Bay Ecotarium

The BayEcotarium, (or Bay.org) is a merger between The Bay Institute (established 1984) and the Aquarium of the Bay (established 1996) in 2009. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, USA, the BayEcotarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting, restoring and inspiring conservation of the San Francisco Bay, from the Sierra to the sea.

Formerly known as bay.org, the BayEcotarium is an amalgam of seven unique institutions located throughout the Bay area. These six institutions—the Aquarium of the Bay, the Sea Lion Center, the Bay Institute, Studio Aqua, the Bay Model Alliance and the Bay Academy—all focus on different aspects of San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta conservation.

Led by President and CEO George Jacob, the BayEcotarium is committed to conservation education and provides free field trips to over 75,000 Bay Area students every year. These excursions are designed to teach students and teachers about the San Francisco Bay, its ecosystems, and its environmental challenges. The BayEcotarium uses classroom education, community outreach and live animal exhibitry to interpret topics like sustainable seafood, protecting marine areas, plastic pollution, climate change, and watershed health.