Roundhouse Receives $40K Grant for Coastal Education
Oct 16, 2026 10:04PM ● By MB News Staff
The Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach Pier has received a $40,000 award from the Water Replenishment District for educational programs on groundwater protection and local coastal ecosystems.
"We are deeply honored to partner with the Water Replenishment District to bring this critical water science curriculum to life," said Hillel Cohn, board chair of Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc., in a statement. "Many students don't realize the connection between the health of our ocean and the safety of our drinking water. WRD’s investment allows us to inspire South Bay students to see themselves as guardians of both our local beaches and our water resources."
Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc. (OTS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting knowledge of the oceans and marine life and fostering environmental stewardship. OTS operates the historic Roundhouse Aquarium at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier, offering interactive marine science education, touch tank experiences, and outreach programs to tens of thousands of students and visitors each year.
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the largest groundwater agency in the region, managing two vital underground water basins that provide nearly half of the drinking water used by four million residents across 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County.
The gift was presented to Oceanographic Teaching Stations, Inc. (OTS), the non-profit that manages the Roundhouse. Over the next two years, the award will be used to fund hands-on marine science and water stewardship education for students across the 43 cities in the WRD’s service area, including the South Bay and beyond.
The funding is provided in conjunction with WRD’s Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion Project, an essential regional infrastructure initiative designed to protect and increase the local drinking water supply by reclaiming a historic brackish (salty) plume of water for community use. The Roundhouse Aquarium is one of three regional aquariums selected to receive this grant to advance public education.
The award will fund specialized, two-hour educational programs designed to highlight the vital connection between local coastal ecosystems, groundwater protection, and urban water management. To align with WRD’s mission to provide, protect, and preserve safe groundwater, the interactive curriculum will focus on three core areas:
● The Local Water Journey: Students will trace how stormwater and urban runoff travel through local watersheds, discovering how nearly half of the South Bay's water supply relies on hidden groundwater basins.
● Groundwater Desalination: Educators will teach students about underground aquifers and water reclamation, demonstrating how initiatives like the Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion Project clean brackish groundwater plumes to prevent ocean saltwater from contaminating local drinking water.
● Stewardship and Conservation: Programs will empower youth to adopt conservation habits at home, linking daily actions to the health of both underground drinking aquifers and local marine life.
"Protecting our region’s groundwater goes hand-in-hand with educating the next generation of environmental stewards," said Rob Katherman, director of the Water Replenishment District. "As we expand the Torrance Groundwater Desalter to secure safe, locally controlled drinking water, we are proud to partner with the Roundhouse Aquarium to further extend our community impact. By connecting students with hands-on science education, we are investing directly in the long-term sustainability of our South Bay communities."
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the largest groundwater agency in the region, managing two vital underground water basins that provide nearly half of the drinking water used by four million residents across 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County.
