Work on the Aquarium of the Pacific’s new retail wing continues. Photo courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Beyond serving as a form of entertainment, the Aquarium of the Pacific has a much larger function within Long Beach as it acts as both an educational and economic force.
In order to inform the community of the Aquarium’s more expansive role within the city, a report—the first since 2004—was conducted to show the economic impact of the institution both locally and regionally. The Aquarium’s overall impact on Long Beach has increased since that last report, generating $57 million annually compared to the $42 million reported in 2004 as it approaches its 15th anniversary next year.
The economic impact spans spending, wages and employment brought in by the Aquarium, of which the organization creates some 520 jobs here in Long Beach.
“The Aquarium enriches quality of life by providing numerous conservation, cultural, and educational benefits,” said Aquarium president and CEO Dr. Jerry Schubel to the Long Beach Post. “The report also serves as a tool to help us measure our efforts to work with more regional and local vendors.”
Those cultural benefits should not be underestimated. On top of the 1.5 million annual visitors—up from 1.1 million in 2004—that have graced the space of the Aquarium, the organization draws 20,000 to 30,000 local residents each year through its many nights and days when admission for locals is free—and the impact of such visits is possibly linked to generating more conscientious behavior with regards to one’s environment. A study funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation accredited visits to zoos and aquariums to prompt individuals to reconsider their role in environmental problems. In other words, they come to see themselves as part of the solution.
Impacts such as these, as well as the Aquarium’s continuous inclusion of new exhibits and program—The June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Shark Lagoon, Ocean Science Center, the remodeled BP Sea Otter Habitat, Molina Animal Care Center, and Watersheds: Our Pathway to the Pacific all opened within the past decade—are to believed to have acted as the catalyst for the economic growth.
Even better, the Aquarium’s significant amount of donors helps keep its books balanced and grow without financially straining the institution in its efforts to continue work beyond exhibits.
“The new retail expansion [to open in June of 2013] has been fully funded by donations,” explained Schubel. “As the Aquarium expands, it will continue creating jobs and revenue for Long Beach and the region. Expansion enables us to grow our footprint, thus growing our attendance and programming capacity to further our vision of connecting people to nature through entertaining, educational, and empowering events, exhibits, and programs.”
The 2012 study was conducted by AECOM, a third-party international consulting firm, which was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies this year by the Ethisphere Institute.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way. For more information, call 562-590-3100.