Established to carry forward the legacy of iconic New Zealand ocean explorer Kelly Tarlton, Kelly Tarlton’s Marine Wildlife Trust is a registered charitable trust dedicated to safeguarding Aotearoa’s marine environments and biodiversity. Operating as a core member of "Team Turtle" alongside SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, Auckland Zoo, and the Department of Conservation, the Trust supports New Zealand’s only sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facility. This work provides life-saving veterinary care, transit, and satellite tracking for endangered species stranded along our coastlines, with over 50 sea turtles successfully returned to the ocean.

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Beyond wildlife rescue, the Trust actively delivers regenerative marine projects across the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. It collaborates with scientific institutions and community groups on critical efforts such as controlling invasive Exotic Caulerpa seaweed, restoring degraded mussel reefs, and conducting volunteer-led surveys for native species like kōura (spiny rock lobster), seahorses, and penguins. Complementing its field work, the Trust delivers the Ocean Youth education program, a hands-on initiative that equips young Kiwis with the skills, scientific insight, and leadership tools needed to run real-world community conservation campaigns and protect our oceans for generations to come.