What Cramer Fish Sciences does

Cramer Fish Sciences is a multidisciplinary fisheries and natural resource science consulting firm founded in 1987 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, that delivers research, monitoring, and restoration services to federal and state natural resource agencies, Native American tribes, and private-sector water and energy clients across six Western states (California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Montana, and Alaska). The firm's work centers on salmon and trout population research, habitat assessment, restoration design, hydraulic and geomorphic modeling, and regulatory support for ESA consultations and FERC relicensing. It operates a portfolio of proprietary technical assets — most notably a patented pontoon-based Sampling Platform for low-impact fish and invertebrate sampling, Resistance Board Weirs for real-time escapement enumeration, and a wholly-owned molecular biology and genetics subsidiary, GENIDAQS, that performs environmental DNA (eDNA) detection, genetic stock identification, parent-based tagging, and diet analysis. Field work is supplemented by AI-enabled computer vision pipelines for automated detection, enumeration, and classification of organisms from underwater video and survey imagery.

The firm is 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan established in 2012 and fully transitioned in 2015, with TI-TRUST serving as external trustee and a Board of Directors that combines internal scientist-directors with three independent external directors (a retired financial services executive as chairman, a licensed environmental engineer former CEO, and a CFO with prior ESOP experience). Revenue is generated entirely through project-based scientific consulting contracts priced on scope, duration, and technical requirements — there is no public pricing, no SaaS-style recurring product line, and no public-market listing. The go-to-market is relationship-based, leveraging scientific reputation, peer-reviewed publications, agency contracting experience, and a six-office footprint that places senior scientists within reach of every major West Coast salmonid habitat.

Cramer Fish Sciences' customer base is dominated by federal agencies — the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — and California state agencies (Department of Water Resources, Department of Fish and Game, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife). Strategic moves evident in the data set include the institutionalization of GENIDAQS as a separate subsidiary, expansion to six regional offices including a dedicated Ripon, CA R&D lab, deployment of computer vision AI on the Dutch Slough tidal wetland restoration evaluation, and a strengthening of board governance with external directors experienced in ESOPs and environmental consulting CFOs. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or ownership transitions beyond the ESOP have been disclosed.

Name

Cramer Fish Sciences

Legal name

Cramer Fish Sciences

Website

https://fishsciences.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cramer Fish Sciences is an employee-owned fisheries and natural resource science consulting firm, founded in 1987 and based in Portland, Oregon, delivering fish population monitoring, habitat restoration, eDNA genetics, and computer vision monitoring to federal and state agencies, tribes, and water-sector clients across six Western U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Fisheries Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)

Keywords

• Fisheries consulting services
• Aquatic ecology research
• Fish population monitoring
• Habitat restoration consulting
• Environmental DNA analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services and Scientific Consulting: Cramer Fish Sciences provides scientific consulting services including fish population monitoring, habitat assessment, restoration design, and research studies for government agencies, tribes, and private organizations. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting contracts, typically for fisheries research, natural resource management, and habitat restoration projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cramer Fish Sciences provides multidisciplinary scientific consulting for fisheries and aquatic resource management, including fish population monitoring, habitat assessment, restoration design and effectiveness monitoring, genetic and eDNA analysis, fish passage studies, and watershed management. Services are delivered to federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, and private-sector clients (water districts, utilities, hydro operators) across California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, supported by proprietary technologies such as the GENIDAQS molecular lab, a patented Sampling Platform, and Resistance Board Weirs.

Product overview

Cramer Fish Sciences is a multidisciplinary scientific consulting firm serving the western United States since 1987, offering a portfolio of specialized products and services for fisheries and natural resource management. The core offering includes expert consulting services spanning fish population monitoring, habitat assessment, restoration design, statistical analysis, and watershed management. Proprietary technology products include the patented Sampling Platform for aquatic species sampling, Resistance Board Weirs for fish passage monitoring, and the GENIDAQS molecular genetics laboratory for eDNA and genetic analysis. The company also provides R Shiny-based data dashboard analytics tools. These products and services work together as an integrated scientific services platform enabling comprehensive fisheries research, monitoring, and restoration projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GENIDAQS Molecular Biology and Genetics Lab Services A specialized molecular biology and genetics laboratory service (operated via the wholly-owned GENIDAQS subsidiary) that provides genetic identification of stomach contents (diet analysis, predation assessment, food web studies), environmental DNA (eDNA) detection for cryptic, invasive, and endangered species, genetic stock identification, parent-based tagging, genetic mark-recapture, and population genetic metrics for fisheries and natural resource clients.
• Sampling Platform (Patented Aquatic Sampling System) A patented integrated aquatic species and habitat sampling system used by Cramer Fish Sciences to effectively sample fish and invertebrates while minimizing or eliminating take of sensitive species. Features a unique boat-based design with extensible trawl net, live-well video monitoring, and operable fish release, enabling sampling in shallow water and complex habitats beyond the reach of traditional methods.
• Resistance Board Weirs Innovative monitoring structures for direct enumeration of fish passage that provide highly accurate real-time escapement counts. Can be used for active trapping and processing, blocking or segregation of species, or passive monitoring of tag detections, and are custom designed for specific project objectives on salmonid and other aquatic species passage projects.
• Data Dashboards with R Shiny Interactive web applications built using R Shiny that transform R-based statistical analyses into explorable dashboards, allowing clients and project stakeholders to interact with data visualizations, change inputs, and explore analyses from fisheries and habitat monitoring projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Restored tidal habitat can begin functioning ecologically within two years of reconnection, with longer and more structurally complex channels supporting greater habitat heterogeneity, higher zooplankton density, and more juvenile fish.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anchor QEA: Environmental and water-resources consulting firm with deep fisheries, dam removal, and habitat restoration practices across the Western U.S. — directly competing with CFS on federal and state salmonid and river restoration RFPs.
• Kleinschmidt Group: Specialty engineering and science consulting firm focused on hydropower, fish passage, and aquatic ecology — closely overlapping with CFS's fisheries, FERC relicensing, and habitat work.
• Normandeau Associates: Environmental consulting firm providing fisheries, avian, and ecological field studies for utilities, transportation, and government — comparable service mix and customer base to CFS.
• Natural Resources Consulting Engineers (NRCE): Specialized fisheries and aquatic ecology consultancy supporting hydropower relicensing, ESA consultations, and river restoration — a comparable niche-services competitor in the same Western U.S. corridor.
• ESA (Environmental Science Associates): Environmental consulting firm offering biology, hydrology, and restoration services to public agencies — a competing bidder on Western U.S. fisheries, ESA, and habitat restoration contracts.
• BioAnalysts: Fisheries and aquatic ecology consultancy performing population studies, habitat assessments, and ESA support for federal, state, and utility clients in the Western U.S. — comparable niche to CFS.

Broad incumbents

• ICF International: Large diversified advisory and environmental services firm that competes with CFS for federal climate, energy, and ecosystem contracts — but at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with major water, fisheries, and habitat restoration practices — competes for larger federal and hydropower programs where CFS is a subconsultant.
• AECOM: Multinational infrastructure and environmental firm with significant fisheries, water, and restoration capabilities — competes for the largest federal and state ecosystem contracts.
• Stantec: Global design and environmental consulting firm serving water, energy, and resource management clients — comparable broad incumbents in fisheries and habitat restoration services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cramer-fish-sciences

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cramer Fish Sciences