Marine Conservation Society

Name

Marine Conservation Society

Legal name

Marine Conservation Society

Website

https://mcsuk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Charity

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Marine conservation
• Ocean protection
• Sustainable seafood guidance
• Citizen science programs
• Beach clean monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Ross On Wye

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: The organization offers membership starting from £5 per month, providing supporters with exclusive access to the Your Ocean magazine, an ocean goody bag, and access to exclusive member events.
2. Donations and fundraising: Individual donations, fundraising events, and campaigns supported by volunteers and members.
3. Legacies and gifts in wills: Planned giving through legacies and gifts in wills.
4. Corporate partnerships and membership: Company membership programs and partnerships with businesses.
5. Trusts and foundations: Funding from charitable trusts and foundations for specific projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Marine Conservation Society is a UK charity that works for a cleaner, better-protected, and healthier ocean. It delivers this mission through citizen science programs (wildlife sightings, beach cleans, Beachwatch litter surveys), the Good Fish Guide seafood sustainability rating tool and app, marine habitat regeneration projects (oyster and seagrass restoration), policy advocacy, and public education.

Product overview

Marine Conservation Society operates as a single-product charity organization centered on ocean conservation, with its primary consumer-facing tool being the Good Fish Guide—a sustainability rating guide and mobile application for seafood. Supporting this are the Beachwatch programme for beach cleaning and litter monitoring, and the Citizen Science Programme enabling public participation in marine data collection. The organization does not operate a platform-plus-modules architecture but rather distinct programmatic offerings focused on pollution reduction, ocean regeneration, marine management, and sustainable seafood advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Good Fish Guide A sustainability rating guide and mobile application that rates the sustainability of various seafood options, empowering consumers to make informed, ocean-positive choices about what fish to eat.
• Beachwatch A national beach cleaning and litter monitoring programme that organises beach cleans across the UK, collects litter data, and publishes annual Beachwatch reports on marine debris trends.
• Citizen Science Programme A programme enabling volunteers to contribute marine wildlife data through Wildlife Sightings, Source to Sea Litter Survey, and Big Seaweed Search activities.
• MCS Membership A monthly subscription membership starting at £5/month providing supporters exclusive access to the Your Ocean magazine, an ocean goody bag, and access to exclusive member events.
• Corporate Partnership / Company Membership Company membership and partnership programmes offering businesses employee engagement, Cause Related Marketing, and sustainability partnership opportunities with the charity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80p of every £1 donated used for charitable activities
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WWFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF leads the Restoration Forth project with MCS as a key partner. The project aims to reintroduce 60,000 European flat oysters and restore seagrass meadows to the Firth of Forth, Scotland. Other partners include Heriot-Watt University, Project Seagrass, and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
• Heriot-Watt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience lead for multiple restoration projects including DEEP and Restoration Forth. The university provides scientific expertise for oyster and seagrass restoration monitoring and research.
• The Glenmorangie CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the Dornoch Environmental Enhancement Project (DEEP), which has reintroduced 100,000 native oysters to the Dornoch Firth. The company also funds an anaerobic digestion plant that purifies distillery by-products.
• Natural Resources WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization for the Natur Am Byth! project, a four-year partnership with nine organizations working to save threatened species across Wales including seagrass, native oysters, and pink sea fans.
• Madagascar Whale Shark ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on whale shark research and conservation in the western Indian Ocean, confirming historic migration patterns between Madagascar and the Seychelles.
• Natural EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ReMEDIES project to protect and replant seagrass in Plymouth Sound and other south coast Marine Protected Areas.
• The Ocean Conservation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in seagrass restoration efforts in Plymouth.
• Royal Yachting AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the ReMEDIES project working to protect seagrass from boat moorings.
• Save Scottish Seas coalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCS is a founder and leader in this coalition working since 2006 to secure marine conservation wins in Scotland, successfully campaigning for Marine Protected Areas and fisheries management.
• Restoration Forth partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-organization marine restoration project including The Ecology Centre, Edinburgh Shoreline, Fife Coast & Countryside Trust, Heart of Newhaven, Heriot-Watt University, Project Seagrass, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and Scottish Seabird Centre.
• WaitroseminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetailer that has been advised by MCS to avoid selling depleted cod and mackerel species due to population declines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Surfers Against Sewage: UK marine conservation charity running large-scale beach cleans, citizen science, and water-quality/sewage campaigning. Highly comparable to MCS on mission, supporter base, volunteer mobilisation, and policy focus on sewage and plastics.
• Marine Stewardship Council: Global sustainable-seafood certification body whose Good Fish Guide-style ratings are co-marketed with retailers. Highly comparable to MCS on sustainable seafood, NGO-led standards, and corporate supply-chain engagement; an MCS trustee currently works at MSC.
• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based ocean conservation charity focused on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and ocean regeneration. Comparable to MCS on UK marine protection advocacy and habitat restoration projects.
• Greenpeace UK: UK office of a global environmental campaign organisation running marine, plastics, and ocean-protection campaigns. Comparable to MCS on donor-base overlap, campaign-led advocacy, and media-driven policy pressure.
• Sea Changers: UK marine conservation charity funding grassroots ocean projects, citizen science, and coastal community engagement. Comparable to MCS as a smaller UK ocean-focused peer competing for similar grassroots donor and volunteer audiences.

Broad incumbents

• The Wildlife Trusts: Umbrella of 46 UK wildlife trusts covering marine and coastal habitats alongside terrestrial conservation. Comparable to MCS as a major UK environmental-charity peer competing for the same members, donors, and corporate partners.
• WWF-UK: UK arm of a global environmental NGO running oceans programmes including Restoration Forth alongside MCS. Comparable as a strategic partner and as a peer competing for corporate partnerships, trust grants, and policy influence in the UK.
• Fauna & Flora International: Global conservation charity with marine programmes including seagrass, shellfish, and reef work. Comparable to MCS on conservation science, international marine projects, and grant-making partnerships.
• Oceana: International ocean advocacy organisation focused on fisheries policy, MPAs, and plastic pollution. Comparable to MCS on marine policy advocacy, EU/UK fisheries reform, and corporate seafood engagement at scale.

Others

• ClientEarth: Environmental law charity where MCS's CEO Sandy Luk previously led Programmes. Comparable as a strategic ally rather than a competitor, sharing litigation-led approaches to marine and water regulation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mcsuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-conservation-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcs_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Conservation Society