Saltwater
Saltwater Inc., founded in 1988 in Anchorage, Alaska, provides electronic monitoring systems (SWIM hardware, O2Review software) and professional fishery observer services to NOAA, state agencies, international fisheries authorities, and commercial fishing fleets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersAnchorage, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Saltwater does
Saltwater Inc. is a privately held, Women Owned Small Business headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, founded in 1988 to provide high-quality data for sustainable fisheries management. The company operates a dual business around (i) placement and management of fishery observers — a team of more than 100 professional biologists logging approximately 15,000 sea days per year across U.S. and international fisheries — and (ii) electronic monitoring (EM) systems and services, anchored by the proprietary Saltwater Intelligent Monitoring (SWIM) family of onboard hardware (Standard, Mobile Boat System, Small Vessel System, SWIM-Nano) running O2 open-source software, paired with the O2Review open-source EM data review platform co-developed with Chordata LLC and Sea State Inc. Saltwater also delivers Marine Mammal Observer / Protected Species Observer (MMO/PSO) services and holds NOAA prime contractor status in the ProTech-Fisheries domain, one of only 17 such certified contractors and one of only five certified Women Owned Small Businesses in that pool. The company maintains offices in Anchorage, Kodiak, Seattle, San Francisco, Orlando, Boston, Homer, Gloucester, Woods Hole, Astoria, and Norwalk, with international deployments in Chile, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the Caribbean, and Antarctica.
Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services (observer placement, EM program design and management, EM data review and database management, ProTech-Fisheries task orders, MMO/PSO placement), hardware sales and 24/7 support for SWIM systems, and grant-funded applied research (e.g., Saltonstall-Kennedy, NFWF, MSC Ocean Stewardship Fund). Customer segments span federal agencies (NOAA-Fisheries, NOAA NEFSC, NOAA HMS), state agencies (Alaska Department of Fish and Game), international fisheries authorities (Sernapesca Chile, AFMA Australia, CCAMLR Antarctic), nonprofit research and conservation organizations (Mote Marine Laboratory, The Nature Conservancy, EDF, Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Ocean Foundation, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership), and commercial fishing fleets (Trident Seafoods, Talleys Group Ltd, North Pacific Fishermen's Association, Peninsula Fishermen Coalition). The company has held the Atlantic Pelagic Longline EM program since 2014 (the first fully implemented EM program of its kind in the U.S., 100+ vessels), the Mote Marine Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish EM partnership (800+ vessels), and NOAA NEFSC groundfish and EM programs, and has received Exceptional Contractor Performance Assessment Report (CPAR) ratings from NOAA-Fisheries in 2018 and twice in 2020.
Saltwater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saltwater
- Legal name
- Saltwater Inc.
- Website
- https://saltwaterinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Saltwater Inc., founded in 1988 in Anchorage, Alaska, provides electronic monitoring systems (SWIM hardware, O2Review software) and professional fishery observer services to NOAA, state agencies, international fisheries authorities, and commercial fishing fleets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saltwater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fishery Monitoring Services
- NAICS
- Fishing (1141), Fishing (11411), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)
- SIC
- Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
Keywords
Where Saltwater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anchorage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Saltwater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fishery Observer Services: Professional observer placement and deployment for commercial fishing vessels, research vessels, and processing plants. Saltwater recruits, trains, and deploys biologists to collect data on catch, bycatch, marine mammals, seabirds, and ocean conditions. Services contracted directly by vessels or through government programs.
- Electronic Monitoring Systems & Support: Sale and support of SWIM onboard monitoring systems (Standard, MBS, SVS, Nano variants) including hardware, installation, 24/7 technical support, and data transmission services.
- EM Data Review & Database Management: Review of EM video data, database management, data analysis and audit services. Uses O2Review open-source software. Represents major ongoing costs for EM programs.
- EM Program Design & Project Management: Design, implementation and ongoing management of EM programs from pilot projects to large-scale fleet-wide programs. Includes contracts ranging from 5-year 100+ vessel programs to short-term machine learning projects.
- ProTech-Fisheries Contracts: NOAA prime contractor providing professional and technical services including marine science, bioacoustics, environmental data collection, NEPA consulting, ESA Section 7 consulting, ecosystem studies, fisheries data, IT/software development, impact analyses, hatchery genetic management plans, electronic monitoring, and data analysis.
- MMO/PSO Services: Marine Mammal Observer and Protected/Endangered Species Observer placement for offshore and nearshore projects. Includes permitting, compliance, and mitigation support for research and industry projects.
- Alaska Seaweed Initiative: Applied research and data support for emerging seaweed industry in Alaska, including partnership with ReGeneration North on Kachemak Kelp Hub. Funded through Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Environmental Scientist positions |
| Other | Other | Economist positions |
| Other | Other | Fisheries Biologist positions |
| Other | Other | Fisheries Biologist Technical Lead positions |
| Other | Other | Program Manager positions |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Saltwater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saltwater Inc. deploys professional fishery observers aboard commercial fishing and research vessels to collect catch, bycatch, and marine species data, and sells and operates proprietary electronic monitoring (EM) systems (the SWIM family) and the O2Review open-source data review platform for fisheries compliance and management. The company also designs, implements, and manages end-to-end EM programs for government agencies, industry groups, and conservation organizations globally.
Product overview
Saltwater provides an integrated portfolio of electronic monitoring (EM) systems and fishery observer services. The core EM offering centers on the Saltwater Intelligent Monitoring (SWIM) system family, which includes the Standard System, Mobile Boat System (MBS), Small Vessel System (SVS), and SWIM-Nano variants for different vessel sizes and use cases. These systems collect video imagery, GPS, and sensor data using O2 (OpenOceans) software, with data reviewed using the co-developed O2Review open-source platform. Saltwater's service offerings include EM program design and management, data review and database management, fishery observer services across multiple programs (North Pacific, Alaska Shellfish, West Coast Groundfish), MMO/PSO marine mammal observer services, and ProTech-Fisheries professional contracting for NOAA. The company also has an emerging Alaska Seaweed Initiative. The company holds WOSB certification and has provided observers since the first U.S. programs were established in the 1980s.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SWIM (Saltwater Intelligent Monitoring): Saltwater's onboard EM system that adapts to virtually any fishery and offers exceptional quality and accuracy with 24/7 support. Collects high quality video imagery, GPS and sensor data.
- O2Review
- SWIM-Nano
- SWIM-Standard
- SWIM-MBS (Mobile Boat System)
- SWIM-SVS (Small Vessel System)
Products and services
- Saltwater Intelligent Monitoring (SWIM) System Saltwater's proprietary onboard electronic monitoring system that collects high-quality video imagery, GPS, and sensor data to provide a clear record of fishing location, effort, and catch. All variants use O2 (OpenOceans) software and are designed, prototyped, and tested in-house for extreme marine environments.
- SWIM Standard System Standard onboard EM system with a compact rugged control box supporting 12V DC/AC power, encrypted removable hard drive storage, up to 8 IP67 digital cameras, GPS receiver, multiple digital/analog sensor inputs, and Wi-Fi/SIM connectivity.
- SWIM Mobile Boat System (MBS) Mobile, durable EM enclosure designed for transport between vessels, powered by vessel AC 120V, supporting two IP67 digital cameras with GPS, encrypted removable hard drive storage, wireless screen sharing, and an interactive user interface.
- SWIM Small Vessel System (SVS) Small, lightweight, weather-tight EM enclosure for small vessels, supported by 12V power with portable battery options, recording encrypted data onto a removable 512MB USB.
- SWIM-Nano Solar-powered mini-EM system designed for small boat fisheries, contained in waterproof housing that can be easily installed and removed before and after each trip, collecting digital imagery and GPS data for catch, bycatch, protected species interactions, and compliance assessment.
- O2Review Open-source platform for review of EM data, designed to be adaptable to different fisheries, management objectives, and EM systems. Used by NOAA-Fisheries, Mote Marine Labs, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Foundation, Sernapesca Chile, and clients in Alaska, New Zealand, and South Korea.
- EM Program Design & Project Management Design, implementation, and ongoing management of EM programs ranging from 5-year 100+ vessel fleet-wide programs to 3-month machine learning projects, working with governments, fishermen, and non-profits across a wide range of fisheries and gear types.
- EM Data Review & Database Management Comprehensive data review services including reviewer training, data analysis, and audit services, with data management plans and databases that organize EM data for updating, analysis, and utilization, plus query execution and report generation in varied formats.
- Fishery Observer Services Recruitment, training, and deployment of a team of 100+ professional biologists who log approximately 15,000 sea days annually aboard commercial fishing boats, research vessels, industry platforms, and dockside, collecting data on fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and ocean conditions with 24/7 program management from Kodiak, Seattle, and San Francisco.
- MMO/PSO Services Marine Mammal Observer (MMO) and Protected/Endangered Species Observer (PSO/ESO) services for government and industry clients, providing permitting, compliance, and mitigation support for offshore and nearshore research and industry projects.
- ProTech-Fisheries Contract Services Professional and technical services provided to NOAA as a certified prime contractor in the ProTech-Fisheries domain, including marine science, bioacoustics, environmental data collection, NEPA consulting, ESA Section 7 consulting, ecosystem studies, fisheries data, IT/software development, electronic monitoring, and data analysis.
- Alaska Seaweed Initiative Applied research and data support for the emerging seaweed industry in Alaska, including partnership with ReGeneration North on the Kachemak Kelp Hub, focused on providing quality data to support sustainable growth of Alaska's seaweed sector and Blue Economy.
Quantifiable outcome
- Quality of service rated 'Exceptional' twice by NOAA-Fisheries (2018, 2020)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Saltwater
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Saltwater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature5 records
Saltwater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- Sustainable Fisheries PartnershipminorWorking with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership on testing EM approaches to track endangered smalltooth sawfish bycatch in Florida pink shrimp fishery.
- ReGeneration NorthflagshipPartnered to establish Kachemak Kelp Hub in Homer, Alaska - a proof-of-concept applied research project to reduce barriers to getting locally farmed kelp to market. Received Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant for this initiative.
- Coonamessett Farm FoundationminorJoint project testing voluntary cost-shared EM on sea scallop fishing vessels in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
- Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)coreContracted to develop computer vision algorithm under EDF's Smart Boat Initiative using data from West Coast groundfish trawl vessel.
- Talleys Group Ltd (New Zealand)coreFirst EM deployment in Antarctic Toothfish fishery under CCAMLR. Custom EM system functional for 3+ years at sea.
- Chordata LLCcoreCollaborated to develop O2Review, an open-source platform for EM data review. Also partnered on observer safety communications platform for MSC Ocean Stewardship Fund grant.
- Sea State Inc.coreCo-developed O2Review open-source EM review software platform.
- Mote Marine Laboratory / CFEMMcoreMulti-year partnership on EM projects in Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery. Building regional EM service center. Collaboration since 2015 with 800+ participating vessels.
- The Nature ConservancycorePartnership on EM testing for recreational for-hire vessels in New England - first U.S. project to use EM in recreational fleet.
- North Pacific Fishermen's Association (NPFA)coreCollaboration since 2012 to design EM program for Alaska pot cod fleet. Led to regulatory change allowing fishermen to choose EM over onboard observers.
- Aquasolar IngenieroscoreLocal Chilean partner providing EM systems and support services under Sernapesca national EM program.
- M&T ConsultorescoreLocal Chilean partner providing EM systems and support services under Sernapesca national EM program.
- Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER)coreTesting upgraded EM solutions for West Coast highly migratory species fisheries targeting tuna and swordfish.
- TNS Ltd (South Korea)minorEM systems, technical support and data review services for vessels fishing in Southern Ocean.
- Alutiiq Pride MIminorPartner organization listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Conservación ConCiencia (Puerto Rico)minorPuerto Rican NGO partner for small boat commercial fishery EM deployment.
- JPEC (New Zealand)minorNew Zealand research partner listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI)minorPartner organization listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Manson ConstructionminorPartner organization listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (ALFA)minorPartner organization listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Salmon SistersminorPartner organization listed on Saltwater's partners page.
- Peninsula Fishermen CoalitioncoreCollaboration to design and execute EM program for Western Gulf of Alaska trawl fleet compliance monitoring.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Saltwater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Archipelago Marine Research: Canadian provider of at-sea fishery observer and electronic monitoring services. Closest direct competitor to Saltwater on the EM services side, with similar observer deployment, EM program design, and government agency customer base in North America.
- MRAG Americas: Fishery monitoring, observer provision and EM program implementation company with global reach, including NOAA contracts. Competes with Saltwater for fishery observer and EM contracts in the U.S. and abroad.
- Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC): Interstate commission that administers the West Coast groundfish observer program, directly overlapping with Saltwater's observer services and competing for NOAA-funded fishery monitoring contracts.
- Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI): NOAA ProTech-Fisheries prime contractor providing marine science and observer support services; competes with Saltwater for NOAA professional and technical services contracts.
Emerging players
- Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF): Nonprofit developing EM solutions for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery and partnering with Saltwater on EM pilots. Adjacent emerging competitor / collaborator with shared scallop and cost-shared EM expertise.
- Wildlife Computers: Manufacturer of electronic tags and sensors for marine animal monitoring, intersecting with Saltwater's protected species and electronic monitoring capabilities — particularly relevant to PSO/ESA Section 7 work.
Regional players
- AFMA (Australian Fisheries Management Authority) contracted EM providers: Australian EM providers competing alongside Saltwater for AFMA fishery EM trials. Comparable through the same vessel EM technology category but operating in a different geography than Saltwater's U.S. core.
Others
- Archipelago Technology Group / OpenOceans / Chordata LLC: OpenOceans (the O2 software platform used inside Saltwater's SWIM systems) and Chordata LLC, who co-developed O2Review with Saltwater. Ecosystem partner / enabling technology provider for Saltwater's EM stack.
- Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Partner and customer of Saltwater via the Smart Boat Initiative; broader marine conservation organization that helps fund and shape EM adoption. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Innovasea (formerly Vemco / Airmar): Broader aquaculture and fish-tracking technology incumbent with electronic monitoring and sensor products for fisheries. Larger portfolio player that overlaps with Saltwater in fisheries-data technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Saltwater social profiles
Digital presenceSaltwater compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Saltwater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saltwater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Saltwater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saltwater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saltwater
What does Saltwater do?
Saltwater Inc. deploys professional fishery observers aboard commercial fishing and research vessels to collect catch, bycatch, and marine species data, and sells and operates proprietary electronic monitoring (EM) systems (the SWIM family) and the O2Review open-source data review platform for fisheries compliance and management. The company also designs, implements, and manages end-to-end EM programs for government agencies, industry groups, and conservation organizations globally.
Is Saltwater a public or private company?
Saltwater is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Saltwater founded?
Saltwater was founded in 1988. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Saltwater based?
Saltwater is headquartered in Anchorage, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saltwater make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Fishery Observer Services are the primary driver. The others are electronic Monitoring Systems & Support, EM Data Review & Database Management, EM Program Design & Project Management, proTech-Fisheries Contracts, MMO/PSO Services and alaska Seaweed Initiative.
Who are Saltwater's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Archipelago Marine Research, MRAG Americas, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and Ocean Associates Inc. (OAI). Emerging players are Coonamessett Farm Foundation (CFF) and Wildlife Computers. AFMA (Australian Fisheries Management Authority) contracted EM providers is listed as a regional player. Others are Archipelago Technology Group / OpenOceans / Chordata LLC and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Innovasea (formerly Vemco / Airmar) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Saltwater have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saltwater.
What industry is Saltwater in?
Saltwater's product category is Fishery Monitoring Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAM, Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting), with a secondary code of BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation. Its NAICS code is 1141 and its SIC code is 900.