Wonderful interview on KPIX-TV with @montereybayaquarium.org Executive Director @juliepackard.montereybayaquarium.org about highlights of her 40-plus years leading the Aquarium. bit.ly/4r9TWVq

Thanks also to the Monterey County Hospitality Association, Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust, Monterey County Business Council, and Big Sur Chamber of Commerce for spelling out what offshore leasing could mean for the health of our economy.

Oil and gas leasing off the California coast threatens the health not just of the environment but also of our economy. Many thanks to @usrepjimmypanetta.bsky.social for convening business leaders to underscore the risk. bit.ly/4kWXvwz #OffshoreOil #CleanEnergyFuture #CoastalEconomy #tourism

One of the most influential zoo leaders in the world and a passionate champion for conservation, Jenny brings decades of experience advancing wildlife protection, research, and animal well-being. “I can’t imagine a better person to come lead the Aquarium’s next chapter,” - Julie Packard.

With gratitude for an extraordinary legacy and excitement for what’s ahead, we’re thrilled to share that, following a global search, Dr. Jenny Gray has been appointed the Aquarium’s Chief Executive Officer. Learn more about Dr. Jenny in her interview with the LA Times mbayaq.co/46Mi6h7

Jenny is passionate about @montereybayaquarium.org's conservation mission, a leader in the zoological community, and committed to advancing our vision of a future where the ocean flourishes and people thrive in a just and equitable world. With her at the helm, the Aquarium is in great hands.

I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dr. Jenny Gray as the new CEO of @montereybayaquarium.org. I’ve gotten to know Jenny over the years through her work with the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the IUCN. She is a fantastic person. bit.ly/4kEsDRe

So cool to have Good Morning America feature @montereybayaquarium.org Sea Otter Program in its "50 States in 50 Weeks." Informative and LOTS of sea otters! bit.ly/461OxIi #MarineMammals #SeaOtters #OceanConservation

Congratulations to Meghan Hertel, the new director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife! Many thanks to @governor.ca.gov for choosing an exceptionally qualified individual to fill this important role. Our @montereybayaquarium.org team looks forward to working with her. mbayaq.co/46ism0l

With donor support, we completed a new Sea Otter Conservation Center in 2025 so we can return even more rescued otter pups to the wild. Thank you, @katharinehayhoe.com for highlighting the important role wildlife plays in climate solutions. bit.ly/4c34NfD

The team at @montereybayaquarium.org knows the critical role sea otters play in solving the #ClimateCrisis. We've spent 40+ years documenting their contributions and working to rescue, rehabilitate, and return stranded sea otters -- including rescued pups -- to the wild. bit.ly/4qcPrc6

We had a lot of fun showing @schiff.senate.gov around @montereybayaquarium.org last week. Our sea otter exhibit and our work to rescue, rehabilitate, and return stranded animals to the wild captured his heart. We're grateful for all the Senator is doing so people and the ocean can thrive together.

Follow the link for a full list of the honorees and details about attending the May 7 gala in Monterey at the Aquarium: www.peterbenchleyoceanawards.org

"We share a vision of a world where the ocean and people thrive together, in a just and equitable world," Packard added. "Working together, and with so many talented colleagues around the globe, I’m confident we can make that vision a reality.”

“I’m truly grateful for this honor,” Julie Packard said. “It reflects the tremendous work, over the course of decades, of the dedicated team at @montereybayaquarium.org." www.peterbenchleyoceanawards.org

We’re delighted that Executive Director @juliepackard.montereybayaquarium.org will receive the 2026 Peter Benchley Ocean Awards as Ocean Hero in ceremonies at the Aquarium on May 7. The awards, presented by @aquariumconserv.bsky.social, celebrate those whose work advances ocean conservation.

Not so long ago, in a galaxy off the West Coast… SEA STAR WASTING SYNDROME has killed billions of Pycnopodia helianthoides. Scientists took up the fight to restore sunflower stars. We will be sharing their saga all next week on YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn this coming Monday! ✴️

It's so encouraging that international law now recognizes the critical role a healthy ocean plays in sustaining life on our planet. Kudos to the @highseasalliance.bsky.social and all the individuals and organizations who made this a reality! highseasalliance.org/2026/01/16/h...

There's a lot of work ahead. As Jane Lubchenco writes in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com, we must invest in science to ensure that steps to safeguard life on the high seas is grounded in a solid framework of objective information. www.nature.com/articles/s44...

The first international High Seas Treaty takes effect this weekend. It's a significant step toward protecting Earth's largest living space: the deep ocean beyond all national borders. bit.ly/3NmqsoZ #HighSeasTreaty #MarineBiodiversity #MarineProtectedAreas #InternationalLaw #OceanConservation

We’re working with Opal in hopes she’ll be a surrogate herself one day, giving orphaned pups a second chance at survival by teaching them the skills they need for release into the wild. 🦦 Learn about our lovable exhibit otters and the role they play in our surrogacy program: mbayaq.co/4puYm8i

Orphaned Opal was rescued and raised behind the scenes as part of our sea otter surrogacy program. Now this sparkly otter’s making a splash by inspiring conservation and awareness for her threatened species.

✨Opal is ready for her close-up! This confident and curious otter explores the world with her teeth. Behind Opal’s fluffy whiskered face is a powerful bite rivaling the king of the jungle! 🦁

When we stand together and use our voices, we can stop this leasing plan and create the future we want for our children: one where the ocean flourishes and people thrive, here in California and beyond. Many thanks to ocean champion Leon Panetta, my co-author on this commentary. bit.ly/3Lo2hWp

Once more, it’s time for us to act. Between now and Jan. 23, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is taking public comments on this deeply flawed proposal. The administration needs to hear — in no uncertain terms — that its leasing plan is dead on arrival. bit.ly/49FRhNq

Forty years ago, Californians stopped an ill-conceived federal plan to open our coast to offshore oil and gas drilling. In the decades since, we’ve taken remarkable steps to safeguard our coastal waters. Now the Trump administration is pushing to undo all we’ve accomplished. bit.ly/3Lo2hWp

The science is clear. At a time when we face life-threatening impacts from climate change, this ill-conceived effort to open massive parts of our ocean to offshore oil and gas leasing is a major step backward in the nation’s urgently needed transition away from fossil fuels.

Join our ocean action email list to stay up-to-date on offshore drilling: mbayaq.co/4ibVFXl

Read and share our official statement on offshore drilling: mbayaq.co/48dJaWJ

Today, the California coast we cherish and the delicate ocean ecosystems just beyond it face a renewed threat from offshore drilling. We oppose the Trump Administration’s 5-year oil and gas leasing program and will continue to defend our coastline, wildlife, economy, and health from this threat.

For over 30 years, the Seattle Aquarium has led in sea otter research, contributed to recovery efforts and cared for northern sea otters who are unable to live in the wild. Today is a big day as we welcome Ruby—the first southern sea otter in our care. ✨🦦 (1/4)

Their findings, published in @natureportfolio.nature.com, reaffirm earlier work by researchers including Steven Haddock of @mbarinews.bsky.social, who have urged the global community to move cautiously in the face of all the uncertainties. mbayaq.co/44cVKEa

The environmental risks posed by deep-sea mining extend far beyond destruction of seabed habitats. New research from the University of Hawaii at Manoa affirms that plumes of sediment from mining operations pose a real threat to life in the ocean water column. bit.ly/47ZsxOi #DSM #SeabedMining

Taylor Swift, sea otters, t-shirts & @montereybayaquarium.org are an irresistible combination. We've generated $1M+ in donations for our Sea Otter Program and other ocean conservation work in just a few hours. Even #WWD is covering the news as a conservation success story: bit.ly/4nVnS6R #Swifties

👉 Go to MontereyBayAquarium.org/OtterShirt to make your donation through Tiltify and learn more details about this campaign. 🧡 Thank you so much for your support. There’s wonder in ocean life and caring for it helps us all! [4 of 4]

🦦 For over 40 years, our Sea Otter Program has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing stranded sea otters and orphaned pups. The program also drives vital research to help protect wild populations and coastal ecosystems, where sea otters play a critical role as a keystone species. [3 of 4]

⚠️ Here’s the deal: For a limited time, donors who give at least $65.13 through this special campaign will receive the shirt as a thank-you gift. Shipping + handling included! Sizes youth up to 4X while supplies last. We are unable at this time to ship internationally. [2 of 4]

🧡 Are you ready for it… 🎉 It’s release day—for (sea otters and) that one shirt! 🦦👕 ✨ Re-released sustainably with Liberty Graphics, this throwback look supports our Sea Otter Program + ocean conservation. [1 of 4]

We’re excited to be re-collaborating with the original artwork owners Liberty Graphics for a special, limited-time fundraiser! We’ll be thanking donors who support our mission with a re-issue of the sea otter shirt originally printed in the 1990s.

🧡You deserve what you want, Hope you get what you want…. Don’t worry—we got our paws on the original artwork. 🐾 🎤We heard you calling on the megaphone, The otter tee returns to stand on its own. The legend wore it—Swifties found it You all are quite the pros 🦦✨

Most importantly, she recognized that – together – we can make a real difference through our actions, large and small. I mourn her passing and celebrate her life. It was an honor to know and work with Dr. Goodall. Her legacy will live on, in the lives of the millions of people she inspired.

Dr. Jane Goodall was a remarkable individual – as a scientist, as an advocate for wildlife and wild places, and as a source of profound hope for the future of our planet. She brought such a joyful spirit and unfailing optimism to her work. #inspiration #hope #wildlife #conservation

🦦 Be aware. PSA: A sea otter shell-ebration is sweeping social media next week! Text📲OTTERMEDIA to 54159 to opt into Aquarium texts and stay hip to the coolest sea otter content all week long.

We have clear data pointing to the sources of the problem, and clear evidence of the disproportionate impact on the Global South. We must shift to a clean-energy economy. #EnvironmentalJustice #CleanEnergy #GreenhouseGasEmissions #OceanClimateActions #ClimateDisparities

A few years ago, @montereybayaquarium.org researchers documented clear disparities in the places where the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change are being produced and the places that will disproportionately feel the impacts. www.montereybayaquarium.org/stories/clim...

The study finds that each of them has emitted enough greenhouse gases to cause multiple heat waves that would have been virtually impossible in the absence of climate change. www.nature.com/articles/s41... #GreenhouseGasEmissions #ClimateChange #AttributionScience

A new study led by @ethz.ch researchers,published in @nature.com, concludes that half the increase in global heat wave intensity in the industrial era can be traced to emissions from just 180 fossil fuel and cement producers. bit.ly/46cKGIS h/t @anthropocenemag.bsky.social

We've lost a great environmental champion with Robert Redford's passing. He used his voice to support climate action, to protect our public lands, and to help people understand the importance of safeguarding the natural systems on which our lives depend. We are better for his time on Earth.

"The measure of our success will be the condition on which we leave the world for the next generation." -- Robert Redford vimeo.com/146947405?fl...

Meet Héctor! 🤩 With 3,000+ hours of service, he inspires visitors in English and Spanish to love and protect the ocean. Like Héctor, you can be part of the change. The ocean needs us all, in every language, together. ¡Acompáñanos! Follow this link: youtube.com/shorts/ZlhvL...