About Us

The Pennington Marine Science Center (PMSC) is owned and operated by the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The center was made possible by a generous donation from the Timothy M. Pennington IV Memorial Foundation in honor of, Timothy Pennington,  an Eagle Scout from Troop 223 whose  passion was exploring, learning about and preserving the ocean. Construction was completed in the fall of 2003 and operations commenced in March of 2004.

 

The PMSC serves a variety of clients ranging from Scouts, K-12 school groups and a diverse weekend clientele such as the YMCA, Girl Scouts and other community groups. During summer months, the center serves upwards of 500 Scouts studying oceanography as well as the thousands that attend camp overall. During the fall and spring the center is an integral component in outdoor marine education for grade to high school age kids from the mainland.

 

Stocked entirely from the waters surrounding Emerald Bay, the marine science center’s 6,000 gallon seawater system houses and displays local marine animals and algae, from habitat simulations to interactive touch tanks that allow our guests to get to know some of the animals hands on. Animals such as sharks, jellies and the two spot octopus delight and inspire our guests.

 

The center’s daily operations are overseen by its Director and husbandry team whose responsibilities include development, daily operations, animal husbandry, care of exhibits, life support management, accessions and de-accessions of specimens, budgeting, intern hiring and training, curriculum development and implementation as well as all other operational aspects of the marine science center.