Washington, D.C. - Thursday, March 20, 2025 - As the nation’s leading aquariums and zoos, we are dedicated to conservation, research, and education for public benefit and committed to the health of our ocean, rivers, and lakes, and the benefits they provide to all Americans. We have a deep concern about the broad cuts at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) outlined in the Trump administration’s recent Executive Order, and urge Congress to oppose actions to undermine IMLS’s ability to accomplish its critically important mission.  

IMLS is a vital independent federal agency that plays a crucial role in helping libraries and museums, including aquariums and zoos, better serve our communities and ensure access to cultural and natural heritage for all. IMLS cannot withstand broad cuts without significantly diminishing its capacity to support museums and libraries nationwide.

Aquariums and zoos are committed to clean air and waters, healthy wildlife and habitats, and ensuring the resilience of our hardworking communities. We inspire hundreds of millions of Americans to care about our natural world, and we serve as economic engines in our regions. Our institutions, along with other AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos, contribute $30 billion dollars to the U.S. economy each year, support more than 250,000 full-time American jobs, and welcome more than 200 million visitors. 

Aquariums and zoos, in addition to 35,000 museums and 123,000 libraries across the country, contribute to the wellbeing and advancement of our communities using IMLS funding to develop and expand programs that educate, entertain, and engage visitors. IMLS is an invaluable partner in our work, providing funding for programs ranging from  the development of educational programming at 75 children’s hospitals to the creation of internship programs designed to promote educational and career advancement for teens across the nation.

By leveraging significant private, state, and local funding, IMLS grants amplify a small federal investment for maximum impact in the community. And support for museums, aquariums, and zoos is overwhelmingly popular, with research showing that:

• 96% of Americans would approve of lawmakers who act to support museums, which includes aquariums and zoos, and

• 96% of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums.

Museums and libraries cannot do this vital work without the support they receive from IMLS. The recent Executive Order undermines the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer. We urge Congress to push back on actions to reduce or eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the workforce that supports it.

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Aquarium Conservation Partnership

United States

Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Chicago, IL

California Academy of Sciences

San Francisco, CA

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Cincinnati, OH

Fresno Chaffee Zoo

Fresno, CA

Houston Zoo

Houston, TX

Jenkinson's Aquarium

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Kansas City Zoo and Aquarium

Kansas City, MO

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey, CA

Mystic Aquarium

Mystic, CT

Museum of Life and Science

Durham, NC

National Aquarium

Baltimore, MD

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Dubuque, IA

New England Aquarium

Boston, MA

North Carolina Aquarium Society

Raleigh, NC

OdySea Aquarium

Scottsdale, AZ

Oregon Zoo

Portland, OR

St. Louis Zoo

St. Louis, MO

Seattle Aquarium

Seattle, WA

Shedd Aquarium 

Chicago, IL

South Carolina Aquarium

Charleston, SC

Tennessee Aquarium

Chattanooga, TN

Verdis Group

Omaha, NE

Woodland Park Zoo

Seattle, WA