SHEDD AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Programs

1. Conservation education: since Shedd aquarium opened our doors in 1930, Shedd has provided more than 121 million guests the opportunity to look nature in the eye through memorable experiences, while providing opportunities to learn about the animals in our care, and become inspired to make personal choices that drive action for animals. Shedd knows that when people experience aquatic animals up close, it motivates an emotional, empathetic response that shifts attitudes and fosters a personal responsibility for stewardship of local waters, global oceans, and wildlife. Shedd is committed to being one of Chicago's most accessible cultural institutions, offering Illinois resident free days throughout the year, free admission every day as the nation's first aquarium to join the museums for all program, an everyday discount for Chicago residents, students and senior citizens, and free admission for teachers, police and fire personnel, and active-duty military. Inside the aquarium walls, guests look nature in the eye through immersive exhibits, participatory programs facilitated by staff, and extraordinary experiences with animals behind the scenes. The aquarium also shares Shedd's…

   $34,604,249 spentof which $228,535 as grants$45,611,019 earned by the program
   62% of program spending

2. Animal care: Shedd aquarium is home to one of the world's largest and most diverse aquatic collections over 30,000 representing about 1,200 species. A global leader in animal care, Shedd's welfare and husbandry programs support onsite research efforts that contribute to the growing scientific body of knowledge about those species in the wild. Shedd's veterinarians are aquatic medicine pioneers who are advancing the fields of preventative medicine, aging care, and conservation medicine while providing world-class care that further expands understanding of how to support healthy animal populations in aquariums and in the wild. Shedd's animal care expertise lends itself to crisis response around the world. Our animal care team frequently acts as a partner and advisor to international, federal, state, and local government agencies, rescue and rehabilitation organizations, and fellow accredited zoos and aquariums for confiscated, orphaned, or injured wildlife. Shedd's animal care team contributes to the sustainability of aquatic species through advancements in aquaculture, including populations of microscopic live foods, and cooperative management and breeding of critically endangered…

   $17,929,902 spentof which $191,773 as grants
   32% of program spending

3. Conservation science and research: Shedd is located in Chicago, but its research is worldwide. Shedd is one of only 11 Centers for Species Survival, a designation of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN). Shedd's Center for Species Survival focuses on freshwater within the Great Lakes watershed and globally with a concentration in the Americas. Shedd's husbandry, veterinary, and conservation programs are grounded in research that supports healthy animals at Shedd and vibrant wild populations around the world. Shedd's conservation research programs work to protect biodiversity while supporting blue economies, and field researchers often work side-by-side with citizen scientists to conserve wildlife and habitats for future generations. The aquarium's oceanic work includes more than four decades of research on species such as rock iguanas, queen conch, lobster, sharks, and corals. Closer to home, Shedd's Great Lakes research focuses on wildlife and habitat conservation issues where the aquarium's applied studies support local communities and regional agencies in developing access to nature and sound management plans for the Great Lakes and Chicago River.…

   $3,301,889 spentof which $103,793 as grants
   6% of program spending

The 3 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $55,836,040.