Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mystic Aquarium topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mystic Aquarium asks legislature to increase line item to support animal rescue, education and facility upgrades
Summary
Mystic Aquarium and volunteers told the Appropriations Subcommittee the aquarium's rescue program and education outreach serve hundreds of thousands annually and asked the committee to raise its line item to $800,000 to sustain rescue response, research, free admission programs and campus energy upgrades.
Mystic Aquarium staff, volunteers and supporters testified to the Appropriations subcommittee about the animal rescue program’s scope, the aquarium’s education reach and the need for a larger state appropriation to maintain operations and expand conservation work.
Volunteers and staff described daily rescue operations: the aquarium’s animal rescue hotline, first‑responder network and rehabilitation efforts keep marine mammals and sea turtles under care or observation; speakers said the rescue program responded to 244 marine mammal cases and 25 sea turtle cases in 2024, and that running the rescue work costs nearly $1 million annually. Several witnesses asked that the aquarium’s line item be increased to $800,000 to support animal rescue, STEM and environmental education, campus energy efficiency upgrades and animal care infrastructure.
Why it matters: Supporters said Mystic Aquarium is a major cultural attraction that draws out‑of‑state visitors, provides free entry to EBT cardholders, and runs education programs that serve Connecticut students; they argued state funding leverages private donations and additional grant money.
On the record - Kristen Bach, a long‑time volunteer, described routine rescue tasks and the growth of the program over 20 years and asked the committee to maintain or increase funding. She said volunteers and staff prepare food and medications, support veterinary treatments, monitor animals in the field and coordinate large necropsies. - Mystic staff said the aquarium serves roughly 800,000 visitors annually and that about 55–60% of those visitors come from out of state.
Request and next steps - The aquarium asked the legislature to increase its line‑item appropriation to $800,000; testimony said the summit of that funding would expand rescue capacity, education programs and energy‑efficiency upgrades to reduce operating costs over time.
Ending: Speakers framed the appropriation as an investment in conservation, tourism and education and asked the committee to include the increase in the final biennial budget.
