2016-11-11T14:53:13-06:00 2015-12-31 GRANT THORNTON LLP 101 CALIFORNIA STREET SUITE 2700 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94111 990 2015-01-01 942487469 Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation % ANNA CAMPISI MONT 8316484800 886 Cannery Row Monterey CA 93940 CYNTHIA VERNON COO 8316484800 2016-10-25 true Rosemarie Brown P01279077 4159863900 2015 2017-02-10 21:41:12Z Julie Packard 886 Cannery Row Monterey CA 93940 127295261 false X www.montereybayaquarium.org X 1978 CA The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation is to inspire conservation of the ocean. See Schedule O for further detail. 17 16 681 1330 86771 47916874 29085009 43451445 45015537 6328775 3720829 3130547 3332508 100827641 81153883 482176 479062 0 0 36709765 40172834 291455 252831 3217061 39064757 40631468 76548153 81536195 24279488 -382312 391700610 387639444 15592256 16739033 376108354 370900411 X SEE SCHEDULE O false false 31387581 90108 45283466 Marine Life Exhibition and Care - See Schedule O 12193553 136190 0 Education and Outreach - See Schedule O 7275504 171534 287550 Conservation and Research - See Schedule O 17536991 81230 0 Guest Services - See Schedule O 17536991 81230 0 68393629 true true false true false false false false false true true true false false true true false true false false true true false true false false false true true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false true true true false false true 299 0 true 681 true true true false false false false true true false false false false X 17 16 true false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false CA X X ANNA CAMPISI 8316484800 886 CANNERY ROW Monterey CA 93940 Steve Neal Chairman 1.0 0.0 X X 0 0 0 Dr Peter S Bing Chair Emeritus 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Julie Packard Exec. Director & Vice Chair 28.0 0.0 X X 297472 0 37431 Susan Bell Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Margaret Caldwell Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Samantha Campbell Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Caroline Getty Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Juan Govea Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 MRC Greenwood Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 William Landreth Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Joan Lane Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Michael Mantell Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Connie Martinez Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Susan Orr Trustee through June 2015 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Pietro Parravano Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Chris Scholin Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Mark Wan Trustee 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 gideon yu trustee effective Dec 2015 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 Barbara Wright Secretary 1.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 James Hekkers Managing Director / Consultant 40.0 1.0 X 274838 0 35434 Cynthia Vernon COO Effective June 2015 40.0 0.0 X 220488 0 44285 Ed Prohaska CFO/VP Enterprise Development 40.0 1.0 X 279034 0 38767 Cristina Fekeci Chief Development Officer 40.0 0.0 X 284593 0 46877 Margaret Spring VP Conservation & Science 40.0 0.0 X 187605 0 42221 Marian Hahn VP of Marketing 40.0 0.0 X 204200 0 31070 Teresa Merry VP Human Resources 40.0 0.0 X 176731 0 51051 Randall Hamilton VP of Husbandry 40.0 0.0 X 171826 0 32604 Charles Aslanian VP of Facility Operations 40.0 0.0 X 159021 0 47874 Justin Skinner VP of Information Technology 40.0 0.0 X 219207 0 32638 Don Hughes VP of Exhibitions 40.0 0.0 X 208574 0 45794 Jim Westbrook Director of Finance 40.0 1.0 X 170417 0 27461 Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly Glob Fisheries/Aquaculture Dir 40.0 0.0 X 157737 0 26024 Diane Sena Dir of Non-Aq Prop Mgmt/GM HH 40.0 0.0 X 156299 0 31806 3168042 0 571337 46 false true false Impacts Research and Development 3720 Falcon Ridge Drive MEDINA OH 44256 ADVERTISING 3273093 CHEMISTRY CLUB 451 PACIFIC AVENUE SAN FRANCISCO CA 94133 ADVERTISING 2793912 STOCKER ALLAIRE 21 MANDEVILLE CT MONTEREY CA 93940 CONSTRUCTION 715359 SAN JOSE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 1000 MUNRAS AVE STE 100 MONTEREY CA 93940 CONSTRUCTION 766601 MARK CAVAGNERO ASSOCIATES 1045 SANSOME ST STE 200 SAN FRANCISCO CA 94111 ARCHITECT 756610 65 12155716 249546 178167 16501580 1419818 29085009 ADMISSION FEES 611600 43130683 43130683 OTHER PROGRAM REVENUE 900099 1884854 1884854 45015537 2111655 -46504 2158159 0 0 4417070 147745 1787786 2629284 147745 2777029 133275 263754 45962766 43676293 677299 2286473 -677299 1609174 1609174 0 0 0 LICENSING REVENUE 900099 287550 287550 MEMBER EVENTS 900099 29455 29455 ALL OTHER REVENUE 900099 238474 238474 555479 81153883 45571016 86771 4031087 X 403836 403836 51900 51900 23326 23326 0 2663422 641151 1690801 331470 0 27155134 23118809 2985541 1050784 2235315 1754453 379040 101822 5949113 4688930 954421 305762 2169850 1759562 317928 92360 0 347028 258821 83672 4535 233829 223367 9334 1128 140699 140699 252831 252831 250142 250142 8543062 7517420 832920 192722 7262499 7140135 122325 39 4883330 3948225 569370 365735 997448 943148 40210 14090 0 847260 688749 158079 432 2328314 1874812 271278 182224 0 178368 163745 5265 9358 0 0 11402581 10895054 452800 54727 565816 461952 101545 2319 MARINE LIFE CARE 1352821 1322735 30045 41 DONATED GOODS 370601 366061 4540 MERCHANT FEES 880709 4739 875970 REVERSAL OF BAD DEBT -37172 2000 -39172 84133 84133 81536195 68393629 9925505 3217061 1203737 3201387 22500185 21605602 37069664 29914057 1811958 1872653 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1782557 1329663 279292658 140118958 143450273 139173700 0 0 183087633 189725217 0 0 0 0 794603 817165 391700610 387639444 7241181 8207463 0 0 8189252 8377583 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 161823 153987 15592256 16739033 X 316461894 314053500 42692381 40139614 16954079 16707297 376108354 370900411 391700610 387639444 X -382312 -4796729 -28902 X false true X true false X 25494301 22938932 44782063 47916874 29085009 170217179 35412176 38309941 39487351 43451445 45015537 201676450 0 0 0 60906477 61248873 84269414 91368319 74100546 371893629 1252164 1187684 26611091 743264 524000 30318203 0 1252164 1187684 26611091 743264 524000 30318203 341575426 4330416 5127121 5420675 6399701 6676470 27954383 0 4330416 5127121 5420675 6399701 6676470 27954383 0 0 0 0 0 0 766657 389050 267710 708527 555479 2687423 66003550 66765044 89957799 98476547 81332495 402535435 0.84856 0.84755 0.06945 0.06599 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 141513 141513 80891709 81033222 1000000 250000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 4000000 6000000 124902 175477 113655 141513 555547 250000 250000 250000 250000 1000000 1500000 0 1104 407 0 1511 131038945 1009663 -422798 4224000 127401810 113049854 16050939 5831152 3893000 131038945 80879570 19632856 16037428 3500000 113049854 78277759 3864734 1961077 3224000 80879570 77434508 4296393 -466142 2987000 78277759 0.83400 0.13100 0.03500 false false 22915481 22915481 156906245 78682088 78224157 0 0 0 33253287 24403439 8849848 66217645 37033431 29184214 139173700 EQUITY FUND 107970445 F BOND FUNDS 11413119 F COMMODITIES FUND 927637 F HEDGE FUNDS 36970931 F US GOVERNMENT MONEY MARKET 4790153 F PRIVATE CAPITAL FUNDS 23614950 F BROKERAGE ACCOUNT BALANCES 1608077 F OFFSHORE FUND 2429905 F 189725217 0 GIFT ANNUITY PAYMENT LIABILITY 153987 153987 X Revision of Prior Year Change in Endowment Funds Scheudle D, Part V: The change in endowment funds for some prior years have been updated from the previously filed Form 990 to more accurately reflect the true appreciation or use of the endowment funds. There has been no change to the beginning or end of year balances. Intended Use of Endowment Funds Schedule D, Part V, Line 4: The earnings of the Aquarium's endowment funds support education and conservation programs and the mission of the Aquarium. FIN 48 (ASC 740) Footnote Schedule D, Part X, Line 2: The following footnote appeared in the consolidated financial statements for both Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation and Monterey Bay Aquarium Support Services ("MBASS"), a related organization: In accordance with the FASB guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes, management regulary evaluates its tax positions and does not believe either Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation or MBASS have any uncertain tax positions that require disclosure or adjustment to the consolidated financial statements. According to the statute of limitations, both the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation and MBASS are no longer subject to income tax examinations for fiscal years prior to December 31, 2011 for California tax purposes and for fiscal years prior to December 31, 2012 for federal tax purposes. true East Asia and the Pacific Program Services Symposiums 157573 Middle East and North Africa Program Services Symposiums 6109 Sub-Saharan Africa Program Services Symposiums 11025 North America Program Services Symposiums 52615 Europe (Including Iceland and Greenland) Program Services Symposiums 116733 Central America and the Caribbean Program Services Symposiums 5980 South America Program Services Symposiums 8745 North America Grantmaking 23326 Central America and the Caribbean Investments 3000000 3382106 3382106 North America Mexico Research Project 23326 WIRE 1 0 true false true true false false Procedures for Monitoring Use of Grant Funds Outside the United States Schedule F, Part I, Line 2: The Aquarium requires potential grant recipients to submit formal applications which are reviewed by the program manager and director of finance for consistency with the Aquarium's mission and compliance with the annual budget. Furthermore, the Aquarium requires a written report from the grantee providing detail about how funds were used to accomplish the grant objectives. Reports are reviewed by the program manager as well as the director of finance for compliance with grant conditions. X X X X X X X true Charles Feinstein Co 400 Michigan Ave 1650 Chicago IL 60611 Consulting false 0 153600 -153600 SDA Teleservices 5757 West Century Blvd Los Angeles CA 90045 Tele- Marketing false 252663 80509 172154 252663 234109 18554 CA true California State University Long Beach 6300 E State Univ Dr 332 Long Beach CA 90840 656106694 115 22000 White Shark Research Stanford University 450 Serra Mall Stanford CA 94305 941153656 501(c)(3) 149533 Shark Tagging Research Program Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute 7700 Sandholdt Road Moss Landing CA 95039 770150580 501(c)(3) 66182 Research Project - Cephalopods Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce PO Box 167 Pacific Grove CA 93950 941558089 501(c)(3) 5760 Sponsorship - Shuttle from Asilomar to Aquarium Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Fdn 4348 Waialae Ave 692 Honolulu HI 96816 273091938 501(c)(3) 15000 General Support The Ocean Foundation 1320 19th St NW 5th Fl Washington DC 20036 710863908 501(c)(3) 10000 Support of the Ocean Project Cartel Management Inc 665 Lillian Way Los Angeles CA 90004 208921214 51950 Titans of Mavericks Sponsorship University of California Santa Cruz 1156 High Street Santa Cruz CA 95064 941539563 115 15000 Research of Mobulid Rays University of Hawaii Research Office 2240 Campus Rd PO Box 368 Honolulu HI 96822 996000354 115 38000 Research of Elasmobranch Fish at Kaneohe Bay 8 1 Student Research Fellowship 1 20000 Individual Scholarships 34 31900 Procedures for Monitoring the Use of Grant Funds in the United States Schedule I, Part I, Line 2: The Aquarium requires potential grant recipients to submit formal applications which are reviewed by the program manager and Director of Finance for consistency with the Aquarium's mission and compliance with the annual budget. Furthermore, the Aquarium requires a written report from the grantee providing detail about how funds were used to accomplish the grant objectives. Reports are reviewed by the program manager as well as the Director of Finance for compliance with grant conditions. X X true true X X X X false false false false false false false false false Julie Packard Exec. Director & Vice Chair 295146 0 401 0 1925 0 26500 0 10931 0 334903 0 0 0 James Hekkers Managing Director / Consultant 219940 0 0 0 54898 0 21752 0 13682 0 310272 0 0 0 Cynthia Vernon COO Effective June 2015 218315 0 801 0 1372 0 22517 0 21768 0 264773 0 0 0 Ed Prohaska CFO/VP Enterprise Development 276821 0 801 0 1412 0 26500 0 12267 0 317801 0 0 0 Cristina Fekeci Chief Development Officer 281448 0 801 0 2344 0 26500 0 20377 0 331470 0 0 0 Margaret Spring VP Conservation & Science 185922 0 790 0 893 0 19444 0 22777 0 229826 0 0 0 Marian Hahn VP of Marketing 202991 0 790 0 419 0 20385 0 10685 0 235270 0 0 0 Teresa Merry VP Human Resources 174776 0 790 0 1165 0 18568 0 32483 0 227782 0 0 0 Randall Hamilton VP of Husbandry 166649 0 790 0 4387 0 17145 0 15459 0 204430 0 0 0 Justin Skinner VP of Information Technology 218242 0 801 0 164 0 13401 0 19237 0 251845 0 0 0 Don Hughes VP of Exhibitions 206669 0 790 0 1115 0 21701 0 24093 0 254368 0 0 0 Jim Westbrook Director of Finance 169298 0 790 0 329 0 17091 0 10370 0 197878 0 0 0 Jennifer Dianto Kemmerly Glob Fisheries/Aquaculture Dir 156031 0 1579 0 127 0 15764 0 10260 0 183761 0 0 0 Diane Sena Dir of Non-Aq Prop Mgmt/GM HH 154057 0 790 0 1452 0 15956 0 15850 0 188105 0 0 0 Charles Aslanian VP of Facility Operations 157318 0 790 0 913 0 16778 0 31096 0 206895 0 0 0 Schedule J, Part I, Line 1a Gross-Up Payments and Health Club Dues: As part of the Aquarium's wellness program, all employees (including the listed employees in Part VII, Section A) are eligible to receive a monthly subsidy of $25 for fitness center dues if the employee meets certain wellness program requirements. Since this type of subsidy is considered a taxable fringe benefit, the Aquarium grosses-up these subsidies to cover the employee's taxes. Additionally, certain employees received tax gross-up payments for small appreciation gifts received during the course of the 2015 calendar year. All payments were treated as taxable income on the employee's Form W-2 and reported as compensation on Schedule J, Part II, Column b(iii). Schedule J, Part II: Compensation payments reported on Schedule J, Part II, Column (B)(i) for James Hekkers includes amounts paid to him as an employee of the organization in his capacity as Managing Director (which he served as until July 2015), as well as payments made thereafter as compensation for services as a non-employee consultant of the organization. X 66 1392215 Cost/Selling Price X 31 27603 Opinion of Experts 0 false true false Schedule M, Part I, Column (b): The organization is reporting the total number of items contributed on Schedule M, Part I, Column (b). Organization's Mission Form 990, Part I, Line 1 and Form 990, Part III, line 1: The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. Created with an initial gift from David and Lucille Packard, the Aquarium facilities opened to the public in 1984. Major programs include a public aquarium whose exhibits focus primarily, but not exclusively, on marine life of Monterey Bay and Californias central coast; education programs serving students from preschool through college as well as primary and secondary school educators; and research and conservation initiatives which include (a) the long-term survival of the southern sea otter, (b) understanding and conserving tuna and other highly migratory animals, (c) promoting seafood sustainability, and (d) conducting and communication scientific research that promotes marine conservation and informs ocean policy. In 2015, we served 2.1 million visitors (the second time weve had back-to-back years with over 2 million guests); the Silicon Valley Business Journal recognized our Education programs with its Community Impact Award; the White House honored employee Sarah-Mae Nelson for her work interpreting to visitors the effects of climate change on ocean health; we played a leading role in the fight for a plastic-free ocean by backing state and federal actions to phase out plastic microbeads; and we hosted an unprecedented televion program - Big Blue Live - that celebrated the health of Monterey Bays wildlife and ecosystems on prime-time television in the United Kingdom and United States, spotlighting its recovery as a conservation success story of global significance. Program Service Accomplishment Description Form 990, Part III, Line 4a - Marine Life Exhibition and Care: Marine life exhibition and care costs of $31,387,581 include the cost of operating and maintaining the Aquariums living exhibit galleries. The special exhibition Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses, Squid and Cuttlefishes introduced visitors to several species of deep-sea cephalopods. We were the first in the world to debut the mysterious vampire squid, and among the first to show the cock-eyed squid and the Japetella octopus. Another uncommon animal became an international media sensation after a research colleague at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute dubbed the as-yet-unnamed Opisthoteuthis species "adorabilis" - the "adorable" octopus. Elsewhere in Tentacles, several nautiluses laid over 10 eggs on exhibit and behind the scenes, implying the collection is healthy and thriving on exhibit, according to our biologists. During 2015, work was underway with research on and development of a community of reptiles in preparation for the 2016 debut of Viva Baja! Life on the Edge. The $3.8 million dollar exhibit includes colorful tropical fishes and invertebrates, plus our most diverse terrestrial exhibit, where - for the first time at the Aquarium - visitors encounter snakes, scorpions, tortoises, tarantulas, and lizards. We participated in the "Traveling Turtle" program for the third year in a row, joining nine other U.S. aquariums that foster baby loggerhead sea turtles rescued off North Carolina, so that visitors can learn the story of the endangered species. After a year or two, the turtles grow large enough to join other rescued juvenile sea turtles that are fitted with satellite tags and released into the Atlantic Ocean. Our collection of giant sea bass, a critically endangered species, comprises several fish of various ages, from babies to adults 30 years old. We began working with baby giant sea bass as part of a research project to document growth rate and colorization/pattern changes throughout life. By studying individuals at different life stages, we help strengthen laws protecting these gentle giants that - with their hefty weight and wide, wide, lips - hold a special place in the hearts of our visitors, and especially our members and donors. We also welcomed a penguin chick and a common murre chick into our avian collection; both hatched from eggs laid by exhibit birds. These fuzzy additions were among several penguin and murre chicks that have hatched here over the past few years. Some birds we keep; some we send to other accredited institutions as part of species survival plans governed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Program Service Accomplishment Description Form 990, Part III, Line 4b - Education and Outreach: Education and Outreach costs of $12,193,553 include the cost of education programs for both teachers and students, Aquarium Adventures programs to deepen guest experiences, and culinary events that promote sustainable seafood practices. We continued to raise funds for a new LEED-certified Center for Ocean Education and Leadership. The Center will enable us to double the number of visiting schoolchildren who take part in programs led by Aquarium educators, double the number of science teachers we reach through institutes and workshops designed to build their skills and double the number of teens in leadership programs. All of these education programs for schoolchildren, teachers and teens are available free, and include complimentary admission to the Aquarium. During 2015, we worked with 284 teens who participated in the summer WATCH (Watsonville Area Teens Conserving Habitats), Young Women in Science and Teen Conservation Leader (TCL) programs; an additional 12 TCL Alums supported the program this summer as paid assistants. A total of 1,546 teachers participated in fall workshops, conferences, presentations and events in 2015. In October, more than 100 Head Start teachers, staff and administrators joined Aquarium staff to engage in professional development and celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Splash Zone partnership with Monterey and Santa Cruz County Head Start Centers. Throughout 2015 we reached thousands of visitors through customized fee-based Aquarium Adventures programs, ranging from behind-the-scenes tours and overnight sleepovers to educational scuba adventures. In 2015 we added a new "Insider's Tour" wherein visitors explore exhibits with our most seasoned guides. Through their personal stories and insight, visitors uncover new animals and fishes, step behind the scenes to discover the secret lives of jellies, and hear about the Aquarium's groundbreaking research efforts with marine wildlife. In 2015 we refocused our Cooking for Solutions annual events into a year-round celebration with several smaller, more intimate events with a stronger focus on making choices for a healthy ocean, particularly food. Highlights of the revamped Cooking for Solutions included two celebration weekends with ticketed events and free public events for Aquarium visitors; sustainable tasting events during our extended public hours Evenings by the Bay weekends; and "On the Road" events with partners including The Hess Collection and Hog Island Oyster Company. Program Service Accomplishment Description Form 990, Part III, Line 4c - Conservation and Science: Conservation and Science costs of $7,275,504 represent expenses for marine conservation policy and advocacy efforts, the Seafood Watch sustainability program and field research supporting species survival. Our Conservation and Science programs continued to be an influence locally and nationally, and we further expanded them globally in 2015. We supported the enactment of several state and federal laws by providing testimony, writing letters, activating our audiences, and working with legislative staff on bill language. One was A.B. 888, the strongest law of its type in the nation, which banned the sale of personal care products that contain plastic microbeads by January 2020 in California. At the federal level, we worked to strengthen the language in a similar bill, and urged Congress to pass the bill and asked President Obama to sign it into law - which he did. Another was A.B. 96, which improved restrictions on the sale of illegal ivory, including from certain marine wildlife. In October, after years of negotiation, the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015. We expect the bill to significantly improve the federal governments response to IUU fishing, keeping black-market seafood out of U.S. markets and encouraging enforcement by other nations. Locally, we supported Monterey Bay Fisheries Trusts acquisition of more than $1 million in commercial groundfish fishing quotas from The Nature Conservancy. The Aquarium worked with the City of Monterey and other community members to establish a new, non-profit trust to own and lease groundfish quotas to local fishermen, with the advice and support of The Nature Conservancy, the California Fisheries Fund of Environmental Defense Fund and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Our Seafood Watch program continues to set the standard for sustainable seafood, and in 2015 we advanced initiatives to support sustainable seafood production around the world - bringing our respected program to a global audience. We brought business and government leaders together in Southeast Asia to shape new standards for sustainable aquaculture, and welcomed Indonesias progressive fisheries minister to the Aquarium in Monterey. We helped colleagues in Brazil, Japan, and Europe advance their sustainable seafood initiatives, and worked with partners in Mexico to move toward sustainable fishing and aquaculture in the Gulf of California. We were pleased when Louisiana repealed its turtle excluder device (TED) exemption rule, making their use now required in fisheries. Oceana.com sited Seafood Watch's "Avoid" rating as having a direct effect on the choice to annul the law. We welcomed new Seafood Watch business partners in 2015, including Disney Parks and Resorts, and celebrated the accomplishments of partners like Aramark, which now sources 100 percent of its tuna from sustainable sources. We also joined 15 major U.S. aquariums to support a new Aquarium Conservation Partnership pilot project to harness the power of aquariums for collective action to improve ocean health. We led the development of the ACP with partners at Shedd Aquarium and National Aquarium, producing a 2016-17 Conservation Action Agenda and ACP Charter that will guide the work of the ACP over a two-year pilot phase. We welcomed new Director of Science Kyle Van Houtan to oversee the Aquariums science and conservation research programs, including those devoted to bluefin tuna, white sharks, sea otters and other species. Dr. Van Houtans research and teaching have focused on multi-faceted approaches to marine biodiversity conservation, and his work spans a range of topics - from animal behavior, foraging ecology and physiology, to fisheries stock assessments, climate change and ecosystem-based management. His research also explores global change, biodiversity conservation, processes arising from climate, long-term ecological monitoring, and ethics. Our Sea Otter Program team collaborated with other sea otter biologists to sequence the sea otter genome for the first time. National and international media shared details of our work with sea otters in stories covering a wild sea otter mom giving birth in our Great Tide Pool. Our white shark research team concluded a record field season, tagging and tracking adult and juvenile white sharks off the coasts of California and Mexico. Our researchers have identified 117 individual white sharks, 43 new animals in 2015, and one shark that returned to the Farallon Islands for a record 27th year. Partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and others, we began developing a camera tag that will reveal what adult sharks are doing in a gathering area far offshore near Hawaii, dubbed the "White Shark Cafe." We also released a study in November documenting how research Dr. Sal Jorgensen and colleagues fed "Fitbit"-style tags to white sharks to track their activity level and monitor their feeding success. Working with research colleagues, we expanded Pacific bluefin tuna tagging efforts with Japans Fisheries Research Agency. Our staff joined Japanese scientists in tagging both 2-3 month old and 4-6 year old (spawning age) Pacific bluefin tuna. Information from tag returns should provide insight into how the fish use and interact with their habitat. For the third summer in a row, we again collaborated with Japanese fisheries scientists to tag hundreds of 3-month old Pacific bluefin tuna off the coast of Shikoku, Japan. Data recovered to date have shown that these tuna begin their trans-Pacific migration at just over a year old, earlier than previously thought. Program Service Accomplishment Description Form 990, Part III, Line 4d - Other program services: Other program services of $17,536,991 represent the costs of activities to provide a high-quality experience for the 2.1 million people who visited the Aquarium in 2015. Included in this category are costs for marketing, guest services and membership services, as well as costs associated with food services and retail. Marketing includes costs associated with the creation, production and placement of advertising in various media for the purpose of building awareness about the opportunity to connect with marine life and ocean conservation through an Aquarium visit. An allocation of marketing costs is included in management and general expenses to represent the costs associated with soliciting admission revenue. Calendar year 2015s attendance was our third highest ever, and the second time in our history that weve had back-to-back years with over 2 million guests. Our digital, search-based advertising campaign once again helped to attract more high-propensity visitors from Southern California and other cities across the U.S. to the Aquarium and the Monterey area. About one-third (32%) of the total number of paid Aquarium visitors from California were Hispanic. Most of our Hispanic attendance is from California, with the majority of visitors arriving from the San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and local tri-county area (Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties) markets in which we advertise directly in Spanish-language media. Weve been successful in driving millennial visitation. More than one-half (54%) of 2015 Aquarium visitors were between the ages of 18 and 34, while only one-third (33%) of California residents are in that age group. We will continue to focus on this audience, with additional emphasis on engaging them with the Aquarium and our mission largely through our social channels. Our active and responsive presence on social media platforms allows visitors to remain connected with us, and us with them, once they leave the Aquarium. We ended 2015 with 2.7 million followers (an increase of approximately 300,000 over 2014) across all social media platforms and properties, including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and a Spanish-language Facebook page called Tu Monterey Bay Aquarium. In 2015 the team ventured into Periscope, a live video platform, with good success and engagement. Were considered one of the social media leaders among zoos and aquariums across the country, not only in the number and engagement with our followers, but also in our innovative approaches to content. In 2015, the Aquarium admitted more than 95,000 people in our community free of charge. These guests included underserved audiences visiting through our Free to Learn, Shelf to Shore, Student Ocean Stewards, and annual Community Open House programs. Membership households totaled 78,000. In addition to the essential processing and customer service functions, membership services hosts several member events each year including sleepovers, a Halloween dance party, and holiday wine tasting event. Aquarium members also receive Shorelines, the Aquariums member magazine and targeted monthly e-newsletters. Membership services include other efforts to serve, retain and communicate with members about our conservation mission. The Aquariums overall outreach wouldnt have the impact it does without the dedication of our many volunteers, who do more than make the Aquarium better they make our work possible. For each staff member, we have two volunteers sharing their energy and enthusiasm for the ocean. In 2015, over 1,300 individuals volunteered over 163,000 hours of service in 79 different work areas, notably in education and animal care. Our volunteer community hails from all over central and nothern california - 86 cities in all - and volunteers range in age from teenagers to folks in their 90s. Family or Business Relationships Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 2: Trustees Julie Packard and Susan Orr are sisters. Chris Scholin, a Trustee, is the CEO of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ("MBARI"), of which Julie Packard and Barbara Wright are Board members. Form 990 Review Process Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 11B: The Form 990 is prepared by Grant Thornton LLP based on audited financial statements and with the assistance of the Aquarium's finance and accounting staff. The final draft of the Form 990 is reviewed by the CFO and the Executive Director. Upon acceptance of the draft by the CFO and Executive Director, the draft Form 990 is delivered to the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees, which reviews the draft and directs comments and questions to the CFO and Executive Director. Finally, the Board receives a copy of the final version of the Form 990 prior to filing. Monitoring and Enforcement of Comflict of Interest Policy Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c: The Aquarium regularly and consistently monitors and enforces compliance with its conflict of interest policies. Trustees and officers Conflict of Interest Policy -- The Executive Director's office assures that all disclosures forms (and mitigation plans, if applicable) have been received by January 31 of each year from all trustees and officers, prepares a summary of disclosures, and forwards the completed forms and the summary to the Aquarium's Conflicts Review Panel, consisting of the Executive Director, Legal Counsel, VP of Human Resources, and Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"). Trustees and officers also acknowledge receipt and understanding of the Aquariums COI Policy in conjunction with providing the annual disclosures. Following review by the Panel, the Panels findings and the disclosures are provided to the Board's Audit Committee, which reviews the disclosures and makes a report to the Board at its March Board meeting. Both the Panel and the Audit Committee annually evaluate the effectiveness of the process. The CFO assures appropriate reporting to the external auditors and tax filings preparer. Trustees and officers have a continuing duty to make additional disclosures throughout the year if warranted. Employees Code of Ethical Conduct Policy -- The VP of Human Resources forwards the Code, which includes a section on conflicts of interest, to all managers in early January each year, and assures that each manager responds that they have read it and are in compliance by January 31. Managers are also required to disclose any interests which could give rise to conflict, and to assure that any staff in their areas with interests which could give rise to conflict has done the same. Disclosures (and mitigation plans, if applicable) are reviewed by the Executive Director, VP of Human Resources and CFO by March. This team also evaluates the effectiveness of the process. The CFO assures appropriate reporting to the external auditors and tax filings preparer. Employees have a continuing duty to make additional disclosures throughout the year if warranted. Process for Determining Compensation Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Lines 15a and 15b: The Board of Trustees maintains a performance evaluation process for the Chief Executive Officer, referred to as the Executive Director, who is a member of the Board. The Boards Executive Compensation Committee, comprised of independent directors, reviews the CEO's performance with input from the other Board members, and recommends the compensation of the CEO to the Board. The Committee obtains and reviews market survey data from several independent organizations containing data for comparable positions at comparable organizations. The Committee provides the performance review and comparable salary information to the Board and recommends the CEO's compensation. Based upon the performance review and comparable salary information, the independent members of the Board determine that the compensation is fair, just and reasonable and then approves total compensation for the CEO. The Board delegates to the Executive Compensation Committee the performance review and compensation approval of the CFO, who is not a member of the Board, and any other officers or senior staff who are highly compensated. Based upon the performance review and comparable salary information, the Committee determines that the compensation is fair, just and reasonable and approves total compensation for the CFO and all other key employees. In each case, the review and approval is contemporaneously documented in the minutes of the Committee and the Board, respectively. Documents Made Available to the Public Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19: The Aquarium makes its audited financial statements and Form 990 for the most recent three years available to the public by posting on its website. The conflict of interest policy and governing documents are provided upon request within two business days. Other Changes in Net Assets Form 990, Part XI, Line 9: Unrealized Loss on Interest in Charitable Remainder Trusts: $(28,902) FORM 990 PART IX LINE 11G DESCRIPTION:OUTSIDE SERVICES TOTAL FEES:7723201 FORM 990 PART IX LINE 11G DESCRIPTION:OTHER FEES TOTAL FEES:819861 Monterey Bay Aquarium Support Services 99 Pacific Street Monterey CA 93940 770569564 Property Mgmt CA 501(c)(3) 11-I MBAF true false false true false false false false false false false false false false true false false true false false Monterey Bay Aquarium Support Services c 249546 Recorded Value