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Nonprofiteer
← CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM INC

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by CLEARWATER MARINE AQUARIUM INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$22,862,676
Total expenses
$25,250,419
Contributions and grants received
$8,800,195
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$10,881,779
Investment income
$282,152
Other revenue
$2,898,550
Total assets, end of year
$102,243,121
Total liabilities, end of year
$27,851,978
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$74,391,143
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$18,970,657
Management and general expenses
$5,389,542
Fundraising expenses
$890,220
Program service expenses (Part III)
$18,970,657

Program services were 75.1% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1b · Membership dues

    $370,561

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $6,598,622

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $1,831,012

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $56,385

  • 2a · Program service revenue: Guest Admissions

    total $8,571,595 · related or exempt $8,571,595

  • 2b · Program service revenue: Marine Life Income

    total $1,372,854 · related or exempt $1,372,854

  • 2c · Program service revenue: Education Income

    total $937,330 · related or exempt $937,330

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $288,880 · excluded $288,880

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $1,462,429

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $1,469,157

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities -$6,728

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total -$6,728 · excluded -$6,728

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $561,133

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $291,916

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $269,217 · excluded $269,217

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $1,003,433

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $136,602

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $866,831 · excluded $866,831

  • 11a · Other revenue: Other Program Income

    total $1,502,079 · related or exempt $1,502,079

  • 11b · Other revenue: Food Service Shop Income

    total $260,423 · related or exempt $260,423

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $1,762,502

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $2,011,297 · program services $1,116,270 · management and general $788,428 · fundraising $106,599

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $6,666,121 · program services $3,699,697 · management and general $2,613,120 · fundraising $353,304

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $231,744 · program services $128,618 · management and general $90,844 · fundraising $12,282

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $1,281,841 · program services $711,421 · management and general $502,482 · fundraising $67,938

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $622,231 · program services $364,627 · management and general $223,381 · fundraising $34,223

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $64,871 · program services $30,425 · management and general $21,018 · fundraising $13,428

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $93,700 · program services $20,520 · management and general $53,784 · fundraising $19,396

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $2,006,253 · program services $1,402,515 · management and general $515,278 · fundraising $88,460

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $1,283,974 · program services $1,278,838 · fundraising $5,136

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $14,079 · program services $12,467 · management and general $1,408 · fundraising $204

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $555,046 · program services $552,826 · fundraising $2,220

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $94,318 · program services $94,318

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $1,081,384 · program services $1,016,353 · management and general $61,707 · fundraising $3,324

  • 17 · Travel

    total $227,691 · program services $197,864 · management and general $22,769 · fundraising $7,058

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $167,641 · program services $93,041 · management and general $65,715 · fundraising $8,885

  • 20 · Interest

    total $1,638,864 · program services $1,589,698 · management and general $49,166

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $3,500,501 · program services $3,395,486 · management and general $105,015

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $880,619 · program services $874,014 · management and general $6,605

  • 24a · Other expenses: Supplies

    total $1,122,893 · program services $781,534 · management and general $188,646 · fundraising $152,713

  • 24b · Other expenses: Repairs and Maintenance

    total $1,005,575 · program services $972,894 · management and general $22,625 · fundraising $10,056

  • 24c · Other expenses: Merchant Processing Fee

    total $335,154 · program services $335,154

  • 24d · Other expenses: Miscellaneous

    total $322,024 · program services $263,739 · management and general $53,547 · fundraising $4,738

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $42,598 · program services $38,338 · management and general $4,004 · fundraising $256

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $1,597,516 · end of year $341,654

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $4,426,583 · end of year $3,318,420

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $1,639,065 · end of year $586,050

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $611,827 · end of year $784,617

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $361,929 · end of year $243,321

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $650,983 · end of year $349,005

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $114,327,362

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $21,028,234

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $90,809,416 · end of year $93,299,128

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $151,431

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $8,618,702 · end of year $3,320,926

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $3,701,879 · end of year $4,999,930

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $953,639 · end of year $1,001,387

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $22,683,599 · end of year $21,850,661

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $77,776,031 · end of year $70,715,018

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,752,304 · end of year $3,676,125

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

We believe in preserving our environnment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life, environmental education, research and conservation.

Activities or mission (Part I)

Rescue, rehab, release of marine life, environmental education, inspiration, research & conservation.

  • Education:In FY 2024, Education Department hosted the Creepy Sea Cavern event as well as the Blizzard Bay event where we opened the Education floor to the public. The Education team taught guests about creepy sea creatures in the depths of the oceans or arctic animals and connected them back with our resident animals at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.For the summer of 2024, the department educated over 1,300 summer campers on marine conservation and stewardship in the R.O. Jacobson Education Center. The summer campers receive a hands-on, educational summer camp experience with lessons covering marine life and conservation. Students are then able to make real-world connections with the environment through offsite field trips, kayaking, and snorkeling adventures.For 2024, nearly 10,000 students and guests participated in educational programming onsite including new programming; such as, Junior Career Quest and Night at the Aquarium. In addition, the Aquarium continued to provide programming to long-standing program partners specializing in travel education.For the 11th year in a row, the "Trash to Toys" contest was conducted to celebrate Earth Day. Local Pinellas and Hillsborough County schools are invited to use trash found in their classroom to create an environmental enrichment device or toy for our resident dolphins. The winning class receives a virtual field trip for their classroom by a Clearwater Marine Aquarium educator.The education continued outside our four walls and into the community. The Education Department attended several events and festivals during 2024. Our educators also participated in the Great American Teach-In where we visited over 24 classrooms and engaged with over 1,300 students. In addition, over 27,000 guests were educated on the Aquarium's Eco-boat tours that discuss the marine environment in Clearwater Bay.

    Expenses $860,991 · Revenue $1,525,547

  • Zoological Care:Clearwater Marine Aquarium's Zoological Care team had a landmark year focused on advancing animal welfare, expanding rehabilitation programs, and engaging the community through meaningful education and conservation initiatives.Animal Care specialists provided exceptional care across the collection, including developing a long-term treatment plan for Walle, a 13-year-old river otter facing mobility challenges, and successfully integrating Opie, a rescued otter, into Otter Oasis alongside Boomer and Walle. The team achieved annual revenue goals early through expanded guest programs such as Paint with a Dolphin and pelican encounters, pairing hands-on experiences with conservation messaging. Animal Care also advanced research initiatives in partnership with the National Marine Mammal Foundation to implement computerized cognitive enrichment for rough-toothed dolphins, aiming to improve welfare and contribute to marine mammal science.Rescue operations were a core focus, with CMA coordinating eight manatee rescues, transports, and releases, supporting stranding responses, and participating in a sperm whale necropsy. The Rescue team also advanced professional readiness through collaborations in Belize, Myakka State Park, and with Bishop Museum, while securing critical funding requests under the RESTORE Act and Prescott grants to sustain operations and upgrade rehabilitation infrastructure.The Manatee Rehabilitation Program reached a historic milestone with the opening of CMA's new rehabilitation center. The arrival of juvenile patients Yeti and Zamboni marked CMA's first active role in second-stage care, supported by a dedicated new Manatee Rehabilitation Manager, Tanya Ward. These achievements positioned CMA as a model facility for the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and strengthened collaboration with USFWS and Zoo Tampa.The Aquatic Biology team enhanced guest engagement with innovative programs such as "Tortoise Treat Time and "Big Mouths, Little Appetites," while planning new conservation-focused exhibits including Project Piaba and an Atlantic octopus display. The year also tested CMA's preparedness through two major hurricanes. Guided by CMA's robust weather policy and dedicated ride-out team, all animals remained safe despite significant infrastructure impacts. Lessons learned are now shaping enhanced storm preparedness strategies.Finally, the team introduced the "Florida - Wild and Exotic" exhibit, featuring native and invasive species with ambassador animal programming, while continuing to advance a NOAA import permit for dolphins and sea lions to strengthen global animal welfare collaboration.Through rescue, rehabilitation, education, research, and conservation, the Zoological Care team reinforced CMA's mission to preserve the environment and inspire the human spirit while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.

    Expenses $1,378,694 · Revenue $615,833

  • Animal Health:For fiscal year 2024, the animal health team released 39 sea turtles along with 392 sea turtle hatchlings, which included our very first leatherback hatchlings. In the fall, the hospital was significantly affected from Hurricane Helene which caused over almost four feet of water affecting the surgical suite, medical laboratory and rehabilitation pools. With the damage, the rehabilitation area closed temporarily for six weeks. Despite the challenges during the recovery, the veterinary team was able to continue to provide care for the 1100+ resident animals at CMA.

    Expenses $1,090,206 · Revenue $140,351

  • Expenses $15,640,766

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • John Draheim

    Past Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Eric Busch

    Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Thomas R Orr

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Frank Chivas

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Rowland Milam

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • R Nathan Hightower

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Colin Devine

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Brian Stamey

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Kathleen Perrott

    Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Bridget Starr

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Marian Goodman

    Treasurer

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Matt Novak

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Helen Barrott

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Matt Marquardt

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Michael Gerson

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • Katie Powell

    Director

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

  • James Powell

    CZO

    Total calculated
    $229,501
    From this org
    $201,726
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,775
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $201,726
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $27,775
    Filer's total
    $229,501

  • Kelly Jordan

    VP, Development

    Total calculated
    $153,384
    From this org
    $153,384
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $153,384
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $153,384

  • Joe Handy

    President & CEO

    Total calculated
    $585,707
    From this org
    $536,024
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $49,683
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $466,024
    Bonus
    $70,000
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $49,683
    Filer's total
    $585,707

  • Anthony Rivera

    COO

    Total calculated
    $237,189
    From this org
    $222,416
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $14,773
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $222,416
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $0
    Nontaxable benefits
    $14,773
    Filer's total
    $237,189

  • Dorothy Gurdak

    VP, Sales & Marketing

    Total calculated
    $129,917
    From this org
    $129,917
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    40

  • Stephanie Jones

    VP, People & Culture

    Total calculated
    $136,890
    From this org
    $130,390
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,500
    Hours/week
    40

  • Shelly Marquardt

    VP, Animal & Environmental Health

    Total calculated
    $147,648
    From this org
    $128,223
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,425
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kelly Martin

    VP, Zoological Care

    Total calculated
    $129,287
    From this org
    $121,487
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,800
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kelly McAdams

    VP, Conservation Education

    Total calculated
    $137,270
    From this org
    $126,845
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,425
    Hours/week
    40

  • Kathleen Mendoza

    VP, Finance

    Total calculated
    $138,869
    From this org
    $131,279
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $7,590
    Hours/week
    40

  • Ruth Rosario

    VP, Guest Experience & Engagement

    Total calculated
    $136,081
    From this org
    $129,606
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $6,475
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 1a · Tax indemnification and gross-up payments
  • 1b · Written policy on the line-1a expenses
  • 2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Written employment contract
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

  • Sea to Shore Alliance Inc

    501(c)(3) · S2S works to protect threatened marine species & improve coastal environment · FL

    Directly controlled by Clearwater Marine Aquarium Inc

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
14 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202523189349303687

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