UPDATED: Monterey Bay Aquarium looks to layoffs in the face of massive economic loss.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium closed to the public on March 12, but still made public outreach a priority, through its massive and charming presence on social media. Viewers stuck at home during the pandemic have enjoyed the Aquarium's jelly cam, featuring endless footage of jellyfish pulsating across the screen. They've enjoyed the penguin cam, in which the camera's lens is focused on the Aquarium's African penguins as they waddle and feed and cavort in their habitat. And of course, there's the otter cam, where viewers can tune in to see the ubiquitous symbol of the Aquarium frolicking and swimming in their enclosure.

The cams will live on, and so will the Aquarium. But faced with breathtaking financial losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Aquarium will commence laying off and furloughing 38 percent of its 575-person workforce in the coming days.

In a message sent to staff from founder and CEO Julie Packard on Monday, April 13, she writes that the Aquarium faces losses in revenue of about $40 million through the end of the year, "and that's assuming an optimistic re-open date of July 1.

"We all read the same news and what we're seeing is continuing uncertainty about when and how restrictions on gathering and travel will lift," Packard wrote. 

With the shutdown, the Aquarium announced it would pay all of its employees for six weeks and made good on that commitment. They also reduced expenses on all but essential items, including utilities, IT services and animal food. The shift in expenses allowed the Aquarium to save $14 million in the 2020 budget, but it still isn't enough to preserve everyone's job with no revenue coming in.

Conversations with employees who face layoffs began on April 15 and will continue through today.

"We've focused on furloughs wherever possible, meaning you're temporarily not paid but your medical benefits will continue, and senior leadership will take pay cuts," Packard wrote. (All employees who are furloughed or laid off will continue to be paid for two more weeks, going back to that six-week commitment.) 

"These decisions are painful and difficult, and trust me when I say that your senior management members and I have anguished over them," Packard wrote. An all-staff meeting has been planned for April 23, at which time Packard and the Executive Committee will answer all staff questions. 

UPDATE, Friday, April 17: The Aquarium announced today the scope of its cuts: a 38-percent reduction in workforce, with 93 employees laid off and 128 furloughed. In addition, executive leadership is taking a 20-percent pay cut and all remaining employees who earn more than $100,000 per year are receiving a 10-percent reduction in salary.

“These were painful but necessary decisions to maintain the health of the Aquarium,” Packard said in a statement Friday. “This action ensures that our resources will cover essential staff who remain in place to maintain the health and welfare of the animals, and that the facilities continue to receive the required level of maintenance.”