Clearwater Marine Aquarium Inc

Zoological Care:Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Zoological Care team had a landmark year focused on advancing animal welfare, expanding rehabilitation programs, and engaging the community through meaningful education and conservation initiatives.Animal Care specialists provided exceptional care across the collection, including developing a long-term treatment plan for Walle, a 13-year-old river otter facing mobility challenges, and successfully integrating Opie, a rescued otter, into Otter Oasis alongside Boomer and Walle. The team achieved annual revenue goals early through expanded guest programs such as Paint with a Dolphin and pelican encounters, pairing hands-on experiences with conservation messaging. Animal Care also advanced research initiatives in partnership with the National Marine Mammal Foundation to implement computerized cognitive enrichment for rough-toothed dolphins, aiming to improve welfare and contribute to marine mammal science.Rescue operations were a core focus, with CMA coordinating eight manatee rescues, transports, and releases, supporting stranding responses, and participating in a sperm whale necropsy. The Rescue team also advanced professional readiness through collaborations in Belize, Myakka State Park, and with Bishop Museum, while securing critical funding requests under the RESTORE Act and Prescott grants to sustain operations and upgrade rehabilitation infrastructure.The Manatee Rehabilitation Program reached a historic milestone with the opening of CMA's new rehabilitation center. The arrival of juvenile patients Yeti and Zamboni marked CMA's first active role in second-stage care, supported by a dedicated new Manatee Rehabilitation Manager, Tanya Ward. These achievements positioned CMA as a model facility for the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and strengthened collaboration with USFWS and Zoo Tampa.The Aquatic Biology team enhanced guest engagement with innovative programs such as "Tortoise Treat Time and "Big Mouths, Little Appetites," while planning new conservation-focused exhibits including Project Piaba and an Atlantic octopus display. The year also tested CMA's preparedness through two major hurricanes. Guided by CMA's robust weather policy and dedicated ride-out team, all animals remained safe despite significant infrastructure impacts. Lessons learned are now shaping enhanced storm preparedness strategies.Finally, the team introduced the "Florida - Wild and Exotic" exhibit, featuring native and invasive species with ambassador animal programming, while continuing to advance a NOAA import permit for dolphins and sea lions to strengthen global animal welfare collaboration.Through rescue, rehabilitation, education, research, and conservation, the Zoological Care team reinforced CMA's mission to preserve the environment and inspire the human spirit while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.

Animal Health:For fiscal year 2024, the animal health team released 39 sea turtles along with 392 sea turtle hatchlings, which included our very first leatherback hatchlings. In the fall, the hospital was significantly affected from Hurricane Helene which caused over almost four feet of water affecting the surgical suite, medical laboratory and rehabilitation pools. With the damage, the rehabilitation area closed temporarily for six weeks. Despite the challenges during the recovery, the veterinary team was able to continue to provide care for the 1100+ resident animals at CMA.