Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (the Institute) was organized pursuant to the General Nonprofit Corporation Law of the State of California. The primary purpose for which the Institute was formed is to conduct biological, environmental, and other general scientific studies, and to engage in the development of the technologies which will enhance public awareness and mankinds dedication to the public service responsibility in both the public and private sector.
- Income
- $6.4 million
- Spending
- $6.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 82%
- Reserves
- -0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 51%
- Employees
- 64
- Volunteers
- 63
- Highest pay
- $219,987, president
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 36% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1582% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 June 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 (5)
- $5.1 million spent. SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD Conducted scientific research on 25 sustainable seafood projects, feeding a hungry world and restoring depleted fish populations. Aquaculture is a practical solution to renewing regionally and economically important marine fisheries, producing domestic supplies of sustainable seafood and reducing the need for fresh water to produce terrestrial animal protein as a food source.During the previous fiscal year, we made significant progress in our white seabass fin clip feasibility program under the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP), with support from NOAAs Saltonstall-Kennedy program. Volunteer anglers and citizen scientists actively participated in collecting fin clips from white seabass they caught, utilizing kits provided by HSWRI. In addition, muscle tissue and otoliths were extracted from white seabass heads donated by anglers and commercial processors, as part of the Save Your White Seabass Head Program. These samples were sent for analysis with fin clips and muscle tissue genotyped for genetic parentage assignment by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to differentiate hatchery-raised and wild fish. Otoliths were sectioned and analyzed for age and stable isotopes by HSWRI and partner institutions, further informing the interpretation of the genetic data. These efforts, contributed valuable insights into white seabass populations, supported sustainable fisheries management, and restorative aquaculture practices.We also completed a project aimed at understanding how water temperature during early development influenced sex determination in California halibut. Using eggs from our broodstock at our Mission Bay facility, we reared juvenile halibut under controlled thermal conditions ranging from 15C to 23C using a specially designed recirculating aquaculture system. Our research demonstrated that higher temperatures resulted in a higher proportion of males, with 98.2% male at 23C, 74.5% male at 19C, and a near 1:1 sex ratio at 15C. This study provided valuable insights for optimizing sex ratios and growth in hatcheries through thermal manipulation, contributing to our future stock enhancement and aquaculture efforts. Additionally, our findings may have broader implications for understanding the impact of global warming on wild population demographics.Our team worked on several projects this past year aimed at improving the feasibility of aquaculture as a commercial industry for food production. We tested a commercial-scale self-cleaning larval rearing tank designed to enhance the production of California yellowtail and white seabass. While the self-cleaning tank did not affect growth, it improved survival for white seabass and reduced labor by fourfold compared to control tanks. Additionally, we studied nutrient transfer from broodstock diets to eggs in California yellowtail, discovering that fatty acids from both commercial pellets and cut bait were incorporated into eggs within 10 to 19 days of feeding. This knowledge will help optimize broodstock diets for better egg quality. Finally, we evaluated the impact of different diets on egg quality in yellowtail broodstock, revealing the need for further research to develop nutritionally complete feeds that can support sustainable aquaculture practices. Together, these projects highlight our efforts to advance aquaculture as a viable source of healthy seafood protein to meet the needs of a growing world population. Over the past year, we made significant strides in advancing Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems to enhance sustainability in the aquaculture industry. We developed a modular, land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Recirculating Aquaculture System (IMTRAS) that combines culture systems for California yellowtail, sea cucumbers, mussels, and macroalgae (seaweed) to optimize resource use, reduce water consumption, and lower nutrient discharge. Initial trials demonstrated encouraging growth rates for both fish and macroalgae, with a local macroalgae serving as an efficient biofilter, significantly reducing nitrogen levels in the system. In a complementary study, we evaluated macroalgae's growth and nutrient removal in effluent from white seabass raceways, confirming nearly 100% ammonia removal and high algal productivity. Future efforts will focus on refining species density ratios to maximize nutrient recycling and expand seafood production. These projects highlight our ongoing commitment to developing sustainable and restorative aquaculture practices.
- WILDLIFE POPULATIONS Conducted scientific research on 3 projects on wildlife population ecology, examining the interconnectedness of marine life and habitats. Our research focuses on wild marine animal populations, seeking to predict and prevent impacts from human disturbance, habitat loss and pollution, and climate change. In Florida, our researchers continued our long-term monitoring of dolphin populations in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), which has been essential for understanding the health and ecology of this vital estuarine system. Our systematic tracking of dolphin abundance, distribution, and health provides critical data for managing and conserving these populations, which are indicators of broader ecosystem health. Using noninvasive unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and photogrammetry, we assessed the body condition of free-swimming dolphins to improve precision in measuring their health. Our study collected morphometric data from 29 dolphins, providing insights into their body mass index and overall health condition. These findings will help guide future research and management efforts, as dolphins serve as sentinel species, offering valuable data on the health of the ecosystem and its susceptibility to environmental threats. Our long-term studies provide information needed to develop management strategies that protect the lagoons wildlife and ensure its resilience, benefiting both the community and the ecosystems that support it.As part of our ongoing research into wildlife populations, a HSWRI researcher documented an interesting wildlife interaction involving a Great Blue Heron preying on a California butterfly ray with a morphological abnormality off the coast of California. While Great Blue Herons are known to hunt batoids, this was the first recorded instance of predation on a butterfly ray. The observation provides additional insight into the heron's behavior as a nearshore predator and suggests that butterfly rays may occasionally serve as prey for these birds.With collaborators, our researchers explored how the critically endangered sand tiger shark in Delaware Bay use different food sources by studying the chemical makeup of their teeth. By analyzing zinc, carbon, and nitrogen isotopes from shark teeth collected from wild sharks, our researchers contributed to work that detected differences in the diets of sharks based on age and sex. For example, adult female sharks were found to eat prey from higher levels in the food chain compared to others. This research helps us learn more about the sharks' feeding habits, which can guide conservation efforts and improve our understanding of their ecological role.
- OCEAN HEALTH Conducted scientific research on 7 projects on ocean health, promoting a healthier planet where humans and marine life thrive together. To advance ocean health, we study ways to prevent disease transmission, promote ecosystem health and resilience, and provide rapid first response to marine life strandings and entanglements. HSWRI is responsible for stranding response and coordination for 222 km of the north and central east coast of Florida (~40% of Floridas east coast), as well as response within about 1800 km2 of estuarine waters. HSWRIs response area covers three coastal counties, including the federal lands within and surrounding the Kennedy Space Center, and HSWRI responds to more strandings than any other organization in Florida. This portion of Florida averages 67 strandings a year and is one of the most active areas for strandings in the southeastern U.S., receiving both live and dead cetaceans, including large whales, from mass strandings. HSWRI provided 24/7 first response to stranded whales and dolphins in Florida for over 50 events, including a rare beaked whale, striped dolphin, sperm whale, and killer whale, a species not observed stranded in the Southeast US in about 70 years. Response this year included 16 live-strandings, including Floridas second (and Brevard Countys first) grey seal stranding. Data collected by our team in Florida was included in a collaborative study examining the accumulation of trace elements, including essential nutrients and toxic heavy metals, in stranded toothed whales along the Florida and Georgia coasts. The entire dataset, gathered from tissue and fecal samples from 90 individuals across nine species, revealed that Risso's dolphins and short-finned pilot whales exhibited the highest concentrations of harmful metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead. The study also found increasing levels of certain elements in pygmy and dwarf sperm whales over time, signaling growing environmental exposure. This collaborative effort underscores the importance of toothed whales as indicators of ocean health and environmental contamination, with far-reaching implications for human health.Our team in Florida published a comprehensive study examining the morbidity and mortality patterns of common bottlenose dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon from 2002 to 2020. The study analyzed 392 stranded dolphins, identifying causes of death in 57% of cases. The leading causes of death were inflammatory diseases, such as pneumonia, and trauma, mostly from human-related activities like entanglement and propeller strikes. Starvation peaked during the 2013 unusual mortality event, underscoring the vulnerability of this population. This research provides essential baseline data for the conservation and management of dolphins in the region.Over the past year, we have furthered the Institutes mission by establishing key partnerships with regional leaders in restorative aquaculture in Florida. Specifically, we have developed collaborations with organizations specializing in seagrass restoration and shellfish cultivation to enhance habitat recovery efforts. These partnerships allow us to tackle challenges associated with human disturbances, habitat degradation, pollution, and the impacts of climate change. By working across sectors, we can create more sustainable marine environments, supporting biodiversity and improving ecosystem resilience.
- ANIMAL BEHAVIORConducted scientific research on 1 grant-funded animal behavior project, using sound to harmonize human and animal interaction. By understanding how marine life uses sound for communication and survival, we can reduce impacts of human-made noise, minimize entanglements, and injuries and use sound to warn marine life of hazards.This year, our team contributed to a collaborative project that presented an analysis of the acoustic repertoires of Icelandic killer whales, examining group-specific calls across five locations from 1985 to 2016. The study identified 91 distinct call categories, with some overlap in calls between regions, particularly in Vestmannaeyjar and Breiafjrur, while certain areas featured unique call categories. The occurrence of specific calls remained relatively stable over a 14-year period but varied year-to-year in correlation with the movement of individuals. The study provides a more comprehensive and updated analysis of the call type repertoire of killer whales in Iceland, expanding on the foundational work of HSWRI scientists from 1988, supporting our commitment to understand the dynamics of animal behavior and communication. The program continued testing low-cost underwater video monitoring and sound data collection systems that will be useful for monitoring the biological community and behavior of animals around human structures in the ocean, including offshore aquaculture structures. Pilot testing near our white seabass net pens in the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, CA were conducted to monitor biodiversity around the structure. This research provides insight into opportunities for low-cost monitoring in areas where wildlife potentially aggregates and interacts around human activity in the ocean. This year, we welcomed a new postdoctoral researcher to our Animal Behavior and Senses Lab, whose research continues to focus on the communication systems of toothed whales. Our team is actively leading projects investigating vocal learning in belugas and how human-made noise impacts their signature signals. In addition, our team is focusing on identifying the specific calls narwhals use to maintain contact with their social groups, with the aim of exploring how these vocalizations might be used for monitoring purposes. In addition, research is underway on mother-calf communication and vocal learning in toothed whales. This research is a critical contribution to our understanding of how these species communicate and respond to environmental changes and individual and population level interactions.
- EDUCATION AND OUTREACHConducted scientific research on 1 grant-funded education and outreach project, inspiring a love for science. We are committed to creating future citizen advocates for ocean health and marine life by advancing public appreciation for scientific discovery. HSWRI scientists work with students at all levels, committed to a K to Gray lifelong learning approach to inspiring all citizens to be ocean stewards with an appreciation for scientific discovery, targeting Title 1 schools for outreach and presentations. Seabass in the Classroom continued this year with 6 active schools across San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange counties participating in the raising and releasing of white seabass. Our new Education and Outreach Manager led efforts growing the program, by working to bring this program to Title 1 and minority-serving school districts that often lack robust STEM education programs. Further, we continued our work to inspire hands-on and experiential learning and career development opportunities, with more than 450 students visiting the Carlsbad hatchery and Mission Bay facilities for educational tours and career chats with scientists. Our Institute continues to prioritize paid internship opportunities for college-age students over the summer to provide them with invaluable hands-on experience working alongside our researchers. Student recruitment efforts placed a high emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion, striving to provide students from all backgrounds with opportunities to learn technical and analytical skills and support their professional development. The Institute pledges to provide equal opportunities for employment, volunteering, representation, and advancement in all areas of our work. This past year, we remained deeply committed to public outreach and marine conservation education, engaging over 4,800 individuals across Florida and California. Through a range of programs, including school visits, community events, and educational talks, we provided opportunities for people of all ages to learn about marine ecosystems and the importance of conservation. Our outreach efforts aim to inspire the next generation of marine scientists and foster a greater public understanding of the challenges our oceans face. These programs are a vital part of our mission to promote the sustainable use and protection of marine environments.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 June 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 December 1963.
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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