aquarium of the pacific's 15th anniversary

DR. JERRY SCHUBEL, PRESIDENT/CEO

To instill a sense of wonder,respect and stewardshipfor the Pacific Ocean, its

inhabitants and ecosystems

1_Aquarium15th_Pages_InTimes_Layout 1 5/17/13 4:38 PM

3TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 Congratulatory Letters From Gov. Jerry Brown and Mayor Bob Foster

5 Congratulatory Letters From Supervisor DonKnabe and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration Administrator Kathryn Sullivan

6 Q&A With Aquarium President & CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel

16 Technology Helps Visitors Learn Science At The Aquarium

18 Art Programs And Events Communicate ScienceAt The Aquarium

20 Aquarium Of The Pacific: 15 Years Of Service In The Community

26 The Aquarium’s Charter Volunteers

28 Aquarium Of The Pacific Charter Employees

32 A Look Back – The Aquarium’s Timeline

34 Upcoming Aquarium Events

36 Warren Iliff – ‘Everybody Loved Him’

38 Thank You Aquarium Staff

AAA Flag & BannerAdvantageAge of AquariumsAlliant Insurance ServicesAmerican Wave MachineAnaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention BureauAutomobile Club of Southern CaliforniaAztlan EventsBio ModelsBowman Design GroupCalifornia State University, Long Beach Certified Folder Display ServiceCity Light & PowerDon Miller & Son’s Plumbing SupplyDowntown Long Beach AssociatesEdison InternationalEdwards TechnologiesFalcon Waterfree TechnologiesFiestaGrand Prix Association of Long BeachH & H NurseryHalbert HargroveHarbor Breeze Yacht Charters & CruisesInternational City Bank Marathon & Half MarathonKahn SolarKC ArtistsKeesal Young & LoganLong Beach AirportLong Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Long Beach Convention & Entertainment CenterLong Beach Convention & Visitors BureauLong Beach Environmental Services BureauLong Beach Museum of ArtLong Beach Water DepartmentLos Angeles ZooLyon StudiosManagement ResourcesMediaspotMiller Children’s HospitalMobile Plastic WorksMolina HealthcareMonroe LaboratoriesNUVISPacific Tugboat ServicePort of Long BeachPort of Los AngelesPR SunglassesPreferred Freezer ServicesQueen MaryRK2 SystemsSafariSea Dwelling CreaturesState Fish CompanyTel-Max CommunicationsTG ConstructionThe Pike at Rainbow HarborWater Replenishment District of Southern CaliforniaWildlife Artists

A Special Thank You To The Following For Supporting The Aquarium’s 15th Anniversary Publication

Prepared May 21, 2013, by the Long Beach Business Journal for the Aquarium of the Pacific. All articles written by Business Journal and Aquarium staff. With a few exceptions, all photographs, in-cluding the cover photograph, are by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville; other photographs provided by the Aquarium. The Business Journal may be reached at 562/988-1222 or visit thewebsite: www.lbbusinessjournal.com. The Aquarium’s may be reached at 562/590-3100; website is: www.aquariumofpacific.org.


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333 West Ocean Blvd., 14th Floor/ Long Beach, CA 90802

Tel. (562) 570-6801/ Fax (562) 570-6538

MMaayyoorr BBoobb FFoosstteerr

City of Long Beach

May 2013

Greetings Friends of the Long Beach Aquarium:

As Mayor of Long Beach, it is a pleasure to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the

Aquarium of the Pacific on the celebration of their 15th Anniversary. An accredited

member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Aquarium of the Pacific sits on

5-acres of land in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor and proudly welcomes 1.5 million

visitors through its doors each year.

Since opening to the public in June of 1998, the Aquarium of the Pacific has lived by

its mission to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean,

its inhabitants and ecosystems – implementing several policies and programs to aid in

the enhancement of citywide energy efficiency over the years. In 2009, the Aquarium

of the Pacific was awarded the Super Nova Star Award recognizing them as one of the

most energy efficient businesses with annual revenues under $150 million, and as a

certified “Green Business,” the Aquarium has also received Governmental Honors for

their role in protecting and enhancing both the California environment and the

economy. From Lorikeets, to Penguins, to Hagfish, and the on-site birth of the first

male Harbor Seal, The Aquarium of the Pacific has allowed City of Long Beach

residents to be a part of countless wonderful innovations that have opened the door to

how our community views our Ocean’s wildlife.

I want to give a special recognition to Dr. Jerry Schubel, President and CEO, and the

entire Aquarium of the Pacific staff, board of directors, and volunteers for their hard

work and dedication over the past 15 years. The positive impact the Aquarium has

made within the City of Long Beach is monumental. I applaud the tireless efforts to

help protect and enhance our city’s environment and economy.

Congratulations again on a fantastic 15 years of commitment and community service.

Warmest Regards,

Mayor Bob Foster

City of Long Beach

The Aquarium of the Pacific is a nonprofit institution dedicated to environ-mental conservation education. Vision: To create an aquarium dedicated toconserving and building natural capital (nature and nature's services) bybuilding social capital (the interactions between and among peoples).


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A Q&A WITH DR. JERRY SCHUBEL

June 20th Marks The 15th Anniversary Of TheAquarium Of The PacificThis year marks the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 15th anniversary.

Since opening on June 20, 1998, it has become the fourth most at-

tended aquarium in the nation. Over 50 exhibits feature marine life

from the waters of Baja California, the Northern Pacific and the

Southern Pacific. Through its exhibits and educational programs, the

Aquarium strives to build relationships with and among communities

to promote conservation. It endeavors to fulfill its mission to “instill

a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean,

its inhabitants and ecosystems.”

Environmentally friendly business practices also rank among the

Aquarium’s priorities. The grounds feature a leadership in energy

and environmental design (LEED) platinum certified watershed

classroom as well as the carbon-neutral Molina Animal Care Center. Additionally, the

Aquarium’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory is certified with the Climate Registry.

Dr. Jerry Schubel, president and CEO since 2002, spearheads the Aquarium of the Pa-

cific’s development. With his guidance, the Aquarium has added exhibits such as the June

Keyes Penguin Habitat and continues to expand educational programs. Schubel is president

and CEO Emeritus of the New England Aquarium and is former dean of Stony Brook Uni-

versity’s Marine Sciences Research Center. Various national marine research and conser-

vation institutions, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

count him as a member. He has chaired the National Sea Grant Review Panel, the National

Research Council’s Marine Board and the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel

(ORRAP). Under Schubel’s leadership, the number of visitors to the Aquarium has grown

to more than 1.5 million annually. Recently, Schubel spoke with the Business Journal to

reflect upon the 15th anniversary and to share his vision for the Aquarium’s future.

LBBJ: From the beginning, the Aquarium has taken a leadership role in promoting

sustainability for the future of the ocean. How has that focus narrowed to the urban

ocean, specifically in Long Beach?

Schubel: We still focus on the world ocean, which provides context and perspective.

There is only one ocean, and all the parts are connected. But it’s big, and the only way

we can begin to correct some of its problems is if institutions focus on the local and re-

gional ocean. That’s what we have done. In Southern California, we have a wonderful urban

ocean that goes from Point Conception to the U.S. and Mexico border. We focus on that,

Dr. Jerry Schubel, right, withJohn Molina, chairman of theAquarium Board of Directors.Molina’s two-year term aschair began in February.

“During my six-plus years as California

Secretary for Natural Resources, I found

Dr. Schubel and the Aquarium of the Pacific

to be very constructive partners in our work

and clear leaders in informal science education

regarding our marine resources here in

California, nationally, and internationally.”

Mike Chrisman, Director Southwestern Partnership Office

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; former California Secretary for Natural Resources


and we encourage other institutions to focus on

the part of the world ocean closest to them.

Over time, we hope we can create a mosaic

where all of these pieces come together. In a

sense we have narrowed the focus, but it is al-

ways within the context of the world ocean.

The reason this part of the Southern Cali-

fornian world ocean is so important is that

we have over 22 million people. That’s more

than the population of any state except Texas. Sixty percent of Californians live in

Southern California. The population of the planet right now is 7.2 billion. When you

look ahead, we are on our way to 9 billion by 2050 and 10 billion by 2100. The only

way we can conserve earth’s living infrastructure is if we can learn how to promote

conservation where we live and where we work. Yes, we will still need national parks,

wildlife reserves and marine protected areas. But if we can’t conserve nature where we

live and where we work, we lose the whole game. That’s another reason why we’re so

bullish on doing something in Southern California. It’s a great laboratory.

LBBJ: Last year the Aquarium began gathering input from the public to develop

an Aquatic Forum. How successful has that campaign been so far, and do you expect

to host aquatic forums in the future?

Schubel: The Aquatic Forum is very important to us. It is one of our major vehicles for

involving stakeholders with scientists and policy makers. We do two or three a year, and we

will continue to do them. We’re increasingly using social media to find out what people want

their environment to be like. We did a lot of that last summer. We have done two Aquatic Fo-

rums on shaping the future of the Southern California part of the ocean. First, you have to

know what qualities and uses people want and what they want it to be like in 2050. Through

the various vehicles we used – lectures, programs, social media – we reached hundreds of

people. We need to get to thousands of people. But a very clear picture is beginning to

emerge. The things that won hands down were healthy, productive ecosystems. Very close

behind that were healthy, economically viable coastal communities and appropriate uses of

the ocean by humans to promote the economy. The trick becomes how to accomplish both

of those. So we focused on allocating uses to different spaces within the ocean.

California has been the leader in designating marine protected areas. It is far and

away the leader of any state in the nation. We think California also can be a leader in

identifying spaces in the ocean for appropriate uses by humans, whether it is offshore

aquaculture or renewable energy. If you ask the public what values and uses they want,

everybody has the right to that opinion. When you start to allocate spaces so that one

use will have minimal conflict with other uses, then you have to rely more upon ex-

perts. It’s like when you go to the doctor; you rely on expert opinions. We struggle

with that in our society because everybody thinks he or she is an expert on the envi-

ronment. We’re making some progress. Everything we do focuses on converging on a

healthier, more productive environment that benefits the economy.

LBBJ: The Aquarium hosts numerous forums on ecology and environmentalism.

Why is it important for the Aquarium to host these forums and create an environment

for informal learning?

Schubel: We are an informal learning institution. We are not an extension of K to 12.

Informal, free-choice learning is a totally different domain of the

educational landscape. We make a mistake when we think of our-

selves as an extension of K through 12 classrooms. We do get

kids who come here on yellow buses, but they come maybe

once a year. The best thing that we can do is to excite those

kids about the environment and science. The less we look like

a classroom, the better we are for those children.

The other reason we do this is that with these topics – off-

shore aquaculture, coastal marine spatial plan-

ning and allocating uses – you have to get

them on the agenda either in Sacramento or in

Washington, D.C. If they’re not on the agenda,

they don’t get any attention. The people who

get things on the agenda are the elected offi-

cials and some long-term government career

people. Politicians react to the public. If we

could get enough people in the public believ-

ing that we have this wonderful opportunity in

Southern California, then I think politicians will respond.

Then we can get something on the agenda. We do a lot to try

to get it on the agenda in California and in Washington.

LBBJ: The Aquarium facilities have evolved since you

came on board as CEO in 2002. How much money has

been invested in infrastructure upgrades, and what has

been done?

Schubel: As an agreement with the city, we spend $1.5

7

Since its June 1998 opening,the Aquarium has providedenvironmental education toapproximately 20 million visitors and millions morethrough offsite programs and national, statewide

and regional partnerships.

“Over its brief fifteen year history, the Aquarium

of the Pacific has emerged as one of the leading

aquariums in the world. It has combined

outstanding live animal exhibits with state-of-the-

art media and technology to tell the larger stories

of what is happening to our World Ocean and

marine life. The institution and its mission and

vision are so important to our quality of life.”

Margaret Davidson, Director, NOAA Coastal Services Center


million a year on small operating capital projects. They are not main-

tenance. They are small capital projects that enhance the visitor expe-

rience as well as safety and care of our animals. Since I’ve been here,

we’ve spent about $20 million on nature projects including the Wa-

tershed Classroom and exhibit, the Molina Animal Care Center, the

Ocean Science Center and the penguin and the sea otter exhibit.

These are in Phase One of our capital campaign. At the Ocean

Conservation Awards Gala we will announce Phase Two, which

is a $50 million capital campaign.

LBBJ: What impact has the Aquarium’s expansion had

on attendance so far?

Schubel: When I got here, our attendance was between

1.1 and 1. 2 million. We’re now at one and a half million.

Our attendance has gone up

almost 30 percent. In addi-

tion to that, we have worked

very hard to reduce our envi-

ronmental footprint. So while

our attendance has gone up

by 25 to 30 percent, our car-

bon footprint has gone down by 20 percent. Our water use has gone

down by 30 percent and the amount of electricity that we buy off the

grid from Southern California Edison hasn’t increased. It has gone down

just a few percent. We have grown in size, we’ve added facilities and at-

tendance has gone up, but our environmental footprint has gone down.

Our staff has worked very hard to make that happen.

The Watershed Classroom, which opened in 2008, was Long Beach’s

first LEED Platinum building, which is the highest environmental rat-

ing that you can achieve. It was the first carbon-neutral building of

any aquarium building in the United States. So it’s not adding any

emissions of carbon to the atmosphere. When we built the Molina

Animal Care Center two years later, we never went through the full

certification process, but that would have

been a LEED building too. The new gift

shop’s window facade with the kelp forest

photo mural has just been awarded three

Green Globes, which is the best any aquar-

ium has ever done in this new rating system.

It’s something that our staff takes very se-

riously. One of the things that we’re doing in-

volves saltwater. Right now, it comes in

primarily from trucks. We now have a saltwa-

ter intake system from right here. We are fin-

ishing the testing now, but it will begin to

provide saltwater by this summer. By the end

of this year, we will eliminate over 1,000 trips

by diesel trucks bringing saltwater to the

Aquarium. All of those things really help. You

could be a green building and not do a darn

thing other than be green. I think the remark-

able thing is how much this aquarium does

and how diverse its portfolio of offerings are

while being green. That was the challenge.

LBBJ: What are the Aquarium’s main

sources of revenue, and what is its overall

budget?

Schubel:Our budget has gone up. Last year

was the best year we’ve had in the history of

the institution. The total budget was about $31

million. It was a 10 percent increase over 2011. In many ways we operate more like a

for-profit institution than a not-for-profit. The relationship with the city encourages that

because we transfer $2.2 million every year to the city. Last year our earnings before in-

terest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) were over $2.8 million. For a $31

million budget to have that kind of margin – there are a lot of for-profit companies that

don’t do that. We have a lean, hardworking staff. They are a great group of people.

The biggest source of revenue is the gate, when people buy tickets, spend at the gift

shops and buy food. After that, the biggest source would be from donations.

LBBJ: In the past, the Aquarium has struggled financially. How do you operate a

world-class aquarium under budget constraints?

Schubel: We haven’t struggled financially since the city decided it wanted to have

an aquarium. It restructured the debt. The city owns the building. The Aquarium of the

Pacific, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, operates the Aquarium on the city’s behalf.

Since that happened, we have not struggled. I would say we’ve thrived. A few years

ago, the city commissioned a study of the top half-dozen aquariums to see how we

ranked in terms of operating successfully financially. That was on a business model

with revenues versus expenses. We won hands down. In the first couple of years, the

Aquarium did struggle, but it hasn’t for a long time.

LBBJ: In what ways do you think future, planned facility developments will im-

“We in this country are awakening to the

deterioration that is occurring in what previously

seemed to be a wilderness area – the World Ocean.

This country is in need of better science and technology

education for all citizens in every economic level.

Put these elements together – a city with access to

the sea, citizens of diverse ethnicities and economic

backgrounds, and a place for all to learn – and what

we have is the world-class Aquarium of the Pacific.

This aquarium plays a very important role and can

continue to play an important role in conserving

our world’s biodiversity through education.”

Edward O. Wilson, Professor, Harvard University

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The Aquarium BoardOFFICERS

John Molina, ChairmanStephen Chazen, Vice Chairman

Jennifer Hagle, SecretaryJerry Schubel, President and CEOThomas Turney, Chairman, MarineConservation Research Institute

BOARDMEMBERS

James BreslauerHoward Chambers

Craig CooningJohn Fielder

Charlotte GinsburgJames HanklaRussell HillSamuel King

Bert Levy, MediatorSteven MayerJanice MazyckMario Molina

Stephan MorikawaStephen OlsonDouglas OttoSean Pence

Lynne PresloEugene “Rod” Roddenberry

Christopher RommelKurt Schulzman

Michael SondermannArlo Sorensen

Eisuke TsuyuzakiStephen Young

The Aquarium’s exhibits hold more than 1 million gallons of water. The water is

filtered on-site using chemical, mechanical,and biological filtration methods at a rate

µof about 1 million gallons per hour.


prove its place as one of the

world’s leading aquariums?

Schubel: I think you have to

always have something new to

keep people coming. The facil-

ities we’re planning will add

new dimensions to this Aquar-

ium that will keep us as a

leader. We’re quite distinctive

among aquariums in the extent

to which we use technology and

have the aquatic forums and the

aquatic academies. We will con-

tinue to focus on being distinc-

tive. I think that’s one of the

primary reasons we have suc-

ceeded year after year while

some other aquariums have not done as well.

We couldn’t have had a better city than Long Beach to create the

kind of Aquarium that our board envisioned. There aren’t any turf

battles. If there were a science museum in this city, they would object

to us having an ocean science center. We haven’t been bound by

those turf battles and as a result we’ve been able to use technology

and the arts. We have partnerships with the opera, the ballet, the

symphony and the Art Cen-

ter College of Design in

Pasadena. There’s no other

city I can think of that I

would rather be in. Being

in Southern California with

this part of the world ocean

and being in a city that has

one of the world’s greatest,

greenest ports, if I were

picking a place it would be

right here. I think we are

really fortunate.

LBBJ: Let’s discuss the

very diverse events and pro-

grams at the Aquarium.

Why is it important for the

Aquarium to host multi-cul-

tural events and festivals for

visitors and the community?

Schubel: Our working

hypothesis, which is cap-

tured in our vision, is that

the greatest threat to natural capital is the unraveling of social capital – the relation-

ships between and among people. Our vision then becomes that the best way to build,

protect and conserve nature is to build social capital. When you bring people together,

you’re building a community. Wendell Berry is probably America’s greatest living es-

sayist. He lives in Kentucky and calls himself a simple farmer, which is totally non-

sense. He says a community is where people share space, values, hopes, dreams and

look out for each other. You can’t have virtual communities, in my opinion, unless

they are rooted in real living communities with people who care. You can say, “I’ve

got 800 friends on Facebook, Jerry. How many do you have?” I don’t know that I have

any, because I’m not on Facebook. But those kinds of communities have to be rooted

in real communities. So what we’ve tried to do year after year is to bring people to-

gether to care about each other and to share hopes and dreams. That’s why we do all

of these events, whether they are Cambodian, Baja Splash, African-American, Native

American or even our Festival of Human Abilities. It’s to build communities.

The Festival of Human Abilities is probably my favorite. We were the first in the

country to acknowledge that every one of us has abilities and every one of us has dis-

abilities. And so when we bring people with physical disabilities together – not to feel

sorry for them, but to celebrate what they can do – it’s quite remarkable. Every year

we have young women who are wheel chair hip-hop dancers. The interesting thing is

to watch little children who are in wheel chairs. They watch these women on the stage

and by the time the women are done, these little kids are rocking back and forth and

smiling. That’s what it’s about.

LBBJ: The Aquarium has a new theme program every two years. What is the

Annual attendance has increased 26 percent while

the Aquarium’s carbon footprinthas decreased by 20 percent,

and water use has decreased by 30 percent.

“As someone who has experienced all of Long Beach’s

offerings, I can confidently say none have been

more enjoyable or more important to our

community than the Aquarium of the Pacific.”

Ron Barnes, Executive Director, Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation

10


Aquarium’s theme for the

15th anniversary?

Schubel: The theme we will

launch in a couple of weeks is

ocean exploration. There is an

exhibit that is part of that

called Wonders of the Deep.

No more than 10 percent of

the world ocean has been ex-

plored. Ninety-eight percent

of the volume of the world

ocean is in total darkness and

within a few degrees of freez-

ing all of the time. Most peo-

ple don’t know that. We want

to introduce people to the

world ocean. We will have the

exhibit and several films. In

the Great Hall there will be a

pillar reaching all way to the

ceiling, showing how thin the sunlit surface layer is.

We have been asked by NOAA to hold the very first national forum

on ocean exploration. One hundred of America’s greatest explorers

will be here on July 19th and 20th to shape the future of ocean ex-

ploration in the United States. July 21st will be the public day to

put a face on ocean exploration, and some of the explorers will

hang around and talk to kids. We have a partnership now with three

different exploration ships. On July 21st, kids will be able to talk live to explorers on

these ships. There will be images on the walls. Kids will be able to ask questions. It

is very important for us because NOAA, NASA, Department of State, Department of

Interior, EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] and National Science Founda-

tion sponsor this forum. It is also sponsored by Google, Esri and the Roddenberry

Foundation. So for three days, it will put a very bright spotlight on Long Beach.

LBBJ: How do you see the role of the Aquarium evolving in the future as environ-

mental pressures continue to impact the world’s ocean?

Schubel: My hope is it will continue to evolve along the same trajectory. The pres-

sures on the environment, including the ocean, will continue to increase, so I think

the need for the kind of programs this Aquarium does will increase. I suppose when

I move on somebody could turn it into a theme park, but I hope not. I hope we are

going to continue to evolve in the same way that we have. We are a conservation or-

ganization. You can do conservation in different ways. You can do it through litigation

– that’s what the NRDC [National Resources Defense Council] does. You can do it

by buying up sensitive areas, which is what the Nature Conservancy does. You can

do it through research or you can do it by trying to make people better stewards.

That’s what we do. Stewardship is taking care of something that doesn’t belong to

you. The ocean doesn’t belong to anyone; it belongs to everyone. I hope that we will

continue to focus on making people better stewards, caring more about each other

and the environment.

LBBJ: If you had unlimited funds for Aquarium use, how would you allocate them?

Schubel: The first thing I would do is complete the campus master plan, because that

expands our capacity to accommodate more visitors. We are about at capacity right now

at 1.5 million, unless we could increase the people that come in the shoulder seasons.

There are good reasons most of them come in the summer, like school vacations.

The second thing I would do is invest in staff, because the staff are the ones who

“The Aquarium of the Pacific is a tremendous asset to not only the learning

center network but also to the Coastal America partnership. The Aquarium

excels at delivering data and information of the Coastal America federal

partners in an entertaining and enlightening way through their exhibitry,

programs, and activities. The many successes of the learning center network

are due in part to the Aquarium of the Pacific’s extraordinary leadership,

creativity, and dedication to educating the public about the ocean

environment. The Aquarium has inspired or has piloted several exciting

initiatives that we have taken network-wide, including a National Student

Ocean Art Contest with the Smithsonian Institution and interactive Ocean Today

Kiosks with current ocean stories and daily updated information.”

Virginia Tippie, Executive Director, Coastal America

The Aquarium of the Pacific’s economicimpact in the Los Angeles and Orange

County region is estimated at $142 millionannually. This creates approximately1,240 jobs for residents of California.


have the ideas and create the programs and

the exhibits. We have a leaner staff than

any aquarium in the country. We normalize

our staff compared to the number of visi-

tors we have or the area of the facility. So

I would expand the staff. Then I would ex-

pand the kind of programs they do.

I would also lower barriers to entry. We try hard to keep the Aquarium

affordable, but there are a lot of people in this city who don’t have very

much money. And while we’re a lot cheaper than going to Disneyland

or other places, it’s still a stretch. Those are the things I would focus on.

LBBJ: What three things are you most proud of that the Aquarium

has accomplished over the past 15 years?

Schubel: When I got here, we had a wonderful portfolio of educa-

tional programs for kids. One of the things I am proudest of is that we

now have this bulging portfolio of programs that includes adults, whether it is the Aquatic

Academy or the Aquatic Forum or our lecture series. And it hasn’t come at the cost of re-

ducing the kids’ programs. They’ve grown too. We have the most diverse portfolio of any

aquarium and it makes us a true center for life-long learning. I probably would put that at

the top. I also would say this Aquarium is highly regarded nationally, being involved in

these big issues. When NOAA has an issue or they want to try something out, they call up

this Aquarium. It’s recognition that we are doing some of the things that need to be done.

The Aquarium uses technology to tell big stories. If we were just a wet menagerie

or a wet zoo, it wouldn’t be very exciting. We are telling the big stories about what

people are doing to life in the world ocean. This is one of two aquariums in the coun-

try that has a NOAA Science on a Sphere. We involve the arts as well as technology.

You probably know that we had a performance by the Long Beach Ballet last year

and we helped develop the theme. We had one by the Long Beach Opera. Recently

we commissioned an original composition that was performed in April by the Long

Beach Symphony Orchestra. It’s called the Urban Ocean, by Stephen Mackey, who

is the chairman of the music department at Princeton University. He has won a

Grammy and a number of other awards, and he really captured the urban ocean.

There are sounds of marine life and sounds of people, and when he brings them to-

gether they all co-exist. Those would be the things that I am proudest of.

LBBJ: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Schubel: I would just reinforce that I have been here now 11 years. It has been the

happiest, most exciting 11 years of my entire life. We have a wonderful relationship with

the city, the mayor, the city manager and the city council. I would like to think that we

can become an iconic institution so that people come to Long Beach because of this

Aquarium. When the Los Angeles Times did that survey last summer about the two fa-

vorite local places, we were tied with Disneyland. That’s pretty good. I think Long Beach

is underestimated. It’s a wonderful city. �

The Aquarium is home to more than 11,000 animals

representing nearly 500 speciesfrom the Pacific Ocean.

“Congratulations to the Aquarium

of the Pacific for fifteen years of

conservation, discovery, and insight

into our oceans both locally and

all over the world. We are proud

to be part of a city that includes an

organization like the Aquarium of

the Pacific, where there is a true

commitment to education and fun.”

Mario Rodriguez, Director, Long Beach Airport


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Congratulations Aquarium of the Pacific for 15 fabulous years and thanks for partnering with Kahn Solar and SunPower on your solar projects.


Technology Helps Visitors Learn Science At TheAquarium

With today’s technology-savvy public, it has be-

come more important than ever to use technol-

ogy to engage and educate visitors at public

institutions like zoos, aquariums and science

centers. Survey data have shown that these

tools have become effective modes of facilitat-

ing learning at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The Aquarium has emphasized the use of high-

tech tools and systems to diversify, modernize

and expand its educational offerings.

The Aquarium is one of two in the nation to

install the innovative Science on a Sphere®, a

six-foot-diameter global display system created by the Na-

tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Educators use Science on a Sphere datasets collected by

NOAA and NASA to illustrate current ocean and earth sci-

ence and weather activity, allowing students and other vis-

itors to interpret these phenomena in near-real time. In 2012

the Aquarium hosted a live webcast with NOAA National

Weather Service Meteorologist Mark Jackson, who demonstrated and

explained super storm Sandy’s path using satellite images that were

less than a few hours old. He also incorporated animations showing

ocean surface temperatures and the path of Hurricane Katrina.

The Aquarium employs Science on a Sphere to tell stories about

ocean phenomena and their impacts.

Housed in the Ocean Science Center, it fea-

tures daily shows on issues like sea levels,

maritime trade and marine conservation.

Visitors can learn about ocean health from

a global perspective in shows like Ocean in

Motion, which demonstrates the links be-

tween marine life and human activity to tell

a compelling story about humans’ dependence on the ocean.

NASA awarded the Aquarium of the Pacific a $331,000 grant to oversee the creation

of new programs for Science on a Sphere in conjunction with NASA’s Goddard Visitor

Center and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). A new program entitled

Our Instrumented Earth will debut at each of these institutions in 2013. This program

will focus on how satellites and other observation systems contribute to our understanding

of how Earth is changing and what those changes may mean for humans.

The Aquarium has also formed a partnership with Cisco that extends the institution’s

geographic reach through telepresence and videoconferencing, making it possible to bring

data and information in real time to a network of 19 flat screens distributed throughout

the institution. Visitors can also enhance their experience by downloading the Aquarium’s

smartphone app, which includes the daily schedule of shows and events, species I.D. pro-

gram and map and visitors guide.

Another way the Aquarium is using technology to reach new audiences is by teaching

live marine science lessons in a videoconferencing studio built with the support of the

Roddenberry Foundation. The videoconferencing has expanded the Aquarium’s educa-

tional reach to audiences across the country and even internationally. While students in

kindergarten through 12th grade comprise the largest audience for this program, any or-

“America is arguably the most important maritime nation in history. It is therefore important that

those who study the ocean professionally have access to the best marine information. Equally

important is that voters and elected officials are also informed on the ocean and the major issues

surrounding it: climate change, acidification, renewable energy potential, pollution, coastal

development and its partner coastal conservation; observing the ocean as we would the weather;

and the whole range of commercial practices that must proceed responsibly in the ocean like

fishing, mariculture, shipping, tourism, and minerals extraction. These are large and complex

issues that policy makers, citizens, and scientists must manage. They learn about such issues best

in places like the Aquarium of the Pacific. The Aquarium is a lovely place for a leisurely visit,

but its real purpose is to gain and propagate knowledge about America’s greatest natural

resource – its coasts and oceans. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a leader in this arena.”

Paul G. Gaffney II, Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.); President, Monmouth University;Commissioner, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy; Chairman, Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel

16

Every year the Aquarium hostsbetween thirty and forty experts –including scientists, authors,artists, and journalists – whogive lectures in the institution’s

Guest Speaker Series.


ganization with video-

conferencing capabil-

ity can take part.

Aquarium educators

interact with viewers

during the sessions

and can even lead

squid dissections. This

same system is being

used to broadcast live

programs at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, with

funding from the Miller Foundation, allowing patients and

their families to interact with Aquarium educators and view

marine life from playrooms and patient rooms.

The Aquarium offers live streaming webcasts of its Guest

Speaker Series, featuring scientists, artists, wildlife photogra-

phers, authors and other experts who share current research,

unique experiences, and specialized knowledge. Visitors to the

Aquarium’s website can also view live webcams in the June Keyes

Penguin Habitat, Honda Blue Cavern, Tropical Reef Habitat and Sex

Change Exhibit at aquariumofpacific.org/aquariumlive.

Also on the web, interactive online exhibits and games allow peo-

ple to learn more about marine life and the environment. Web inter-

actives include an interactive map on sea levels rising, the Sea Otter

Challenge, and Build a Fish games. The Aquarium also offers an iPad

app in which users can design a garden using drought-tolerant plants

native to Southern California.

As advances in technology continue to democratize the flow of in-

formation and handheld devices like smartphones become even more

pervasive, the Aquarium will continue to develop programs, ex-

hibits, apps and other new methods for teaching the public about

the ocean. �

Arts Programs And Events Communicate Science At The Aquarium

One might not expect to find ballet dancers or painters at an aquarium, but the Aquar-

ium of the Pacific has made the arts a regular part of its offerings. As an educational in-

stitution, the Aquarium of the Pacific works to identify the most effective ways to

communicate information so that visitors can understand scientific concepts and envi-

ronmental issues and be eager to learn and to act. The Aquarium approaches this task

holistically, using a wide variety of opportunities for guests to engage in learning, in-

cluding the performing and the visual arts.

For many, science can be difficult to absorb, or it’s simply not initially seen as fun and

exciting. Bringing arts and science together can help make both subjects more accessible

and enhance Aquarium visitors’ understanding of new topics. Hosting performing arts

events and art exhibits can also help attract visitors who might not otherwise come to the

Aquarium. These events draw people together, making the Aquarium a gathering place

where community members can learn, be entertained, participate in activities and expand

their understanding of the world. Seeing dancers’ movements imitating the movement of

marine animals or seeing visually stunning underwater photographs of a coral reef can

help illustrate our connection to the natural world in a memorable way. The arts also res-

onate with people emotionally – something science doesn’t do for everyone.

The arts play a key role in fulfilling the Aquarium’s vision of protecting and building nat-

“The Aquarium of the Pacific has provided a venue for the region's indigenous people to showcase our work, our values, and our concerns. It

has given us an opportunity to share with the public and helps others to understand that we are still here. The Aquarium has also brought

together the local native community and that has helped us strengthen our ties to one another and share our culture. I am particularly

touched at how our cultures are valued by the Aquarium. We have had the opportunity to honor our elders, present the Heritage Award

yearly to a deserving member of our community, and bring our children on an overnight sleepover at the Aquarium. All these events

and efforts have contributed to the well-being of our Native communities and have helped our younger generations understand the

importance and tradition of stewardship. I personally feel respected, supported, and valued by the Aquarium and all the staff.”

Deborah Sanchez, Co-chair, Barbareno Chumash Council; Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge


ural capital by building social capital – the connections be-

tween and among people. Long Beach is one of the most di-

verse cities in the United States, and the Aquarium’s guests

represent one of the most diverse aquarium visitorships in the

country. The Aquarium features numerous cultural festivals

each year, bringing the arts into the Aquarium and celebrating

our local diversity and the connection different cultural com-

munities have with the ocean. Singers, dancers, storytellers,

and artisans share their skills with guests, making an Aquar-

ium visit extra special. The annual Urban Ocean Festival in-

corporates the arts in many ways,

including ocean-themed art, poetry and

fashion contests and the opportunity

for visitors to paint murals on the front

plaza during the festival.

The Aquarium has partnered with

arts organizations to bring ever more

innovative programming to the Aquarium, including perform-

ances by the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players,

Long Beach Opera and Long Beach Ballet. In 2012 the Long Beach

Opera debuted composer Gavin Bryars’ Paper Nautilus in the Aquar-

ium's Great Hall. The Long Beach Ballet will be reprising its per-

formance of its original work, Guardians, at the Aquarium this fall on

November 15 and 16. This performance debuted at the Aquarium last

year. Guardians portrays humans’ relationship with marine life and our

responsibilities as guardians through dance, music, and video imagery.

Art exhibits of all kinds are housed in the Aquarium throughout the

year. The Aquarium has hosted Coastal America’s regional student art

contest and has sent the most winning entries on to the national level of

any institution in the Coastal America Learning Center Network. In

hosting the regional art contest, the Aquarium aimed to engage local

audiences in pressing environmental topics and to promote ocean lit-

eracy among people of all ages, especially students.

Students are also engaged in arts and science at the Aquarium through

a partnership with the Art Center College of Design

in Pasadena. Aquarium experts meet with students

in the college’s Designmatters department to col-

laborate on projects to create educational tools and

raise awareness about environmental issues. Each

year, students’ projects about ocean issues are dis-

played in the Aquarium’s Great Hall.

Other art exhibits at the Aquarium in 2012 in-

cluded underwater photographs by National Ge-

ographic photographer Brian Skerry and a set of

ocean animal sculptures called Ocean Armor by

various designers commissioned by the Surfrider

Foundation. In 2013, the Aquarium hosted a traveling exhibition on the global impact of

plastic on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Developed by 5 Gyres Institute, Saving Our

Synthetic Seas included collected objects and castings made from plastic trash.

In 2013, the Aquarium’s connections to the arts expanded to include symphonic music

when the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra premiered a piece on the urban ocean by

Grammy Award-winning composer Steven Mackey, commissioned by supporters Dennis

and Suzanne Poulson for the Aquarium.

In the coming months and years, the Aquarium will continue to foster connections with

the arts, inviting artists to perform and display their work and inviting the public to in-

vestigate ocean issues through the lenses of the visual and performing arts. �

Aquarium Of The Pacific: 15 Years Of Service In The Community

The staff of the Aquarium of the Pacific believes that people can only begin to tackle en-

vironmental issues on a local and even global scale when they understand and respect one

another, and are empowered to overcome the challenges they face personally and as a society.

Throughout its history the Aquarium has

fostered a sense of community to fulfill

its vision: to conserve and build natural

capital by building social capital, the in-

teractions and connections between and

among people.

The Aquarium brings together scien-

tists, policymakers, other experts and

stakeholders to deal with pressing en-

vironmental issues through its Aquatic

Forums. During these meetings, partic-

ipants search for solutions, often working together and sharing knowledge, hopes and

dreams for the first time. The Aquarium also empowers community members to become

engaged in these same issues through its Aquatic Academy courses and Guest Speaker

20

“Congratulations to the Aquarium of

the Pacific on this momentous occasion

of its 15th year anniversary. We are very

fortunate to have a first-class aquarium

in our city that provides unique and

fascinating opportunities for us to

explore the world’s oceans and

urban environments and learn of

our responsibilities to preserve

and protect as well as enjoy.”

Laura Kingsford, DeanCollege of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

California State University, Long Beach

The Aquarium hosts two Aquatic Forums each year, bringing dozensof scientists, policymakers, and other experts together to addresspressing environmental issues.


Series. Both of these public programs

bring regional, national, and interna-

tional figures to the Aquarium to share

their expertise.

Through these and other pro-

grams, including cultural festivals,

outreach initiatives, hiring prac-

tices and volunteer training, the

Aquarium celebrates and em-

powers our local communi-

ties. Providing underserved

groups and those with

special needs a venue to

come together and connect

with each other and to the

ocean and nature has been

for many a life-changing

experience.

Festivals EmpowerAttendees

Since 2001 the Aquarium

has hosted cultural festivals to celebrate our diverse com-

munities through song, dance, exhibits and crafts. These fes-

tivals serve as a venue to gather and empower community

groups, while helping to overcome stereotypes by engaging

the public in a family atmosphere. The celebration of cultural

and social diversity leads to acceptance and appreciation of

what makes us dif-

ferent and recogni-

tion of how alike

we are and how

much we share.

Aquarium festi-

vals have also

helped us to attract

one of the most di-

verse audiences of

any aquarium in

the nation.

The Festival of

Human Abilities is

a key example of

these efforts. It celebrates the creative spirit of people with disabilities,

including dancers, musicians, artists and divers. It embraces the reality

that each of us has abilities and disabilities. It offers free classes led

by artists with disabilities for others with disabilities. Through inter-

active programs, personal lessons, live performances and demonstrations, the Aquarium

builds knowledge and understanding, bridges the gap between able-bodied people and

those with physical disabilities, and encourages people with disabilities to experience the

wonders of the Aquarium.

This first-of-its kind festival has been presented at the American Zoo and Aquarium

Association annual meeting and the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability confer-

ence and has been emulated by the Georgia Aquarium. The Aquarium of the Pacific

reaches out to the community by offering free admission for people with disabilities and

an attendant. The Aquarium also adds special enhancements to its year-round commit-

ment to accessibility, such as sign language interpreters at all major presentations during

the festival weekend.

Other community-based festivals and events include Autism Families Night (a special

evening where families can enjoy the Aquarium in a quiet, friendly environment), the

African-American Festival, International Children’s Day, the Pacific Islander Festival,

Baja Splash (celebrating Hispanic cultures), Southeast Asia Day, the Autumn Festival

(celebrating the cultures of Japan, China, Korea, and the Philippines) and Moompetam

(celebrating local maritime Native American cultures). This festival is considered by the

participants to be a continuation of their traditional gathering of coastal tribes, in which

they encourage tribal respect and understanding by sharing stories, dances and music.

At each cultural festival, the Aquarium honors an outstanding leader in the community

with the Heritage Award to celebrate his or her work in empowering and helping the com-

munity. These individuals or organizations are honored with a public ceremony and in-

cluded in our member magazine to draw awareness for their cause and work.

Notable honorees include Rev. James M. Lawson Jr., a pioneer in the civil rights move-

ment in the United States who worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; the late Frank D.

22

“Hearty congratulations to the Aquarium of the Pacific

on fifteen fabulous years of revealing the ocean’s secrets

and engaging people in discovery and stewardship.”

Jane Lubchenco, former NOAA Administrator


Godden, who worked with pioneering scientist Dr.

George Washington Carver, founded the George Wash-

ington Carver Museum of California, and successfully

campaigned for the repeal of segregation laws; Chief

Red Blood Anthony Morales, tribal leader of the San

Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, who was honored

for his work in preserving Native American culture

and ensuring equal treatment for all Native Amer-

icans; Cody Unser, who became the first person

who is paralyzed to dive at the Aquarium and

who has worked to introduce others with dis-

abilities to diving, including wounded veter-

ans; the U.S. Japan Council for its efforts in

helping the victims of the March 2011 earth-

quake and tsunami in Japan; and Antonio Re-

sendiz for his work in sea turtle conservation,

transforming poachers into eco-tourism guides

in Baja California.

Diverse Staffing Reflects CommunityOne of the strengths of the Aquarium of the Pacific is

its diverse staff. In a supportive and respectful environ-

ment, people of all backgrounds and abilities work to-

gether for a common

good. The Aquarium

has a history of hiring

individuals with phys-

ical and developmen-

tal disabilities. From

employees who re-

quire job coaching to

those who are fairly

independent, people of all abilities who are able to perform the job

for which they are hired – with accommodation where necessary ¬

are welcomed to the Aquarium.

The Aquarium also has with a number of volunteers with varying

degrees of disability who donate their time. The Aquarium works with

Westview, an agency that provides a team of volunteers with severe

cognitive impairment, to assist with various projects. The Long Beach

Unified School District and Long Beach City College special educa-

tion departments provide volunteers to help with housekeeping proj-

ects. Changing Spirits, an organization that assists individuals

overcoming challenges with drug and alcohol addictions, help with

set-up and break-down for our cultural festivals.

The Aquarium of the Pacific hires people in all stages of life. The

institution has been recognized by Retirementjobs.com for being

an age-friendly employer because of the institution’s strong record

of hiring people over the age of 50. In April the Aquarium was named by the Los An-

geles News Group one of the top 25 best companies to work for in the Los Angeles

area, ranking 7th out of 25 companies.

Opening The Aquarium To The Community Whenever possible, the Aquarium provides charities and community groups free

access to the Aquarium facilities for events. Examples include AIDS Walk, a fundrais-

ing event held annually on the Aquarium’s front lawn, and a Hurricane Katrina

Fundraiser. The Aquarium also partners with the Long Beach Marathon to host a free

one-mile Kids Fun Run to promote a healthy lifestyle and empowerment for kids to

set and achieve goals.

The Aquarium makes efforts to reach out to those who might not be able to make a

visit to the Aquarium, like patients at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. Through

a new high-tech education program called Aquarium Live, hospitalized children and

their families can view live bi-weekly, 30-minute programs on different ocean topics

broadcast from the Aquarium’s state-of-the-art Roddenberry Foundation Education

Videoconferencing Studio. Patients can call in with questions or play along with puz-

zles and games from their rooms or from the hospital’s playrooms. This partnership

was developed between the Aquarium and the Child Life Program at Miller Children’s

Hospital to help make the hospital experience more positive for children of all ages.

The Miller Foundation funded this program.

Adult education programs at the Aquarium include Aquatic Academy courses and

Guest Speaker Series. Both programs are broadcast live on the Aquarium’s website.

Admission to the Guest Speaker Series is free for seniors, teachers and students with

valid I.D. and advance reservations.

Through these and other efforts the Aquarium prioritizes giving back to and creating

connections within the community it serves. Building these connections helps bring

people together to learn new things and build momentum toward protecting the envi-

ronment, both locally and globally. �

“The NAACP Long Beach Branch has partnered with the Aquarium of the Pacific

since 2002, providing educational and cultural programming to help African

Americans and many other ethnic groups to understand the impact humans

have on the ocean and what they can do to make a difference. Through its

African-American Festival, the Aquarium has established vital relationships,

exposing a diversity of communities to the rich and varied cultural heritage

of those of continental African and African-American descent living

here in Southern California. The Aquarium has consistently and steadfastly

maintained its commitment to being not only a nationally renowned

educational and conservationist institution, but also a local establishment

fully integrated into its surrounding community.”

Naomi Rainey, President National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Long Beach Branch

24

In 2012, the Aquarium provided educationalprograms for nearly 190,000 students,teachers, and community members;

18,800 children from 195 schools receivedfree admission and on-site educational programming through the Aquarium’s

scholarship program.


The Aquarium’sCharter Volunteers

Leah Young – Marketing And Aquarist Volunteer

Leah Young developed a fascination with the sea and its

creatures at a young age. When she

heard that Long Beach was building an

aquarium, she immediately inquired

about volunteer positions and signed up

on the spot – 15 years ago this June.

“Being an Aquarium volunteer has

been one of the best experiences of my

life,” Young said. “I was in the second vol-

unteer training class that began March

1998. Our class graduated in May and

began volunteering immediately.”

Though she wears a few different hats

as a volunteer, Young primarily works

with the Aquarium’s Community Out-

reach Booth Program and the Speaker’s

Bureau through the marketing department. She manages

booths and tables at various eco and community events, drives

the Aquarium’s “yellow submarine” in parades and conducts

presentations to the public throughout Southern California.

Young also conducts research, writes some of the animal fact

sheets for the Aquarium’s website and spends her Sundays volun-

teering in animal husbandry with the sharks in Shark Lagoon. “My

favorite thing about being an Aquarium volunteer is being able to help

educate the public on our local ocean, its inhabitants and issues,” Young

said. “I have made many new friends that

I wouldn't have even met had it not been

for being an Aquarium volunteer.”

Barbara Anders – Education Volunteer

Looking for volunteer opportunities

following retirement from a career in

teaching, Barbara Anders discovered the

Aquarium of the Pacific.

“The Aquarium was under construc-

tion and was starting a training pro-

gram,” Anders said. “I had neither

marine biology background nor any idea

of what would be involved as a volun-

teer, but it sounded like an interesting ad-

venture so I signed up.” She joined a vol-

unteer training class before the Aquarium

opened in June of 1998.

Anders is the education day captain

Thursdays at the Aquarium, helping guests

find certain exhibits, managing schedules

of the education volunteers and their inter-

pretation station assignments. “Education volunteers are stationed at these spots to in-

teract with the quests as well as ensure the safety of the live animals in the exhibits,”

Anders said. Interpretation stations include the invertebrate touch lab, the ray pool, Shark

Lagoon, the jelly touch lab and others.

One of the best things about volunteering at the Aquarium, Anders said, is being able

to meet interesting people. “The volunteers are from a variety of backgrounds and age

groups, the staff is great to work with and the guests are there to have a good time,” she

said. “We are constantly learning new things about fascinating creatures in the ocean.

Most important of all, we are helping people to develop an awareness of the importance

of preserving our ocean and surrounding lands to support the Aquarium’s mission.”

Vicki Gausepohl – Guest Services Volunteer

With Vicki Gausepohl’s background working as a parks and recreation professional

and administering volunteer programs,

becoming a volunteer at the Aquarium of

the Pacific was “an obvious fit.”

“Long before the Aquarium opened and

was just a concept-idea being bounced

around Long Beach, I became aware of it

and was immediately enthusiastic about its

coming existence,” Gausepohl said. She

has volunteered with the Aquarium and

been a member since it opened in 1998.

Gausepohl works on Thursdays as the

day captain for the guest services depart-

ment, managing a small crew known as

The True Blue Thursday Crew. “We all

have cheerfully worked together on Thursdays for almost all the past 15 years,” she said.

“We all take great pride in ‘our’ Aquarium and enjoy greeting our guests, informing them

about what’s in store for them as they explore the three regions of the Pacific Ocean, its

inhabitants and environs.”

Her years of service at the Aquarium came in handy when Gausepohl and her hus-

band moved to Shanghai, China, in 2005. She discovered the Shanghai Ocean Aquar-

ium just a mile from their apartment, and became that aquarium’s first ever volunteer.

The relationship was maintained when Gausepohl and her husband returned to Cali-

fornia; she was asked to assist with volunteers for the 2008 International Aquarium

Conference in Shanghai. “Shanghai and the Aquarium [of the Pacific] have a special

place in my heart,” Gausepohl said. �

26

The Aquarium has a dedicatedcorps of volunteers that providesinvaluable assistance in everydepartment. In 2012 alone, 1,456 volunteers and interns

contributed more than 154,000 hours of service.

“The Aquarium of the Pacific has helped our cultural group

showcase our Hmong culture to the community. It has been

a great pleasure to support the Aquarium of the Pacific’s

educational and cultural program.”

Seu Yang, Hmong Association of Long Beach


Aquarium Of The Pacific Charter Employees

John Rouse – Vice President Of Operations

Drawing from his experience

working with grand openings and

with attractions, John Rouse was

brought on board in August of 1997

as the director of guest services.

Rouse said he can deal with stress

well – a testament to this is having

helped operate the Aquarium facili-

ties from the ground up. “[The

Aquarium] needed someone who had

some grand-opening experience, so

that’s why I ended up here,” he said.

Rouse’s career in attractions began with a summer job at Knott’s

Berry Farm in 1979 that lasted 14 years. He transitioned to a family

fun center where he worked for three years before being hired on at

the Aquarium.

“I’ve only had three jobs, really, in my tenure,” Rouse said. “It’s

kind of rare these days.” In the first decade of his career with the

Aquarium, Rouse managed ticketing, housekeeping and security. Over the years his

responsibilities grew to overseeing the retail department, audio/visual department, life

support department, facilities management and exhibits. He also manages the rela-

tionship with the Aquarium’s food service vendor, SAVOR, for its restaurant, Café

Scuba. He has served as vice president of operations for about five years now.

“I have a great team,” Rouse said. “I’ve had people work with me for a long time,

over 15 years for some of them. Everybody is great. It’s really fun to work here.” The

best thing about his job, Rouse said, is the diversity of what he gets to work on. “No

day is ever the same. What I do changes on a daily basis.”

Sean Devereaux – Volunteer Services

ManagerHaving grown up in rural Ohio with

Jacques Cousteau and movie character In-

diana Jones as heroes, Sean Devereaux

has worked with animals his entire life.

Shortly after graduating from college,

Devereaux relocated to Southern Califor-

nia. He landed in Long Beach the summer

of 1997 and learned the day he arrived of

the city’s new project – the Aquarium of

the Pacific. “I just knew that I needed to

be involved somehow,” he said. “My pas-

sion for the biological world was ingrained in my heart and soul. I did everything I could

to become involved at the Aquarium. I was a man on a mission.”

Devereaux started his career at the Aquarium as an aquarist volunteer, two months be-

fore the grand opening. Shortly thereafter he was hired as an aquarist in the North Pacific

Gallery. Today, as volunteer services manager, Devereaux is responsible for making sure

28

“For 15 years, the Aquarium of

the Pacific has educated and

entertained thousands and

thousands of visitors with information

on the ocean’s underwater world.

It is truly a Long Beach treasure,

and we look forward to many,

many more years of discovery and

exploration. Congratulations on

your 15th anniversary.”

F. King Alexander, PresidentCalifornia State University, Long Beach


all departments are fully staffed with both volunteers and interns at all

times – about 1,500 people each year. He has two people on his team

to support this task.

“I feel incredibly indebted to the Aquarium for the privilege to

work here for the past 15 years. The Aquarium provided me an ini-

tial opportunity to become engaged and involved as a volunteer.

That was a fortuitous opportunity, and it literally changed my life.

From that moment forward, it became my personal mission to

engage others as I had been engaged, to provide opportunities

for others as I had been provided, and to share my passion for

the biological world with others as I had been afforded by

virtue of my involvement at the Aquarium.”

Perry Hampton – Vice President Of Animal Husbandry

A volunteer experience with the New

England Aquarium in Boston led Perry

Hampton into a career surrounded by ma-

rine life and the ocean.

Hampton was working as an animal care

specialist and diver at the National Aquar-

ium in Baltimore when he learned of the

Aquarium of the Pacific project in Long

Beach. He jumped at the chance to be a part

of its opening and joined the staff in 1997.

As vice president of animal husbandry,

Hampton’s responsibility is to oversee a department of 50 paid pro-

fessionals and more than 250 volunteers who care for the Aquarium’s

living animal collection. He also coordinates with other departments

on programs, animal encounters, tours, in-

terviews with the media and more. “It takes

a lot of dedicated people to run an aquarium

as large and complex as ours and we are

very fortunate to have the best team I have

seen anywhere,” he said.

Hampton said he really enjoys interact-

ing with Aquarium guests, offering them

“special secrets” and tidbits about the gal-

leries and exhibits. “I feel very fortunate

to be able to work at such an amazing

place with so many wonderful and dedi-

cated people,” he said. “Long Beach is a

great city with lots of terrific attributes,

but I’m proud to say that the Aquarium of

the Pacific is the jewel in the crown.”

Sandy Trautwein – Curator Of Fish

And InvertebratesSandy Trautwein is the most senior

employee at the Aquarium of the Pa-

cific, having been brought on board

about a year and a half prior to the

Aquarium’s opening in 1998. Though

she had worked at aquariums before,

Trautwein had never been part of open-

ing a new public aquarium.

“I knew it would be challenging and a

great learning opportunity,” she said. “I

was intrigued with the idea of working with such a diverse animal collection including

live corals, sea dragons and multitude of other fascinating creatures.”

As the curator of fish and invertebrates, Trautwein is responsible for the health and

well being of about 10,000 creatures at the Aquarium. She also develops new exhibit

themes, procures new specimens and establishes protocols for the daily operations of

the Aquarium’s animal husbandry department.

“My goal as curator is to push the boundaries of animal husbandry and exhibitry in

order to create innovative, engaging exhibits that are both healthy for the animals and en-

joyable for our guests,” Trautwein said. Most recently, Trautwein has been working with

her colleagues on a new exhibition called Wonders of the Deep, featuring rare and unusual

deep sea animals like flashlight fish, chambered nautilus and giant isopods.

“My life is filled with wonderful experiences because of my tenure at the Aquarium

of the Pacific,” Trautwein said. “I can honestly say that I love my job, and I am proud

to be part of this world-class team.” �

30

No two giant clams share theexact same coloration. Giantclams live in warm, shallow

waters on coral reefs.

Giant spider crabs can live up to100 years. Southern Californiared sea urchins can live to be

about 50 years old.

Sea lions may ingest rocks to help them sink to the sea floor to find food.


A Look Back –The Aquarium Timeline

1998Aquarium opens to the public on June 20, 1998 After three years of construction,the Aquarium of the Pacific opensin Long Beach as the only aquariumin the world dedicated entirely tothe Pacific Ocean. Its mission is toinstill a sense of wonder, respect,and stewardship for the PacificOcean and its inhabitants. The word“ecosystems” is added in subse-quent years to better reflect the

Aquarium’s more global approach to conserving the ocean.

1999Sea Otter Summer celebration launchesIn celebration of the arrival of a sea otter named Summer, the Aquar-ium features a summer-long program highlighting this newest additionto the Aquarium family.

2000Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredits Aquarium of the Pacific

The Aquarium of the Pacific goes through a rigorous ac-creditation process every five years. The Association ofZoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredits the Aquarium inMarch of 2000. Membership in AZA is important formany reasons. One of the most important is that theAquarium receives an independent, unbiased review of itsoperations by expert industry professionals.

Special exhibit gallery opens with Jellies: Phantoms of the DeepThe first major addition to the Aquarium, the Special Ex-hibits Gallery, opens with Jellies: Phantoms of the Deep,an immersive exhibit featuring sea jellies. The Special Ex-hibit Gallery has since featured a variety of exhibits andstarting this summer will house Wonders of the Deep.

2001Lorikeet ForestopensWith the opening of thisnew aviary for birds, theAquarium expanded itseducational messages toanimals that live alongcoasts. The Lorikeet For-est exhibit features vari-ous species of RainbowLorikeets and allowsguest to hand-feed thebirds with cups of nectar.

Aquarium establishes Marine Conservation Research Institute (MCRI)The Marine Conservation Research Institute is created by the Aquar-ium of the Pacific in late 2001. Through MCRI, the Aquarium fur-thers its commitment to the understanding of the ocean, itsinhabitants, and ecosystems through research, conservation, and ed-ucation. MCRI hosts special presentations for the public and forumsfor policymakers and stakeholders on important marine issues. Coastal America designates the Aquarium as a Coastal Ecosystem Learning CenterCoastal America is a partnership among federal, state, local, andtribal governments and private alliances that protects, preserves,and restores our nation's coastal ecosystems. The Aquarium of thePacific is designated as a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, anhonor which had only been bestowed upon fourteen other organiza-tions in the nation.

2002Shark Lagoon opensThe Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon ex-hibit opens as the nation’s first full-scale shark exhibit that allowsguests to touch sharks, helping tobreak the many stereotypes sur-rounding these important and easilymisunderstood animals.

Aquarium awarded forbeing the first facility to successfully breedweedy sea dragons Aquarium husbandry staff’s work to propagate sea dragons culminates when it is discovered thata female weedy sea dragon had successfully transferred her brood of 47 eggs to a male named “BigDaddy” on May 5, 2001. The first tiny babies are born on June 9. Of the 47 eggs, 18 developedinto baby sea dragons. This is the first time in the world that a weedy sea dragon successfullyhatched eggs in a zoo or aquarium. The Aquarium receives the AZA’s highest honor for this ac-complishment, the Edward H. Bean Award, in 2002 for the successful reproduction of an animalspecies in a zoo or aquarium in North America.

Aquarium holds first cultural festivalThe Aquarium holds its first cultural festival, Baja Splash, beginning an ongoing annual traditionof celebrating local communities and cultures through music, dance, storytelling, craft demonstra-tion, and other live performances. Aquarium holds first Aquatic ForumThe Aquatic Forum is established to foster exploration of complex ocean and environmental issuesby serving as a venue where scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders work together in asearch for creative and sustainable solutions. Aquarium establishes Aquatic AcademyThe Aquarium creates the Aquatic Academy for all those who have an interest in and concern forthe environment. The Academy provides four-week series of courses focusing on a particular issue,bringing scientists and other top expert speakers to the Aquarium to discuss these issues with at-tendees. The first course was titled “California and Water.”

2003Aquarium celebrates Pacific Island SummerThe summer of 2003 is dedicated to celebrating the rich cultures, food, arts, and animals of the Pa-cific Islands. Demonstrations representing Hawaiian, Tahitian, Maori, Fijian, Chamoru, Samoan,and many other cultures are held daily in the Aquarium’s Great Hall.Aquarium wins the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Award for Public Education in Water QualityThe Los Angeles Region of the California Water Quality Control Board honors the Aquarium ofthe Pacific with its 2003 Water Quality Award for Public Education. The award recognized theAquarium for its educational programs for providing hands-on and often first-time introductionsto the Pacific Ocean and the marine life it supports. Association of Fundraising Professionals honors the Aquarium as Outstanding Volunteer OrganizationThe Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals presents the Aquariumof the Pacific with its award for Outstanding Volunteer Organization. The Aquarium receives thisaward because of the dedicated efforts of Aquarium staff, including more than 750 volunteers whologged a total of more than 100,000 hours in 2003.

2004Weird, Wild, and Wonderful exhibit opensThis year-long program highlights the strange-but-true ways ocean animals survive andthrive in their watery world. It presents bioluminescent pinecone fishes, the remarkablemudskipper that survives on land and in the sea, and a sea of other unusual creatures. Premiere of Whales: Voices in the SeaThis interactive kiosk allowsguests to listen to the songs ofwhales, imitate their calls aswell as to hear interviews withcetacean experts. This exhibitwins the MUSE Silver Awardfor best new interactive scienceexhibit in the United States fromthe American Association ofMuseums in 2005.

2005Rios de la Vida: Our Watershed Story mural and exhibits debut on Aquarium front plazaThe Rios de la Vida mosaic mural explores the journey of water from the mountains tothe sea, starting at the rivers’ headwaters in our local San Gabriel Mountains. The mural’simages remind visitors of the diversity of wildlife that still call the Los Angeles and SanGabriel Rivers home.

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Whales: A Journey with Giants multimedia show opensThis immersive experience in the Aquarium’s Great Hall takes guests on a virtual tourthrough the world of a blue whale and her calf with the use of state-of-the-art lighting,video, and sound.

2006Aquarium launches Dazzling & Dangerous exhibit and programmingThis year-long program highlights the beautiful but dangerousanimals that lurk in the ocean and on land. Dazzling and Dan-gerous –Venomous Creatures unraveled the truth behind themyths as to why venom is the weapon of choice for these animals.Aquarium mourns the passing of Founding President and CEO Warren IliffThe Aquarium of the Pacific reaches the end of an era with the passing of Founding President War-ren Iliff on August 5, 2006. He leaves an important mark on the Aquarium and the entire zoo andaquarium industry with his kindness, humor, and achievements, including the successful launchof the Aquarium of the Pacific.

2007Aquarium of the Pacific becomes the first among museums, zoos, and aquariums in the U.S. to join the Climate Action Registry.The Aquarium of the Pacific successfully certifies its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventorywith the Climate Action Registry, becoming the first among museums, zoos, and aquariums inUnited States to earn the status of a Climate Action Leader™. By joining the Registry, the Aquariumof the Pacific demonstrates its concern regarding global climate change by measuring, certifying,and voluntarily reporting its GHG emissions to the Registry and to the public.

Shorebird Sanctuary opensDesigned to resemble a tidal wetland, this outdoor exhibit features Black-Necked Stilts, Black-Bellied Plovers, Western Snowy Plovers, a killdeer,and Ruddy Ducks. Premiere of Catch a Wave exhibit and programmingThis exhibit and program high-lights the power and beauty ofwaves. Guests learn abouttsunamis and what creates thewaves right here in Southern

California. It explores how animals survive in the surfand captured the heart-pounding beauty of surfing aswell as showcasing local surf culture.

2008Enhanced Gulf of California exhibit opens in partnership with the World Wildlife FundBecause the Gulf of California is in need of protection in terms of both the natural habitat and thelivelihoods of the local peoples, the Aquarium of the Pacific partners with World Wildlife Fund

(WWF) to protect this treasure found between the Baja Peninsula andmainland Mexico. The Aquarium opened its Gulf California exhibit toprovide public education on this important habitat.Aquarium celebrates 10th anniversary, highlights Top Ten ocean issuesThe Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates its tenth anniversary. In its firstdecade the Aquarium achieved many milestones, including successes inanimal breeding, ocean education, celebrating cultural diversity, volun-teerism, and more. During its year-long anniversary celebration theAquarium opens a special exhibit called Ocean on the Edge: Top TenOcean Issues, focusing on the most important issues affecting the oceanand, ultimately, all life on our ocean planet.

Our Watersheds: Pathway to the Pacific opensThis new exhibit focuses on the watersheds of San Pedro Bay, which include the San Gabriel andLos Angeles Rivers and the Dominguez Channel. Our Watersheds teaches about the choices thatcan be made at home to conserve water as well as what we can do.

2009Aquarium launches Seafood for the Future programSeafood for the Future is a nonprofit seafood advisory and promotional program based at theAquarium with a mission of encouraging healthy and responsible seafood choices. Staff mem-bers work with restaurants, fishermen, and distributors to promote seafood from well-managedfisheries or farms.Shark Summer highlights importance of these threatened predatorsThroughout the summer, programs, exhibits, films, lectures, and kids’ activities focus on themajesty and ecological importance of sharks. Visitors discover the characteristics of sharks andrays that have helped them survive on Earth for more than 400 million years, as well as the threatssharks face and what conservation efforts to take to protect them.

2010Earth-Friendly Garden on the Front Lawn unveiled

The Aquarium of the Pacific opens its new4,700 square-foot Earth-Friendly Garden onits front lawn. Illustrating part of the solu-tion to Southern California’s ongoing watershortage, the garden features California na-tive and drought-resistant plants, as well asa water efficient irrigation system. This gar-den is made possible by grant funding fromthe United States Bureau of Reclamationand a partnership with the Long BeachWater Department.


BP Sea Otter Habitat debutsThe Aquarium transforms the sea otter habitat to make it more immer-sive for guests. New features include design elements to represent arocky coastline environment, lighting, new seating, and the interactiveSea Otter Journey game.Molina AnimalCare CenteropensThe Molina Ani-mal Care Centerprovides state-of-the-art examination,treatment, and re-covery facilities forthe Aquarium’s an-imals. Funded bythe Molina family and Molina Healthcare, the veterinary hospitalalso makes it possible for Aquarium visitors to watch animal examsand surgeries as they happen.

VolunTEENS program is establishedHigh school students participating in this eighty-hour program re-ceive special instruction on marine life and the Pacific Ocean. Theyearn service learning hours and work in the Aquarium’s educationdepartment as interpreters at interactive stations around the facility.

2011Arctic & Antarctic: Our Polar Regions in Peril exhibit debutsThe Arctic & Antarctic exhibit highlights the animals,plants, and people of these regions and investigated how cli-mate change is putting these fragile ecosystems at risk. Ocean Science Center opensThe Ocean Science Center houses the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration’s Science on a Sphere® (SOS),a six-foot-diameter global display system. SOS shows play

daily on rotation in the Ocean Science Center, fea-turing topics such as sea level rise, maritime trade,and ocean environmental health.City of Long Beach in its Green Business Recognition Program awards certificationThe City of Long Beach Office of Sustainabilitynames the Aquarium of the Pacific in its GreenBusiness Recognition Program. The Office of Sus-tainability includes recognition for the institution’smost progressive, environmentally conscious prac-tices. These include green building practices, pur-chasing sustainable products, using solar panels

and natural light to reduce energy consumption, promoting the use of mass transit and biking,purchasing sustainable seafood, and providing climate change information to the public. Roddenberry Foundation Education Videoconferencing Studio opensThe Roddenberry Foundation Education Videoconferencing Studio allows the Aquarium to sendits programming to classrooms around the world. Teachers and other program planners can requestvideoconferencing sessions with an Aquarium educator in a screen-to-screen format similar tovideo chatting.

Upcoming Aquarium Events

100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802562-590-3100 • www.aquariumofpacific.org

Friday, May 24, 2013 – February 1, 2014Aquarium’s New Ocean Exploration Program opens to the Public9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.Journey to the unexplored depths of the ocean, and uncover mysteries as youexplore the Aquarium’s new Ocean Exploration program, featuring the Won-ders of the Deep gallery. Ocean Exploration will feature marine animals, ed-ucational displays, films, art, and more. About 95 percent of the ocean remainsunexplored. Through this exhibit, the Aquarium hopes to inspire a push to ex-plore our planet’s last frontier. Cost: General Admission – $25.95 adult (12+), $22.95 senior (62+), $14.95child (3-11), and free for children under age 3 and Aquarium members. Sunday & Monday, May 26-27, 2013 Aquarium of the Pacific Memorial Day Weekend Late Nights5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.The public is invited to enjoy the Aquarium of the Pacific after hours whiletaking advantage of special savings. In celebration of Memorial Day Weekend,the Aquarium will offer its Late Nights where admission will be just $14.95for adults and children after 5:00 p.m., and the Aquarium will remain openuntil 8:30 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to journey through the Pa-cific Ocean to meet over 11,000 animals, including more than 150 sharksthey can touch. In addition, the Aquarium’s short films will be shown in theOcean Theater throughout the evening. Please note: the Lorikeet Forestaviary closes at 4:30 p.m.Cost: $14.95 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under and Aquar-ium members.Tuesday, May 28, 2013Lecture & Book Signing: Gerrie SchipskeTopic: Early Long BeachGerrie Schipske will discuss her book, Early Long Beach, and thenatural assets, the people, and the events that shaped the first fiftyyears of history in Long Beach, California, her native city. She willcover its residents, from the Tongva people to the Spanish, to realestate speculators; its history as a resort area, a landing strip forearly aviators, a fishing industry site, a port for shipbuilding andtrade, and a location for the United States Navy to anchor its battlefleet in 1919; the discovery of oil in 1921; and its role in the South-ern California war effort after 1938. Schipske serves on the LongBeach City Council and is the author of Rosie the Riveter in LongBeach and Early Aviation in Long Beach.Cost: $5 for the public and free for members, teachers, seniors(62+), and students with valid ID and advance reservations. Saturday & Sunday, June 1-2, 2013Pacific Islander Festival – 10th Anniversary9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.Discover the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands throughtraditional craft demonstrations, ethnic cuisine, educational programs,

storytelling, and an ocean of entertainment, including music and dance

performances. Watch hula, listen to Tahitian drumming, try out ancient Hawaiian games, enjoy islandcuisine, and admire artisans as they create traditional weavings. The tenth annual Pacific Islander Fes-tival will feature various cultures, including Hawaiian, Fijian, Marshallese, Chamoru, Tahitian, Samoan,Tokelau, Tongan, and Maori. Cost: General Admission – $25.95 adult (12+), $22.95 senior (62+), $14.95 child (3-11), and free forchildren under age 3 and Aquarium members. Sunday evenings, June 2 through September 1, 2013 Aquarium of the Pacific Summer Late NightsDiscover Ocean Exploration at a Discounted Price5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m.The public is invited to enjoy the Aquarium of the Pacific after hours while taking advantage of specialsavings. During Sundays in the summer the Aquarium will offer its Late Nights where admission will bejust $14.95 for adults and children after 5:00 p.m., and the Aquarium will remain open until 8:30 p.m.Visitors will have the opportunity to discover Ocean Exploration and the new Wonders of the Deep exhibitgallery at a discounted price. Guests will also journey through the Pacific Ocean to meet over 11,000 an-imals, including more than 150 sharks they can touch and the June Keyes Penguin Habitat. In addition,the Aquarium’s new Ocean Exploration short films will be shown in the Ocean Theater and Great Hallthroughout the evening. Please note: the Lorikeet Forest aviary closes at 4:30 p.m.Cost: $14.95 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under and Aquarium members.Go to our website for a full list of Discounted Late Nights.Saturday, June 15, 201315th Anniversary Ocean Conservation Awards Gala7 p.m.-11 p.m.The Aquarium will celebrate its fifteenth anniversary during its annual Ocean Conservation Awardsgala, which will be open to the public this year. Attendees will enjoy food, music, and a look forwardto the Aquarium’s future. The event will also feature the recording of a new symphonic work commis-sioned by the Aquarium on the theme of Southern California’s urban ocean.Cost: $500 per personSunday, June 16, 2013Father’s Day BBQ11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Celebrate Father’s Day with the entire family at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual picnic. Savorlunch, enjoy picturesque views of Rainbow Harbor, and delight in the underwater sea life of the Aquar-ium. Pet sharks and rays with your dad, and discover cool ocean dads like seahorses and sea dragons.Cost: $42 per adult (12+), $32 per child; $32 per member adult, $22 per member child.Tuesday, June 18, 2013Guest Lecture: Exploring the Deep Frontier/Sylvia Earle 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Delve into the wonders of the deep sea with ocean explorer Sylvia Earle as she presents at the Aquariumof the Pacific. Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer with experience as a field researchscientist. In 1970 she led the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project and set a recordfor solo diving to a depth of 3,000 feet. In her lecture she will share stories of exploration and discovery.Former chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earle is founderof the Mission Blue Foundation, chair of the Advisory Council for the Harte Research Institute for Gulfof Mexico Studies, and an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic Society. She has led morethan sixty expeditions and logged more than 6,000 hours underwater. Earle will also be honored with theOcean Conservation Award at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 15th Anniversary Gala on June 15.Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age 62+), teachers, and studentswith valid ID and advance reservations. Thursday, July 4, 2013July 4th Late Night and BBQ5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. (BBQ 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.)Celebrate Independence Day with the red, white, and blue fish at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Familieswill be able to witness the ambiance of the Aquarium at night and get a fish-eye view of the City of LongBeach fireworks display. Wave the flag, watch the fireworks, and enjoy some freshly grilled BBQ with theAquarium of the Pacific. You’ll also be able to journey inside the Aquarium to see wonders of the sea. Cost: $14.95 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under and Aquarium members (does not in-

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2012Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership AwardGovernor Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown recognizes the Aquar-ium of the Pacific for its role in California’s environment andeconomy. The Aquarium of the Pacific is the first among mu-seums, zoos, and aquariums to receive the Governor’s Envi-ronmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).California’s most prestigious environmental award program,according to the California Environmental Protection Agency, GEELA recognizes those responsiblefor conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building pri-vate-public partnerships.Bixby the harbor seal is bornBixby, a female harbor seal pup, is born at the Aquarium on April 26, 2012. She is born to two ofthe Aquarium’s harbor seals, Shelby and Troy. Shelby came to the Aquarium in 1998. Troy, theAquarium’s only male harbor seal, came to the Aquarium in 2007.

Aquarium opens the June Keyes Penguin Habitat with the first penguins in its collectionMore than a dozen Magellanic Penguins call the June Keyes PenguinHabitat home. The permanent exhibit allows visitors to watch penguinsboth above and below the water and includes interactive touch-screensthat provide information about the world’s seventeen penguin species.

2013Aquarium receives State Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education

The Aquarium wins a 2013 Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education for itsinteractive videoconferencing program. The Superintendent’s Awards for Excellence in MuseumEducation competition is a joint project between the California Association of Museums (CAM)and the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. After a formal evaluation andscoring by three reviewers, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson chosesix recipients, including the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Aquarium Live debuts atMiller Children’s HospitalThe Aquarium of the Pacific andMiller Children’s Hospital LongBeach are partnering to bring thewonders of ocean learning to hospi-talized children and their families.Through the new Aquarium Live ed-ucation program, patients can take alive look at animal exhibits as they learn and interact with Aquariumstaff in real time. Educators will deliver bi-weekly, thirty-minute pro-grams on different ocean topics live from the Aquarium’s state-of-the-art Roddenberry Foundation Education VideoconferencingStudio. Viewers can call in live to participate in the program,asking questions and playing games with Aquarium educators.Ocean Exploration programs and Wonders of the Deep gallery openThe Aquarium of the Pacific highlights ocean exploration thissummer and debuts a new Wonders of the Deep gallery. Visi-tors learn about what possibilities for discovery lie beneath thevast, unexplored ocean. Ocean Exploration programs includenew films, live feeds from ocean exploration vessels at sea,and a new smartphone app that uses augmented reality to bring

exhibits to life.

Aquarium celebrates 15thAnniversary in June 2013The Aquarium of the Pacific willcelebrate its fifteen years of mis-sion- and vision-driven programsand exhibits and honor three of theworld’s most renowned ocean explor-ers at the Ocean Conservation Awardson June 15, 2013. �

clude food). BBQ-Admission Combo Cost: $42 per adult (12+), $32 per child; $32 per memberadult, $22 per member child.Tuesday, July 9, 2013Guest Lecture: Looking Backwards at the Future –Exploring the Deepest Oceans / Captain Don Walsh, Ph.D.7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.In 1960 Captain Don Walsh of the U.S. Navy (now retired) and Jacques Piccard dove the bathyscaphTrieste to the deepest place in the world, the Challenger Deep, at 35,840 feet in the Mariana Trench.However, it was not until fifty-two years later that this dive was repeated when filmmaker JamesCameron dove his one-person Deepsea Challenger at the same location. Walsh was a member ofCameron’s deep dive expedition in 2012 and has been involved with the design, construction, andoperation of submersibles for more than a half century. Bathyscaphs, or “deep boats,” were pio-neered in the mid-1930s by Swiss professor Auguste Piccard. Walsh will be honored with the OceanConservation Award at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 15th Anniversary Gala on June 15. Hear Walshtalk about his many experiences in exploring the deep ocean. Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age 62+), teachers, and studentswith valid ID and advance reservations. Tuesday, July 16, 2013Guest Lecture: Creatures of the Deep and Treasure Maps of the Ocean Floor/Dawn Wright7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.In the last ten to 20 years new sophisticated technologies have created tremendous potential for map-ping and interpreting the ocean in unprecedented detail. This talk will focus on recent technical ad-vances in mapping the deepest parts of our planet. The development and improvement of deep-oceanmapping technologies is important not only for scientific discovery, but also to meet additional de-mands in government and conservation. Dawn Wright was appointed chief scientist of the Environ-mental Systems Research Institute in 2011. She maintains an affiliated faculty appointment asprofessor of geography and oceanography in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciencesat Oregon State University. She has participated in more than twenty oceanographic research expe-ditions, including three dives in the Alvin submersible (which was the first deep-sea submersible ca-pable of carrying passengers and can now make dives to a maximum depth of 14,764 ft.) Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age 62+), teachers, and studentswith valid ID and advance reservations. Sunday, July 21, 2013Explorers Day9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.The Aquarium of the Pacific is offering the public the opportunity to dive into the unknown, thefinal frontier of our planet, during Explorers Day on Sunday, July 21. Guests will have the opportunityto meet and hear from historical and modern-day ocean explorers, see demonstrations of remotelyoperated vehicles (ROVs) under water, and watch live video feeds from three deep-sea explorationvessels. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, and other agenciesand organizations engaged in ocean exploration will feature educational booths at this event. Kid’sactivities will take place, including guest appearances by the Octonauts throughout the day.Cost: $25.95 adults (12+), $22.95 senior (62+), $14.95 child (3-11), and free for children underage 3 and Aquarium members. Thursday, August 8, 2013Guest Lecture: Ocean Mapping: Exposing the Secrets of the Deep/Larry Mayer7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Over the past 50 years there have been remarkable advances in our ability to use sonar to map theseafloor and the water column. These advances combine sophisticated sonar technology with ad-vanced visualization tools and are providing new perspectives of the seafloor, including the discov-ery of 10,000-foot mountains in the Arctic, D-Day wrecks, and fisheries. They also provide insightinto the aftermath of events like the Deepwater Horizon spill. Larry Mayer is a professor and thedirector of the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire. Heserves as a co-chair of NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Advisory Working Group, a member of the Na-tional Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative Program Advisory Committee, and onthe State Department’s Extended Continental Shelf Task Force.Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age 62+), teachers, and studentswith valid ID and advance reservations.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013Guest Lecture: Exploring the Deep Pacific: Dragonfish, Spookfish and Other Unbelievable Animals/Bruce Robison7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Bruce Robison will discuss recent discoveries made using both manned and ro-botic submersibles to explore the deep sea. The results include many animals newto science, novel behavior patterns, the widespread use of bioluminescence (emis-sion of light by living organisms), remarkable adaptations for living in the deep,and the effects of climate change on deep-sea animals. Robison studies the biol-ogy and ecology of the animals that inhabit the ocean’s deep water column. Hepioneered the use of undersea vehicles for these studies and he led the first teamof scientists trained as research submersible pilots. Robison is a fellow of theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science and a fellow of theCalifornia Academy of Sciences. In 2012 he was appointed as a research as-sociate at the Smithsonian Institution. Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age62+), teachers, and students with valid ID and advance reservations. Tuesday, August 27, 2013Guest Lecture: The Kraken Revealed – the Story Behind Finding the Giant Squid/Edith Widder7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.Explore the mysterious world beyond the reach of sunlight in the deepsea where giants dwell. Share in rare sightings and spectacular livinglight shows in the ocean with Edith Widder at the Aquarium of thePacific. Widder is a deep-sea explorer, oceanographer, marine biol-ogist, and co-founder of the Ocean Research and Conservation As-sociation. She has made hundreds of deep-sea submersible divesinto the dark ocean and was the first to capture video recordings ofbioluminescent animals and the first to film the giant squid in itsnatural habitat. She creates and invents methods and apparatus thathelp facilitate ocean exploration. She has spoken at TED and hasbeen featured in BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel, and National Ge-ographic television productions. Most recently her use of biolumi-nescence to lure in the giant squid was featured in the DiscoveryChannel documentary Monster Squid: The Giant is Real.Cost: $5 for the public and FREE for Aquarium members, seniors (age62+), teachers, and students with valid ID and advance reservations. �

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Warren Iliff –‘Everybody Loved Him’

Warren Iliff, founding

director and the first

president/CEO of the

Aquarium of the Pacific,

earned the respect and

admiration of the many

people he encountered

throughout his career

working with animals.

Though Iliff passed away

in 2006, the positive ef-

fect of his charisma lives

on through the Aquarium

and with those whom he

impacted personally and professionally.

In his early years, Iliff studied business at Harvard Uni-

versity before joining the U.S. Marine Corps, where he

learned to fly helicopters.

Post-military, he landed a

job working for a fruit

company based in Hon-

duras. It was there that he

cultivated his passion for

animals.

He began collecting

various species on his

property in Honduras –

birds, reptiles and more

– to show others in the

community to not be afraid of them. “He wanted to show the people what wealth they

had in the forest around them,” according to his wife Ghislaine (Gigi) Iliff. Once oth-

ers became interested in animals, Iliff was able to convince wealthy Hondurans to in-

vest in a zoo to attract tourism and economic benefits to the community.

Not too long after, Gigi said Iliff was in a bad helicopter accident. “He could not

continue and wanted to go back home [to the U.S.],” she said. They did, moved to

Washington, D.C., and Iliff got a job working for the zoo there. “The director took

him under his wing right away and let him go through the stages to become a profes-

sional in the zoo world,” Gigi said. “After several years, he became assistant director.

That’s when we met.”

Gigi, who worked for the Belgian Embassy, met Iliff in 1968 at a gala sponsored by

the Smithsonian Institute. Their first date – dinner in Georgetown – was cut short

when Iliff learned he needed to attend to a sick gorilla at the zoo. He asked Gigi if

she would come along.

“I said, ‘Sure,’ because I really liked him right away,” Gigi said. The two spent about

five hours in the zoo’s primate center before the gorilla died. “Warren was in tears,”

she remembered. “So was I. You normally think animals are animals, not humans. But

that gorilla looked like a human with her expression. That day I just fell in love with

Warren and I think we clicked.”

The two married and, before long, Iliff decided he was ready to run a zoo. His first

job as zoo director was in Portland, Oregon, in 1970. After 10 years, the couple moved

to Dallas, where he led the city zoo out of financial hardship.

“He had such charisma,” Gigi said. “He was so enthusiastic with what he expected

for the zoo and how wonderful it would be for people to have a better understanding

of animals.” It was there that Iliff established the exhibit “Wilds Of Africa”, with the

support of primate advocate Jane Goodall, the mayor and Barbara Bush, the wife of

then-Gov. George H. W. Bush.

Iliff was soon sought to assist with a financial turnaround at the Phoenix Zoo in

Arizona. It took quite an effort to get attendance up and to create financial stability

at that zoo, Gigi remembered. “He went out of his way to play golf with all of the big

names,” she said, continually developing and maintaining relationships with the people

of the city until he made the business successful.

Jim Gray, a banking executive who was chairman of the board for the Aquarium of

the Pacific, heard about Iliff ’s success and asked him to take the helm at the new at-

traction in Long Beach. “He was an amazing CEO at the Phoenix Zoo. . . . We con-

vinced him to come.”

Iliff became president of the Aquarium and spent most of his time recruiting Aquarium

employees, developing programs, financial planning and monitoring construction.

Gigi recalled Iliff hosting a hard-hat party, inviting the community to see the Aquarium

during initial construction while educating potential members about the different ex-

36

While waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey,weedy scorpionfish can remain in the samespot for weeks or even months at a time.

The temperature of the sand in which sea turtle eggs are incubated determines the sex of hatchlings. Warmer temperatures

ield more female offspring; cooler temperatures yield more males.

The decorator crab is unable to match its surroundings on its own, so it will collect pieces of its habitat to blend in.It has modified hair-like structures that allow it to hook on

different marine organisms for camouflage.

Warren and Gigi Iliff


hibits, holding tanks and how the attraction would come together. Iliff

was also in charge of collecting the sea creatures to fill the Aquarium,

accepting specimens from other aquariums in the state as well as from

private fishing crews. Iliff is also the source behind the giant, life size

replica of a blue whale inside the Aquarium, known as “Edi” and her

baby whale “Edison,” paid for by Southern California Edison.

Iliff retired from the Aquarium in 2002 but remained involved as

president emeritus until he died of lung cancer four years later.

“Warren was a wonderful, warm, kind, generous human being,”

Jerry Schubel, Iliff ’s successor and current CEO/president of the

Aquarium, told the Business Journal.

“He’s the guy who got the Aquarium launched and made all of

the connections to the community. Everybody loved him. I probably

wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for Warren. When he told the

board he wanted to retire, he recommended that they see if I would

be interested. After I arrived, while he was still alive, he was a great

colleague, a great friend, a good source of advice and I miss him.”

Iliff laid the groundwork and Schubel built upon it, always fol-

lowing the Aquarium’s core mission, Gigi said. “When Warren

passed away, so many people came to tell me what a wonderful man

he was,” she said. “I received memorials and appreciation not only

from California, but also from Portland and the zoo world. It was

very touching.”

Iliff is remembered for his contributions to the financing and op-

erations of the Aquarium and of zoos across the country, and for

his enthusiasm and dedication as a champion of animals.

“Warren was the perfect person to open the Aquarium,” said

Theresa Duncan, director of development for the Aquarium. Dun-

can’s employment overlapped with Iliff ’s term as president emeritus

briefly, but enough for her to recognize the kind of positivity and

influence Iliff possessed.

“He had the kind of energy and charisma that inspires people. He

had this wonderful sense of really connecting with people. He knew

the name of every single employee and volunteer at the Aquarium

and attracted really good staff, too.” In his memory, the Aquarium

created the Warren Iliff Infectious Enthusiasm Award, awarded an-

nually to a teacher who embodies Iliff ’s enthusiasm to educate and

connect with people. “Warren really embodied that,” Duncan said.

“If I look back to all of the people I’ve met in my life, he’s by far one

of the most memorable.” �

“In addition to our local community, we believe very strongly

that this aquarium belongs to all the people of the Pacific Rim,

the Pacific Basin. We want the people who live on and around

the regions represented here – people from Japan, Korea, Mexico,

Cambodia, Australia and the Pacific Northwest – to have a sense

of ownership. We want them to come here and to realize that this

isn’t only Long Beach’s aquarium or America’s aquarium,

but truly, it is, the Aquarium of the Pacific.”

Warren Iliff in a June 1998 interview with the Long Beach Business Journal


Thank You Aquarium Staff

GeorgeTyler

Jasmine

Breyana

Michael

NinaIsis

Jackie

38

Carol

Kim

Michael

Ramiro

Carl

Cara


Donald

Katherine

Janelle

Janice

Teresa

Eve

Michael Sharon

39

Photographs by the Business Journal’s Thomas McConville

Aileen

Lindsay

Briana

Nicole

Connie

Barbara


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