Monterey Bay Aquarium lays off 81 more employees

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) The Monterey Bay Aquarium announced that it has had to lay off 81 more employees and is facing a loss of 65% of its annual revenue.

Since the aquarium closed in March, 36% of its workforce has been reduced. The aquarium said it will also continue to cut 20% of pay for executive leadership and vice presidents. Other employees making more than $100,000 face a 10% pay cut through the end of the year.

In a statement, the aquarium said most of the employees laid off were placed on furlough in May. They can file for unemployment, but the aquarium said it will continue to cover their health insurance costs through the end of September.

The aquarium expects a $45 million loss for the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This painful and difficult decision was made after careful consideration of the resources necessary to maintain the health and welfare of the animals, as well as our facilities, in light of our projected revenue losses and not being able to open as originally planned,” said Executive Director Julie Packard. “I’m grateful to every member of our wonderful, dedicated team and am so sorry this action is necessary given the current circumstances.” 

Previously, the aquarium laid off 93 employees and placed another 128 on furlough.

The aquarium had planned to reopen on July 9, but Monterey County was added to the State's monitoring list and had to close indoor operations at some business sectors, including zoos and museums.