About Us

Sea Center Texas is a public aquarium, fish hatchery, and education center located on 75 acres in Lake Jackson, Texas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department operates the facility in partnership with the Coastal Conservation Association, The Dow Chemical Company, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sportfish Restoration Funds. The facility opened in 1996. Sea Center's mission is to “Produce marine finfish for stocking Texas waters, conduct research, and promote the conservation of coastal resources for the benefit of present and future generations”. With that mission in mind, the three primary goals of SCT are to (1) culture juvenile finfish for stock enhancement; (2) promote awareness, wise use, and conservation of Texas’ natural resources through education and outreach opportunities; and (3) conduct fisheries-related scientific research to improve hatchery operations and evaluate the performance of hatchery-reared fish released into the wild. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department's marine hatcheries produce juvenile red drum, spotted seatrout, and southern flounder for stock enhancement. Stock enhancement is the release of hatchery-reared juvenile organisms into the wild to supplement the existing population. It serves as a tool used by TPWD to manage the marine fishery along the Texas coast to ensure that harvest levels are sustained and stocks are replenished. TPWD’s hatchery program is one of the most visible marine stock enhancement programs in the world. Annually, some twenty-five million juvenile marine finfish (averaging 35 millimeters total length) are produced by the hatchery program and released into the wild to supplement the natural population. Sea Center Texas is responsible for producing approximately a third of the red drum and one-half of the spotted seatrout stocked. Last year, Sea Center Texas released 25,000 flounder fingerlings into area bays. Sea Center Texas conducts interpretive, educational, and recreational events for visitors, the general public, and community organizations with the purpose of providing outdoor recreational opportunities and promoting natural resource conservation. SCT’s yearly goal is to conduct 1,000 educational events each year.