significant damage due to tidal surge. As a result, we are permanently closing these amenities. In the wake of this news, we will be converting the outdoor play area into a vibrant green space! We plan for this area to open in time for our new winter holiday tradition, YuleTides, beginning November 29. Looking ahead, this green space will serve various purposes, from relaxation to children’s programming, and will eventually evolve into a world-class California sea lion and African penguin exhibit as part of our $45 million expansion plan, slated to commence in Fall 2025.

So proud of The Florida Aquarium’s conservation work and the part I played in this inspiring and award winning documentary, narrated by Meryl Streep! The issues our planet, our only home, face are widespread and extremely complex. Collaborative conservation efforts, like the examples showcased in this film demonstrate that there are solutions, we just need to find them together. Officially launched on Capitol Hill last week, you can now see this in theaters around the 🌎

We are excited to introduce YuleTides — Tampa Bay's newest holiday experience! Mark your calendars for November 29 to January 5 and join us for a unique coastal celebration that’s destined to become a family tradition. Learn More: https://lnkd.in/e3PbCZh2 #TampaBay #Family #Holiday #YuleTides

“Plan for the expected and never cower at the unexpected.” That’s what our The Florida Aquarium team excelled at over the past 72 hours as we not only prepared for #HurricaneHelene, we took her historic storm surge head on and got back on our feet to further our shared purpose. Proud, awed, and inspired by our teams unwavering resolve in the face of adversity. #TFAStrong

We’re thrilled to share that Otis, a juvenile green sea turtle, has returned to the Atlantic Ocean after 6 months of dedicated rehabilitation at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center. 🐢🌊   This incredible milestone was made possible thanks to a grant from Verizon and our ongoing collaboration with the SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY, INC. With a state-of-the-art satellite tag provided by this partnership, Otis is now equipped to provide real-time data on his journey, offering invaluable insights for both researchers and the community. Follow his journey here: https://bit.ly/Track-Otis   Ashley Riese, Director of our Sea Turtle Conservation Program, highlights the importance of these efforts: “We strive to ensure that they thrive in their natural environment. By monitoring post-release behavior through satellite tags, we gather critically important information that helps us better understand their activity patterns and environmental preferences, tracking their success and ultimately guiding our future rehabilitation and conservation efforts."   #SeaTurtle #Conservation #MarineLife

September 17th is National Voter Registration Day! 🌊 Voting is one of the most powerful ways we can contribute to the causes we care about, including the protection of our waterways and wildlife. 🐢🐟 By ensuring you're registered, you're taking a crucial step toward making your voice heard on important issues that impact our oceans and the animals that depend on them. Take a moment today to check your voter registration status or sign up if you haven’t already. Together, we can make informed decisions that help safeguard the natural world for future generations. Visit www.votefortheocean.org 🌎

We’re excited to announce the launch of our Mobile Aquatic Sea Turtle Holding (MASH) units, designed to increase our capacity to care for sea turtles during mass stranding events! With eight new systems in place, we’re better equipped than ever to respond to the growing number of sea turtle patients, addressing the urgent challenges brought on by ocean changes. This initiative was made possible in part by a grant from the Sea Turtle Grants Program, funded by the sale of Florida’s Sea Turtle License Plate. You can make a difference with every mile! By purchasing a Sea Turtle Specialty License Plate, you support conservation efforts dedicated to our collective shared purpose of saving marine life and the habitats they call home. https://lnkd.in/es-3pwkc SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY, INC. #Conservation #SeaTurtles #Community

This September, you can make a difference just by enjoying a meal at any of these iconic 1905 Family Of Restaurants. As part of the 27th annual Community Harvest program, 5% of your check will be donated to a local charity of your choice, including The Florida Aquarium! 🐠 Since its inception, this program has donated over $4 million to Florida non-profits, helping to strengthen our communities. When you dine, you’re not just enjoying a great meal— you’re supporting the causes that are making local impacts. ✨ How it works: 1. Dine at any participating restaurant. 2. Select The Florida Aquarium on the ballot provided with your check. 3. 5% of your check will be donated to support our mission—at no extra cost to you! Savor great food and make a positive impact on our shared purpose. Participating locations include: - Columbia locations (Ybor City, Sarasota, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, Celebration, the Columbia Cafe at the Tampa Bay History Center, and the Columbia Restaurant Cafe at Tampa International Airport) - Cha Cha Coconuts - Ulele - Goody Goody - Casa Santo Stefano #CommunityHarvest #SupportLocal #EatWellDoGood #TampaBay #NonProfit

🤝 Collaboration for Corals: A Global Effort to Preserve Our Reefs 🪸 At The Florida Aquarium, an incredible international partnership is underway to safeguard the future of coral reefs through cutting-edge cryopreservation technology. 🌊 Scientists from around the world are joining forces to preserve endangered pillar coral larvae, marking a major milestone in reef conservation. This project wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated collaboration of organizations across the globe, including: • Keri O’Neil and Emily Williams of The Florida Aquarium • Mary Hagedorn and Riley Perry of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute • Jonathan Daly of the Taronga Conservation Society Australia and UNSW • Kristen Marhaver and Christian Lippens of the Carmabi Foundation in Curacao • Anastazia Banaszak and Victoria Grosso of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México • Nikolas Zuchowicz of the University of Minnesota and ATP-Bio Zongqi Guo of the University of South Florida   Together, this team is pushing the boundaries of coral preservation, using state-of-the-art cryomesh technology to store coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures for future reef restoration. ❄️ This breakthrough is part of a larger global initiative, funded by G20 CORDAP (Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform), aimed at creating permanent coral biorepositories and banking coral genetic diversity worldwide. The next phase begins in Mexico next year, with a focus on preserving elkhorn coral. #CoralConservation #FloridaReef #International #Cryopreservation