ExxonMobil Foundation Announces $2 Million Gift to Texas State Aquarium Wildlife Rescue Center

September 20, 2019

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – ExxonMobil Foundation announced today a gift of $2 million to the Texas State Aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Center, which will be constructed on the Aquarium’s main campus in Corpus Christi.

This generous donation highlights ExxonMobil’s continuing support of environmental education programs and its efforts to protect wildlife. This planned state-of-the-art Wildlife Rescue Center, which the Aquarium announced in March 2019, will modernize and expand the scale of the Aquarium’s current wildlife rescue program and provide additional support for rescue and recovery, as well as conservation and research.

ExxonMobil is a joint venture partner and operator for Gulf Coast Growth Ventures. For nearly three decades, ExxonMobil has been a supporter of the Aquarium’s mission, including providing an original gift to build the first Aquarium building and continuously supporting the Aquarium’s environmental education programs and community events.

Today, the Texas State Aquarium has grown to be the largest facility of its kind in Texas and operates an award-winning Center for Excellence in STEM Education as well as one the state’s most successful wildlife rehabilitation centers. The Texas State Aquarium Wildlife Rescue Center is one of the nation’s few facilities that is permitted to simultaneously rehabilitate marine mammals, sea turtles, shorebirds and birds of prey. The center is permitted through Texas Parks & Wildlife and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and its staff are federal trained and work closely with local industries to remain prepared for any type of emergency response. In recent years, the Wildlife Rescue Center has rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 300 animals annually.

Aquarium representatives credit the rapid growth and expansion of their Wildlife Rescue program to the steady support of partners like ExxonMobil.

“Since their first gift over 30 years ago to help construct the first phase of the Texas State Aquarium, ExxonMobil has been a steadfast supporter of our environmental education and wildlife rehabilitation programs,” said Tom Schmid, President & CEO of the Texas State Aquarium. “The focus of the ExxonMobil Foundation’s efforts in education and the environment, including biodiversity and wildlife conservation, are in perfect alignment with our mission. We are grateful for this major gift.”

“ExxonMobil has long supported environmental education programs and efforts to protect wildlife. In working closely with local communities, alongside experts in environmental science and conservation, we can help ensure that indigenous species and their habitats are protected and can thrive,” said Kevin Murphy, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation.

ExxonMobil’s gift will allow the Aquarium to take a major leap forward in the fundraising and construction of the new Wildlife Rescue Center, which they plan to open in early 2022. With the addition of the new facility, the Aquarium and ExxonMobil hope to rescue, rehabilitate and release countless more wildlife, which will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystem. The new Wildlife Rescue Center will also allow more guests to see the Aquarium’s rescue efforts firsthand, inspiring a new generation of scientists, conservationists, and STEM professionals to care for our natural resources and make a difference in the world.