Because Together, We Can Make The World A Better Place

Georgia Aquarium is a scientific institution that entertains and educates, features exhibits and programs of the highest standards, and offers engaging and exciting guest experiences that promote the conservation of aquatic biodiversity throughout the world. As a leader in aquatic research and exceptional animal care, we are dedicated to fostering a deeper appreciation for our ocean and the animals that call it home.

Alongside other accredited facilities, our team conducts crucial research by working with animals both in human care and in their natural habitats to improve husbandry methods, develop innovative and exciting new exhibits, contribute to the understanding of the underwater world and apply new discoveries to the conservation of aquatic life. Every day, researchers in the Aquarium’s exhibits and labs are learning more about marine life in order to develop new methods of animal care and veterinary medicine. By combining field research with the study of on-site animals in a controlled environment, the Aquarium is contributing to the advancement of human knowledge in the area of animal science.

Research and Conservation Overview 3

Species We Focus On

  • Whale Sharks

    Having whale sharks in an aquarium setting is a unique research opportunity.

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  • Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

    Dolphins in the ocean are trying to tell us something.

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  • African Penguins

    African penguin population numbers have dropped 60% in the last 30 years.

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  • Manta Rays

    Georgia Aquarium remains the only aquarium in the United States to exhibit manta rays.

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  • Coral

    Aquarium staff have dedicated thousands of field and laboratory hours to help corals.

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  • Beluga Whales

    We're committed to working with beluga whales both in our care and in their natural habitats.

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  • Sea Lions

    The Aquarium is dedicated to the preservation of this species and its natural habitat.

    Sea Lions
  • Spotted Eagle Rays

    Georgia Aquarium staff will study these poorly understood but beautiful creatures.

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Every Guest Makes a Difference

$1 of every guest ticket goes toward our research and conservation efforts. Visit today and support the preservation of our ocean and aquatic animals worldwide.

Aquarium Initiatives

One Ocean One Health

Caring for our World

One Ocean One Health

Caring for our World

One Ocean One Health

In 2013, Georgia Aquarium announced a new initiative for the Aquarium’s future research and conservation goals: One Ocean, One Health.

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Eat for the Future

Seafood Savvy

Eat for the Future

Seafood Savvy

As our ocean’s fish populations decline, making sustainable seafood choices is an easy way to help maintain healthy fish populations and protect ocean ecosystems. It’s easy to make sustainable seafood choices — if you know how and what to look for.

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When Help Is Needed

Marine Life Rescue & Rehabilitation

When Help Is Needed

Marine Life Rescue & Rehabilitation

As part of Georgia Aquarium’s mission to rescue and rehabilitate marine life, we have been able to assist in the treatment of stranded sea lion pups along the coast of California. The Aquarium is also committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded Southern sea otter pups off the coasts of California and Alaska.

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Health is a must

Marine Life Veterinary Research

Health is a must

Marine Life Veterinary Research

A major goal of Georgia Aquarium is to be the leading facility for aquatic animal conservation and research. Our state-of-the-art animal health facility, research and conservation activities, and the partnership with the University of Georgia Veterinary School are part of the programs hosted through The Correll Center for Aquatic Animal Health.

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Class R Research Facility

Georgia Aquarium is now licensed as a Class R research facility under the Animal Welfare Act.  This license is the highest standard of establishing ethical review of animal research for advanced scientific understanding.

This license gives the Aquarium the ability to consider research with the animals within its collection beyond routine animal care procedures. All Georgia Aquarium animal research, whether inside the Aquarium or in the field, must follow the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) process to evaluate the project and its ethics. The IACUC process is
regulated by the Animal Welfare Act under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Institutions with this distinction are closely monitored and have extensive compliance obligations to keep the license.

“The achievement of becoming a Class R Research facility makes Georgia Aquarium a more capable and adaptive institution where animal care and research can be even more aligned. Although, with this new license we will continue our track record of performing minimally invasive research,” said Dr. Alistair Dove, vice president of science and education. “It also
allows us to be more involved in research with other Class R partners. This opens up more collaboration possibilities, better integrating us into the scientific community.”

The Aquarium is one of just five aquariums to hold the Class R license.

Research and Conservation Overview

Help Us Do an Ocean of Good

From programming for students attending Title I schools and therapy for injured veterans to groundbreaking research and conservation efforts, there are more than a million reasons to support Georgia Aquarium’s Annual Fund.

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