I am pleased to share highlights from the first half of 2025 with you. It has been a dynamic couple of months, and all the accomplishments and successes have been made possible through your continued support. From wildlife rescues and emergency preparedness initiatives to advancing wildlife resiliency policy, the past five months reflect the strength of our mission and the impact we’re making together.

Wildlife Rescue
In response to two severe cold fronts that swept through South Texas in January 2025, the Port Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue at the Texas State Aquarium launched extensive rescue operations, with over 900 cold-stunned sea turtles arriving from as far north as Matagorda Bay and as far south as Padre Island National Seashore. During the rescue operations, the Wildlife Response Operations Center and Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi continued to refine the use of unmanned aircraft during the rescue mission. For the first time, an unmanned aircraft’s thermal sensor successfully detected a cold sea turtle in cold water.

After several releases as the weather warmed, Wildlife Rescue Center partners including the Texas Parks and Wildlife, the Texas Divisions of Emergency Management, the Texas General Land Office, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, and the U.S. Coast Guard capped off the event with the release of 344 turtles. Since 2017, the Wildlife Rescue Center has returned over 3,900 sea turtles to Texas waters.

Wildlife Recovery Professional Development
The Wildlife Response Operations Center, or WROC, and Office of Emergency Management hosted the 2025 Natural Disaster Operational Workgroup (NDOW) training. NDOW brings together agencies – including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Texas General Land Office, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) – to coordinate wildlife recovery and pollution response following natural disasters. In the event that the Coastal Bend is impacted by tropical weather, the Wildlife Rescue Center and NDOW partners stand ready to help recover the Coastal Bend community.

Government Affairs
During Texas State Aquarium Day at the Capitol, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Senator Adam Hinojosa, Chairman Todd Hunter, and State Representative Denise Villalobos read Aquarium resolutions, and following the resolutions, our team hosted an outdoor showcase featuring live animal encounters, allowing legislators and attendees to experience firsthand the importance of the Aquarium and Wildlife Rescue Center.

While in Washington meeting with leadership at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, we also met with the staff of Senator John Cornyn and Senate Commerce Committee staff urging congressional approval of the Sea Turtle Rescue and Recovery Act. The bill has since been approved by the Senate Commerce Committee (Chaired by Senator Ted Cruz) and is awaiting Senate and House floor approval. In addition, Congressman Cloud and his team visited the Wildlife Rescue Center to discuss the Center’s advancing initiatives.

Tourism
We are proud to share that the Texas State Aquarium was named the 3rd Best Aquarium in North America by USA Today. In 2024 our economic impact on the Coastal Bend was $174 million while supporting over 1,200 indirect local jobs. This impact translates to approximately $387 in economic activity for every resident of the Coastal Bend region in 2024.

35th Anniversary Celebration
For those of you intown, please join us on tomorrow morning, June 28, as we celebrate 35 years as the Official Aquarium of Texas! We’ll recreate the iconic human starfish from our original 1988 groundbreaking, followed by a brief ceremony and photo at 8:30 a.m. on North Beach. Bring the whole family as we honor our legacy and begin Charting New Waters for the future.