Aquarium Receives Special Achievement Award for Exceptional Application of GIS Technology

August 10, 2015

Redlands, California—August 10, 2015—The Aquarium of the Pacific was recently honored with a Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award at the 2015 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, California. This award acknowledges vision, leadership, hard work, and innovative use of Esri’s geographic information system (GIS) technology.

The Aquarium of the Pacific uses Esri ArcGIS technology, such as story maps and other interactive geospatial technologies (including Esri’s Urban Observatory app and NOAA’s Science on a Sphere®) to connect its diverse audience of 1.5 million annual on-site visitors to current marine and environmental science issues. These programs help guests construct an understanding of human relationships to environments and a changing global system. Ultimately, the Aquarium uses GIS as a tool to help fulfill the institution’s mission to instill a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants and ecosystems.

In addition to the Aquarium of the Pacific, Esri presented the SAG Award to about 1 percent of its users, representing more than 170 organizations from around the world and a variety of industries including agriculture, cartography, climate change, defense and intelligence, economic development, education, government, health and human services, telecommunications, and utilities.

“The SAG Awards identify the organizations and people who are using the power of geography to make our world a better place,” says Esri President Jack Dangermond. “At Esri, we are always deeply inspired by the passion and innovation of our users. They deserve recognition for their invaluable contributions to their communities and the continued evolution of geographic science.”

For more information about the 2015 Special Achievement in GIS Award winners, including project information and photos, please visit esri.com/sag.

About Esri Since 1969, Esri has been giving customers around the world the power to think and plan geographically. The market leader in GIS, Esri software is used in more than 350,000 organizations worldwide including each of the 200 largest cities in the United States, most national governments, more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri applications, running on more than one million desktops and thousands of Web and enterprise servers, provide the backbone for the world’s mapping and spatial analysis. Esri is the only vendor that provides complete technical solutions for desktop, mobile, server, and Internet platforms. Visit us at www.esri.com.

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About Aquarium of the Pacific The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 11,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include the June Keyes Penguin Habitat, Ocean Science Center, Molina Animal Care Center, the interactive Shark Lagoon and Lorikeet Forest exhibits, and the new Jellies exhibits. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, from hands-on activities to lectures by leading scientists. The Aquarium has won a 2015 Travelers’ Choice Award for Aquariums, as awarded by TripAdvisor® travelers. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months, VIP Entrance, and other special benefits. For more information, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or call 562-590-3100.