Prince William Sound Science & Technology Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The Prince William Sound Science and Technology Institute (d.b.a. Prince William Sound Science Center) (the Center) was formed in 1989 as an Alaska not-for-profit scientific research and education corporation to contribute to the comprehensive description, sustained monitoring, and ecological understanding of Prince William Sound, the Copper River, and Gulf of Alaska. Establishment of the Center followed the Exxon Valdez oil spill, although planning of this institution preceded that event. The underlying philosophy of the Center is to serve as a model for long-term ecosystem management.
- Income
- $6.9 million
- Spending
- $7.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 5.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 80%
- Employees
- 47
- Volunteers
- 32
- Highest pay
- $185,928, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 74 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 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
10 of 10Gave 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 September 30, 2025, 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 (4)
- $3.5 million spent. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Programs:Gulf Watch AlaskaThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC) is supporting a long-term monitoring program in the Gulf of Alaska region affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The monitoring program, called Gulf Watch Alaska, involves more than 25 scientists from multiple agencies, universities, and non-profits and seeks to provide data to identify and help understand the impacts of multiple ecosystem factors on the recovery of injured resources. This program is expected to be 20 years in length but is planned and funded in five-year increments. It builds a legacy of restoration research and monitoring by the EVOSTC and federal and state agencies dating back to 1989. The program includes sites in Prince William Sound, lower Cook Inlet, the Gulf of Alaska, and the outer Kenai Peninsula coast. This year has an overlap between two five-year segments. Mariculture ReCon The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council (EVOSTC) is supporting a mariculture research program. The overall objective of the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium (Mariculture ReCon) is to support resporation, habitat enhancement, and economic development through research and partnerships between scientists and seaweed and shellfish farmers. This suite of applied research components takes a farm-centered approach to address EVOSTC restoration, economic development, outreach, administration, and data management interests that overlap top priorities identified by stakeholders and the Alaska Mariculture Development Plan Developed by the Governors Mariculture Task Force. Results will inform shellfish and seaweed production with farmers as full participants in the research.
- $1.1 million spent. Government Programs:EVOSTC New FacilitiesThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council is supporting the development of new facilities for the Prince William Sound Science Center. The new facilities include warehouse, office, and research and education spaces. Over $23 million has been pledged to cover costs associated with the new campus. The funds are being administered by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. CORaL NetworkThe Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council is supporting an education and outreach program titled, Community Organized Restoration and Learning [CORaL] Network. The purpose is to create and maintain an ongoing framework that builds the capacity of existing resources withing the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill impacted region to ensure that current scientific information, skills, and activities are publicly accessible and serve ongoing needs as identified by local communities. These funds are being administered by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.BSEE Herder/BurnerThis is a Joint Industry Program that uses funding from OSRI, ExxonMobil, Shell, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and Clean Caribbean Americas for the development of new oil spill response technology. A remotely operated surface vessel is being developed that can apply chemical herders and ignite herded slicks for in-situ burns. The system will carry remote sensing capabilities and can be controlled locally or through a satellite link.AOOS - Alaska Ocean Observing SystemThis project, funded by NOAA via the Alaska Ocean Observing System, continues implementation of the Prince William Sound (PWS) Observing System (PWSOS). The PWSOS collects ocean, atmospheric and biological observations for use by stakeholders. PWSOS supported tracking of marine organisms using the passive acoustic Ocean Tracking Network, salinity measurements at the Cordova tide station, and the maintenance of the SNOTEL meteorological stations. AOOS Intuitive model-driven particle tracking toolsA team of researchers is developing a particle tracking tool that can be overlayed on oceanographic circulation models to allow users to visualize trajectories of drifters, disabled ships, oil spills, and larvae. The focus is connecting the tools to the Cook Inlet Operational Forecast System model used by NOAA.AKSSF Run timing, spawning distribution, and survival of Copper River sockeyeThe Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund provided support to radio tag sockeye salmon traveling up the Copper River. The tags were detected at towers along the river and using aerial surveys. The aerial surveys allowed the determination of the final spawning grounds based on the time the fish entered the system and were tagged.NPRB - Automation of Sockeye Salmon Scale EstimationThis project examines the ability of using machine vision and deep learning to automate the reading of Sockeye Salmon scales to determine their age. Automation has the potential to improve management of salmon fisheries. Precise age information is critical to the evaluation of escapement goals, the generation of pre-season forecasts, and the long-term monitoring of population structure.NPRB Seabird use of spatially-predictable tidal ripsThis project adds a bird and mammal component to a physical oceanography project that is separately sponsored by BOEM. The purpose is to discover if birds and mammals are preferentially using tide rips in Cook Inlet. By understanding how birds and mammals use oceanographic features we can better predict potential impacts of oil spills.NOAA Climate adaptation and resilienceThis project addresses the critical need for fishing communities in the Gulf of Alaska to formalize fisheries resilience strategies in adaptation plans, focusing on three of the most highly dependent and divers fishing communities in the region Cordova, Kodiak, and Sitka. The project will advance integrated scientific research and build partnerships between scientists, fishermen, Tribes, and Tribal citizens to enhance local planning capacity and responsiveness to climate change.BOEM Cook Inlet Physical OceanographyWith support from the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management this project is pulling together the existing data from Cook Inlet, modeling factors that affect circulation, and make field measurements as needed to fill gaps identified in the analysis of the existing data.NPS Examining the health metrics of sockeye salmonThis project supports a UAF led project. It collects tissue samples and energetics estimates from Copper River sockeye salmon. In collaboration with UAF it helps to analyze the data and supports energetic modeling efforts.USFWS Aleutian TernThe Aleutian Tern Technical Committee working group is undertaking a project to determine the current distribution and abundance of Aleutian terns at a statewide scale. This project uses aerial surveys to identify current breeding colonies, and on-the-ground access to estimate tern abundance.PSMFC Empowering coastal Alaska by building local capacity for kelp farmingThis project strives to increase seaweed mariculture success by addressing market development, science-backed information on best practices, and local capacity in collaboration with local mariculture farms and biologists. There is a focus on best practices for collecting and growth of seed stock.EDA Seaweed nursery expansionThis program provides equipment needed to allow PWSSC serve as a nursery facility for local seaweed mariculture operations.EPA Drying SeaweedThis program provided funding to support a proof of concept project to dry seaweed using waste heat. The project would also build community resilience for food security and economic diversity in PWS, AK.NPRB Zooplankton WorkshopFunding to support travel, facility costs, and other meeting costs associated with the Zooplankton Workshop. SEC/AMC - Kelp Seed This project will be conducted in Cordova and Kodiak and provide a comparison of the genetic diversity of bull kelp populations in
- $917,701 spent. Oil Spill Recovery Institute Programs:Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI)This program funds the administration and awards of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute, a federally established program to support research, education, and demonstration projects designed to respond to and understand the effects of oil spills in Arctic and sub-Arctic marine environments. Initiated in 1997, funding is provided directly from the interest earnings on a $35.3 million principal allocationadministered by the U.S. Coast Guard (from the National Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund). The Institute is governed by an Advisory Board which includes representatives from Federal and State agencies, Alaska Native and PWS communities, and industry representatives appointed by the Governor of Alaska. The Advisory Board Chair is a U.S. Department of Commerce representative.PWSSC OSRI Program ManagerThe OSRI Program Manager supports OSRI by identifying research needs, working with the Work Plan Committee to develop annual work plans, and track progress on contracts. The Program Manager also interfaces with other research efforts to share the information learned by OSRI.PWSSC H2O Headwaters to Ocean Program & Education ProgramThe H2O Headwaters to Ocean Program is the umbrella under which all our education and outreach efforts occur. This program has four primary components this year: (1) the Discovery Room, a program which supplements elementary school science education; (2) Secondary School Outreach, programming designed to keep older students engaged in marine science-centric activities that promote critical thinking, problem solving and ecological literacy; (3) Outreach Discovery to support delivery of STEM education programming to audiences outside of Cordova; (4) Mini Discovery, such as Seq Squirts and Little Dippers, are designed to engage youth who are not yet school age in hands-on activities. Headwaters to Ocean is funded in large part by OSRI. Other funding comes from ConocoPhillips Alaska, Saltchuk, Boeing, iindividual and small business donations, foundations, and program fees.PWSSC Herder/BurnerThis is a Joint Industry Program that uses funding from OSRI, ExxonMobil, Shell, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, North Caspian Operation Company, and Clean Caribbean Americas for the development of new oil spill response technology. A remotely operated surface vessel is being developed that can apply chemical herders and ignite herded slicks for in-situ burns. The system will carry remote sensing capabilities and can be controlled locally or through a satellite link.
- $546,553 spent. Other Programs: CommunicationsPWSSC maintains a communications program to outreach the research and education efforts and maintain awareness of our activities to our members. This program is responsible for maintaining our website, producing the Delta-Sound Connections paper, and the Breakwater newsletter among other things. Lectures on the area and the Science Center activities are provided to cruise patrons and other interested parties.Hydroponic FarmPWSSC was able to purchase an established hydroponic farming facility to develop a capacity for providing greater regional resilience through food security of items normally shipped into the community.PWSRCAC Marine BirdsPrince William Sound Regional Citizens Advisory Council funded PWSSC for winter surveys of marine birds in Prince William Sound. The funding allows for winter marine bird surveys along the tanker lanes to identify their presence outside of the summer season when most surveys occur.PWSRCAC Weather BuoyThe Prince William Sound Citizens Advisory Council funded PWSSC to assemble and deploy two weather buoys in the Port of Valdez. These buoys provide weather information necessary to understand potential oil spill trajectories.U-Mass Avian FluSamples are being collected for the University of Massachusetts to detect if avian flu is present in the Cordova area.NMSU Autoanalyzer Sale of surplus equipment parts. Lynker NOAA BuoyFunding to cover costs associated with the recovery of buoys from Cape Hinchinbrook and Montague Straight. NSB Chum SalmonService contract for costs associated with the collection of chum salmon otoliths from two regions within the Prince William Sound on behalf of North Slope Borough. PEW/ESSA KelpFunding to lead research, engagement, and written contributions with respect to the Alaskan seaweed aquaculture sector.Chinook SalmonSalmon field and lab studies related to the Long Lake Weir operations and the sockeye nursery lake. Other Grants / ContractsMiscellaneous PWSSC projects noted in the audit schedules. Funding from PWSSC enterprise Dept. for the R/V New Wave and diving activities, along with miscellaneous funding for project research and education activities.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.
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