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Birch Aquarium at Scripps welcomes more than 400,000 visitors each year.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums Renews Birch Aquarium
Accreditation
Designation maintains national recognition of
aquarium's ever-rising
standards Scripps Institution of
Oceanography/University of California, San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego,
continues to remain one of the nation s top aquariums.
In March, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) renewed the
aquarium s accreditation. To remain accredited, Birch Aquarium at
Scripps underwent a thorough investigation that ensured it has and will
continue to meet ever-rising standards in areas such as animal care,
veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. AZA requires
zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation
process every five years in order to be members of the association.
Birch Aquarium at Scripps has been awarded AZA
accreditation because of its high standards in every aspect of its
operations, said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. San
Diego should be proud to have one of the top aquariums in North America
as a valuable community asset and economic engine.
  The mission of the AZA Accreditation Commission is to establish, uphold,
and raise the highest zoological and aquarium industry standards through
self-evaluation, on-site inspection, and peer review.� The
accreditation process includes a detailed application, a meticulous
on-site inspection by a team of trained zoo and aquarium professionals,
and interviews of top officials at a formal commission hearing.
Outreach is a crucial part of Scripps Oceanography s
mission, and Birch Aquarium serves as a window into the institution as
well as the ocean and environment, said Nigella Hillgarth,
Scripps assistant director for outreach and Birch Aquarium executive
director. I congratulate our dedicated staff for continually
exceeding AZA s standards of excellence.
Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Birch Aquarium
features more than 60 habitats of fish and invertebrates from the cold
waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the
Caribbean. An interactive museum showcases research discoveries by
Scripps scientists on climate, earth, and ocean science. Birch Aquarium
welcomes an annual attendance of more than 400,000, including 45,000
school children. The aquarium s mission is to provide ocean
science education, to interpret Scripps research, and to promote ocean
conservation.
� Jessica Crawford
April 6, 2009
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