A senate RESOLUTION

 

TO congratulate the South Carolina Aquarium upon the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary and to RECOGNIZE May 19, 2025, AS "South Carolina Aquarium Day" IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium opened to the public on May 19, 2000, to serve all South Carolina residents as a vital resource for statewide STEM education, environmental stewardship, conservation, and recreation; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium inspires conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, excelling in education and research, and providing an exceptional visitor experience; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium is home to more than five thousand animals, all native to South Carolina, and offers a state-of-the-art environmental learning center that encompasses the entire spectrum of the Southeast Appalachian Watershed found in South Carolina, which includes the mountains, the Piedmont, the coastal plain, the coast, and the ocean; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium is one of the State's most popular attractions, welcoming more than five hundred thousand visitors each year from all fifty states and numerous countries around the globe. It stands firm as an anchor in the State's economy, with an estimated annual impact of over four hundred million dollars; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium provides an experiential and novel combination of formal and informal STEM programming to create lasting positive impacts for students and teachers, propel students into higher STEM education, and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals by serving millions of students through its school programs, educational outreach, virtual programs, and the High School Intern Program; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium Plastic-Free Waters, a program rooted in citizen science, is a statewide leader in reducing plastic pollution and marine debris through the volunteer contributions of thousands. The program has resulted in the removal and documentation of more than three million pieces of debris to date; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium Resilience Initiative for Community Engagement (RICE) is deployed to safeguard disproportionately vulnerable communities from flooding and sea level rise and to mitigate harm through education, collaboration, and community engagement; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center is a global leader in sea turtle conservation, rehabilitating and releasing more than four hundred sea turtles since opening. The center promotes an understanding of these keystone marine species through public education and innovative engagement within the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery exhibit, ensuring their survival for future generations; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Aquarium invites all residents of South Carolina to join in the celebration of South Carolina Aquarium Day, recognizing the importance of our State's natural resources and the need for continued conservation efforts to protect them.  Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, congratulate the South Carolina Aquarium upon the occasion of its twenty-fifth anniversary and recognize May 19, 2025, as "South Carolina Aquarium Day" in South Carolina.

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