Recreational/Leisure/Arts Instruction

The aquarium provides exhibits and educational programs about the Southern California marine environment for people of all ages. Activities include programs for children, seasonal programs, volunteer recruitment, and outreach to the community about environmental issues. The goal of the aquarium is to build a greater awareness of marine ecology for children and adults and to protect and preserve coastal waters through a wide range of educational programs. There are no geographic restrictions.

The aquarium has more than 50 exhibits and seawater aquaria on permanent display, including a tidepool tank where visitors can touch a variety of tidepool inhabitants. It is located on the shore at Cabrillo Beach. Throughout the school year children participate in programs sponsored by the aquarium which take place in the classroom, aquarium or on the beach. During the summer children can enroll in Science at the Seashore programs, a series of week-long sessions which include an exploration of local marine life and instruction in the basics of keeping an aquarium, and other aquatic topics. Preschool children age 2 and 1/2 and older can attend special age-appropriate programs.

The aquarium also houses the Virginia Reid Moore Marine Research Library. It is open to students, educators, researchers and the general public. The library provides a non-circulating reference collection on the marine life of Southern California, the world's oceans, marine sciences and related topics. The aquarium also houses the Aquatic Nursery and Exploration Center, which provides hands-on opportunities to discover more about marine life, adjacent coastal park habitats and animal husbandry.

The aquarium sponsors seasonal activities concurrent with marine cycles for people of all ages. The seasonal schedule includes whale watching trips and grunion runs. There is an emphasis on outreach to the community which includes speakers and special programs at the aquarium, the annual Adopt-A-Beach Day, Earth Day, Whale Fiesta, the Sea Fair and the Ocean Outreach Program, which brings aquarium educators out to groups and schools.

Adult and teenage volunteers are recruited and trained for a variety of positions at the aquarium. Volunteers serve as docents, work in the aquarium giftshop, maintain exhibits, do research, and assist with the aquarium's fund raising campaigns.