Seattle Aquarium Society-Seas
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
OUR MISSION IS INSPIRING CONSERVATION OF OUR MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
- Income
- $54.1 million
- Spending
- $34.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- -51.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 47%
- Employees
- 263
- Volunteers
- 1,092
- Highest pay
- $407,283, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 44% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 37% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 10% of charities in its peer group (animals, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2553 of 53 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $26.6 million spent. THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM IS A CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION WORKING TO REGENERATE THE HEALTH OF EARTH'S ONE OCEAN. WE ADVANCE ANIMAL WELL-BEING, MARINE AND ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE, PUBLIC POLICY, FIELD CONSERVATION, EDUCATION AND SPECIES RECOVERY THAT BENEFITS THE OCEAN AND ITS INHABITANTS. WE THOUGHTFULLY BRING THE OCEAN TO LIFE FOR THE PUBLIC WITH EXPERIENCES THAT INSPIRE AWE, EMPATHY, AND CONSERVATION ACTION. WE MANAGE FIVE FACILITIES AND WELCOMED OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE IN 2024, PLUS MANY MORE PEOPLE THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING OUTSIDE OF OUR CAMPUS. OUR WORK SUPPORTS A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR MARINE LIFE, PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O).THE AQUARIUM OPENED ON MAY 20, 1977. SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE CITY AND THE REGION, PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION. IN 2024, THE AQUARIUM'S HISTORIC OCEAN PAVILION EXPANSION OPENED, PROVIDING A PLATFORM TO TELL THE STORY OF HOW ONE OCEAN UNITES US, FROM THE SALISH SEA TO THE CORAL TRIANGLE. SEATTLE AQUARIUM BY THE NUMBERS FOR 2024:- 59,150 TICKETS FOR FREE AQUARIUM ADMISSION DISTRIBUTED- 123,000 HOURS OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY 1,092 VOLUNTEERS- 1,059 DIVER PRESENTATIONS PROVIDED TO GUESTS- 5,160 INTERPRETIVE TALKS AVAILABLE FOR GUESTS- 697 HOURS OF ENGAGING ACTIVITIES OFFERED VIA OUR "WONDER CARTS"- 24 FEDERAL LETTERS WRITTEN AND/OR SIGNED BY OUR POLICY AND ADVOCACY TEAM- 8 STATE COMMENT LETTERS/STATEMENTS WRITTEN AND/OR SIGNED BY OUR POLICY AND ADVOCACY TEAM- 20,000+ MAMMALS, FISH, INVERTEBRATES, CORALS AND PLANTS RECEIVING EXPERT CARE ACROSS OUR EXPANDED CAMPUSNOTEWORTHY PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITY FOR 2024:OCEAN PAVILION OPENS: THE AQUARIUM'S OCEAN PAVILION EXPANSION OPENED ON AUGUST 29, 2024, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF THE AQUARIUM'S CAMPUS AND BROADENING THE REACH OF OUR IMPACT. THE OCEAN PAVILION FEATURES THREE IMMERSIVE HABITATS SHOWCASING THE EXTRAORDINARY BIODIVERSITY OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE AND, ALONG WITH OUR LOCAL HABITATS AT PIERS 59 AND 60, EMPHASIZING THAT EARTH HAS ONE CONNECTED OCEAN. CURRENTLY THE OCEAN PAVILION IS HOME TO ALMOST 200 DIFFERENT SPECIES AND OVER 5,000 INDIVIDUALS. SAFE HOMES FOR A SPECIES FACING EXTINCTION: WE WORKED WITH CONSERVATION PARTNERS TO CARE FOR NINE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED BOWMOUTH GUITARFISH PUPS, TRANSFERRING EIGHT TO OTHER U.S. AQUARIUMS AND PROVIDING A HOME IN THE OCEAN PAVILION FOR ONE AS AN AMBASSADOR. THE BOWMOUTH GUITARFISH IN OUR CARE, RHINA, MOVED INTO OUR LARGEST OCEAN PAVILION HABITAT IN SEPTEMBER 2024. PARTNERING TO RECOVER ENDANGERED PINTO ABALONE: THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM'S PINTO ABALONE RECOVERY WORK EVOLVED FURTHER IN 2024. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE TOOK ON TWO NEW SITES TO OUTPLANT INDEPENDENTLY FROM OUR WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AND PUGET SOUND RESTORATION FUND PARTNERS TO EFFECTIVELY EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT OF THE RECOVERY EFFORTS. MEMBERS OF OUR ANIMAL CARE TEAM RELEASED 1,266 ABALONE THAT WERE RAISED IN OUR ANIMAL CARE CENTER, AND AN ADDITIONAL 2,224 ANIMALS WERE RELEASED AT PREVIOUSLY EXISTING SITES.PARTNERING ON THE GLOBAL STAGE TO RESTORE AN ENDANGERED SHARK SPECIES: THE STEGOSTOMA TIGRINUM AUGMENTATION AND RECOVERY (STAR) PROJECT MADE FURTHER ADVANCES IN 2024, RELEASING 18 INDO-PACIFIC LEOPARD SHARKS TO THE WILD. THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM CARES FOR INDO-PACIFIC LEOPARD SHARKS BOTH AS AMBASSADORS AND AS BREEDING COHORTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RECOVERY OF WILD POPULATIONS. THIRTY-SIX EGGS CAME THROUGH THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM EN ROUTE TO INDONESIA IN 2024 WITH PLANS TO REAR THE PUPS AND RELEASE THEM INTO PROTECTED WATERS. LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY: IN THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, OUR POLICY AND ADVOCACY TEAM SIGNED IN ON THE RECORD IN 33 HEARINGS WITH OUR SUPPORTIVE POSITION ON 18 DIFFERENT BILLS. WE WORKED WITH OUR YOUTH OCEAN ADVOCATES (HIGH SCHOOL MARINE SCIENCE VOLUNTEERS) TO PASS A BILL IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO DECLARE BULL KELP FORESTS THE OFFICIAL MARINE FOREST OF WASHINGTON, TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THEIR IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED FOR CONSERVATION. AN AQUARIUM FOR ALL: WE CONTINUED HOSTING OUR COMMUNITY DAYS SERIES, CELEBRATING DIVERSE CULTURES AND ENGAGING THOUSANDS OF GUESTS. EVENTS INCLUDED ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY DAY, VAMOS AL ACUARIO!, QUEER COMMUNITY DAY, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES COMMUNITY DAY, AND EID CELEBRATIONS.CORAL CONSERVATION CONTEST: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR CORAL CONSERVATION CONTEST. OVER 300 STUDENTS CONTRIBUTED CREATIVE PROJECTS THAT REACHED OVER 8,000 PEOPLE.BEACH NATURALIST AND CEDAR RIVER SALMON JOURNEY PROGRAMS: OUR BEACH NATURALISTS ENGAGED PEOPLE AT 11 LOCAL BEACHES ON 22 LOW-TIDE DAYS FROM JUNE THROUGH EARLY AUGUST AND ON TWO EVENING BEACH EXPLORATIONS DURING WINTER MONTHS IN 2024. OUR CEDAR RIVER SALMON JOURNEY NATURALISTS ENGAGED VISITORS AT BALLARD LOCKS AND AT SALMON VIEWING STATIONS ALONG THE CEDAR RIVER.SUMMER CAMP AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS: OUR MARINE SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM HAD 316 PARTICIPANTS, AND ON-SITE SCHOOL PROGRAMS HOSTED 28,741 STUDENTS AND CHAPERONES, APPROXIMATELY HALF THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS.CONSERVATION RESEARCH: WE COMPLETED OUR 25TH YEAR OF SEA OTTER CONSERVATION RESEARCH, INCLUDING OUR 15TH YEAR OF SEA OTTER FORAGING RESEARCH. WE ALSO COMPLETED OUR 20TH YEAR OF ROCKY REEF RESEARCH IN THE SALISH SEA, CONDUCTING 16 DIVE SURVEYS ACROSS 12 SITES. OUR URBAN KELP RESEARCH PROJECT WITH THE PORT OF SEATTLE CONTINUED, ALONG WITH ANOTHER PROJECT THAT ALSO USES REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH AND POPULATION STATUS OF KELP, INVERTEBRATES, AND FISHES IN COASTAL WASHINGTON. WE ALSO COMPLETED OUR 16TH YEAR OF HAWAII REEF RESEARCH OFF THE WEST COAST OF THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII, CONDUCTING SURVEYS ACROSS EIGHT SITES.WE HOSTED THE 20TH YEAR OF THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC SHARK SYMPOSIUM (NEPSS) WITH OVER 60 TALKS IN THREE DAYS AND OVER 100 PARTICIPANTS FROM CANADA, THE U.S. AND MEXICO. THIS IS THE LARGEST SHARK RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION MEETING HELD REGULARLY IN THE WEST COAST OF THE AMERICAS. LIGHTNING TALKS EVENTS: FOUR VIRTUAL LIGHTNING TALKS EVENTS ATTRAC
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1983.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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