As the Neighborhood Changes So Do We: Changing with Community

To truly fulfill their missions and make positive strides toward the conservation of our ocean, aquariums need to reach diverse audiences and reflect their local communities. Reaching audiences not adequately represented at our facilities takes work and time. It requires building relationships and trust. We need to understand which audiences are not represented and why, and work with them to make our aquariums more inclusive and welcoming. The Oregon Coast Aquarium's efforts to better engage our local Latino community are a work in progress. However, we have made some positive strides and our continuing work can help inform others of the inherent opportunities and struggles that are part of this process.