Florida Oceanographic Society

What Florida Oceanographic Society does

Florida Oceanographic Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1964 and headquartered at 890 Northeast Ocean Blvd., Stuart, Florida, on Hutchinson Island, where it operates the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center — a marine-life nature center featuring a 750,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, nature trails, the Waterworks Exploration Zone, and the Ocean EcoCenter. Its mission is to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida's coastal ecosystems through three integrated lines of work: education (daily programs, summer camps, school outreach, guided walks, and expert-led presentations), research and conservation (weekly water-quality monitoring of the St. Lucie Estuary and Southern Indian River Lagoon, plus the FOSTER seagrass and FLOOR oyster restoration programs), and regulatory advocacy on Lake Okeechobee discharges, Everglades restoration, Oculina coral protection, and related water-management policy.

The organization generates revenue from a diversified mix of small-ticket streams: recurring membership subscriptions (Trail and Explore tiers plus business partner memberships), one-time Coastal Center admissions and gift shop sales, direct donations via a Giving Block crypto-giving platform, animal adoption packages shipped within the continental US, and transaction-based program fees for expert presentations ($200 suggested donation), private group cleanups ($100–$250), and corporate cleanup sponsorships ($500–$1,000). Customer segments are horizontal and broad: general public and families visiting the Coastal Center, K–12 schools and educators in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, environmental volunteers engaged in cleanups and citizen-science monitoring, and a set of named local business partners (Philip DeBerard Injury Law, Crary Buchanan PA, Northern Trust, Wilmington Trust, Ferreira Construction). The organization's technology footprint is intentionally light: a website hub, active social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter), downloadable educational resources, a volunteer login portal via Volgistics, a Google Forms water-tester data submission page, and no proprietary software, app, or API.

Name

Florida Oceanographic Society

Legal name

Florida Oceanographic Society

Website

https://floridaocean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Florida Oceanographic Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1964 that operates the Coastal Center on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, FL, delivering marine conservation education, weekly water-quality monitoring, seagrass and oyster restoration, and state-level water policy advocacy to Treasure Coast residents, schools, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation
• Environmental education
• Coastal research
• Habitat restoration
• Water quality monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuart

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual membership program offering one-time or auto-renewal options at various levels, with business partner memberships available. Members receive personalized membership cards and benefits.
2. Coastal Center Admission & Merchandise: Visitor admission fees combined with shop sales including books, toys, souvenirs, apparel, and jewelry.
3. Donations: Direct donations, Giving Block platform donations, and brick paver purchases for butterfly garden memorialization support the organization.
4. Animal Adoption Program: Animal adoption packages where purchase portion supports animals in care at the Coastal Center. Shipped to continental US only.
5. Program Fees: Expert-led presentations suggested donation of $200 for 45-90 minute expert presentations; private group cleanups range from $100-$250 for weekday events and $200-$250 for weekend events, with corporate sponsorships up to $1,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Non-profit organization operating the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, FL, delivering marine life education, hands-on programs, water quality research, seagrass and oyster habitat restoration, environmental advocacy, and community engagement (summer camp, beach cleanups, expert presentations). Funding derives from memberships, donations, admissions, program fees, merchandise sales, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Florida Oceanographic Society operates primarily as a non-profit marine conservation organization rather than a technology company. The core offering is the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, FL, which serves as a marine life nature center offering education, research, and advocacy programs. The organization provides various programs and services including: the Waterworks Exploration Zone and Ocean EcoCenter for interactive learning; daily programs like sea turtle encounters and mangrove walks; research and conservation initiatives including water quality monitoring, seagrass restoration (FOSTER), and oyster restoration (FLOOR); beach cleanup and volunteer programs; summer camps and community outreach; advocacy on water quality issues; membership and animal adoption programs; and an online shop. The organization does not offer a software product, API, or technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coastal Center Admission Daily admission to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, a marine life nature center located between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean, offering aquariums, exhibits, nature trails, and daily education programs such as sea turtle encounters and mangrove walks for the general public and families.
• Membership Program Annual recurring membership program offering tiered individual and business partner memberships with benefits and personalized membership cards, providing recurring donor engagement for the organization.
• Summer Camp Seasonal environmental education summer camp program for children offering hands-on marine biology and conservation learning at the Coastal Center.
• Expert-Led Presentations On-site and virtual expert-led 45-90 minute presentations on coastal ecosystem topics for schools, civic groups, and organizations in Martin and St. Lucie Counties, with a suggested donation of $200.
• Private Group Beach Cleanups Organized private group beach and waterway cleanup events for organizations and groups, priced at $100-$250 based on group size, day of week, and duration up to 2 hours.
• Corporate Cleanup Sponsorships Corporate sponsorship packages for organized beach cleanup events, ranging $500-$1,000 based on participant count, including brand recognition on social media and the organization website.
• Animal Adoption Program Symbolic animal adoption packages where a portion of each purchase supports care of animals at the Coastal Center; packages are shipped to addresses within the continental US.
• Online Shop E-commerce store offering books, toys, souvenirs, apparel, jewelry, and animal adoption packages supporting the organization's mission.
• Special Programs Specialty guided experiences including Sunset Trail Walks, Guided Beach Walks, Nighttime Sea Turtle Walks, Coastal Lecture Series, and Yoga on the Ocean Deck for visitors and community members.
• Brick Paver Program Memorial brick paver purchases supporting the organization's butterfly garden, providing donors with a permanent recognition opportunity.
• Water Quality Monitoring Program Ongoing scientific monitoring program delivering weekly public water quality reports for the St. Lucie Estuary and Southern Indian River Lagoon ecosystem.
• FOSTER Seagrass Restoration Seagrass habitat restoration initiative restoring critical seagrass beds in local Florida waterways to support ecosystem health.
• FLOOR Oyster Reef Restoration Oyster reef restoration initiative rebuilding oyster populations to improve water quality through natural filtration in local estuarine ecosystems.
• Weather Monitoring Service Public weather monitoring service operating in partnership with the House of Refuge since 1984, providing realtime local webcam, tides, currents, marine forecasts, and tropical weather outlooks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active monitoring of St. Lucie Estuary and Southern Indian River Lagoon water quality with weekly public reporting
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Philip DeBerard Injury AttorneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal law firm listed as a Business Partner supporting Florida Oceanographic Society through sponsorships, volunteerism, and advocacy. Featured on Community Partnerships page.
• Crary Buchanan, PAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal law firm listed as a Business Partner supporting Florida Oceanographic Society through sponsorships, volunteerism, and advocacy.
• Northern TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services firm listed as a Business Partner supporting Florida Oceanographic Society through sponsorships, volunteerism, and advocacy.
• Ferreira ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal construction company listed as a Business Partner supporting Florida Oceanographic Society through sponsorships, volunteerism, and advocacy.
• Wilmington TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFinancial services firm listed as a Business Partner supporting Florida Oceanographic Society through sponsorships, volunteerism, and advocacy.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Florida-based nonprofit operating a sea turtle-focused marine life center on Juno Beach with education, research, and conservation programs. Closest direct comparable by mission, operating model, and visitor-facing coastal facility in Florida.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Sarasota, FL nonprofit combining marine research, an aquarium visitor attraction, education, and restoration programs. Directly comparable by Florida coastal location, nonprofit structure, and integrated education-research-advocacy model.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Florida nonprofit marine aquarium focused on sea turtle and marine animal rescue, rehabilitation, education, and research. Comparable by Florida nonprofit aquarium operation, animal welfare focus, and educational programming.
• Sea Turtle Conservancy: Florida-based nonprofit (Gainesville/FL) with global sea turtle research, education, and advocacy programs. Closely aligned by Florida coastal conservation focus, sea turtle work, and education-advocacy mission overlap.
• REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation): Marine conservation nonprofit operating citizen-science volunteer diver and fish monitoring programs. Comparable through citizen-science water quality and ecosystem monitoring approaches and Florida/SE US presence.

Broad incumbents

• Surfrider Foundation: National nonprofit with coastal water quality, beach cleanup, and ocean advocacy programs. Comparable through beach cleanup program model, water quality advocacy, and chapter-based community engagement, though operating at much larger national scale.
• The Ocean Conservancy: National marine conservation and policy advocacy organization with beach cleanup (International Coastal Cleanup) and ocean policy programs. Comparable through marine advocacy and cleanup engagement, though at substantially larger scale and federal policy focus.
• New England Aquarium: Major nonprofit aquarium with marine conservation research, education, and advocacy programs. Comparable as an aquarium-based nonprofit combining visitor programming with conservation science, though at much larger scale.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Iconic nonprofit marine aquarium and conservation organization with seafood sustainability, education, and ocean advocacy programs. Comparable through nonprofit aquarium model and ocean conservation advocacy, though at significantly larger scale and national brand.

Regional players

• Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (FAU): Florida Atlantic University-based marine research and education institute in Fort Pierce, FL on the Treasure Coast. Comparable through Florida coastal marine research, water quality, and ocean ecosystem science, with significant geographic overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FLOceanographic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FLOceanographic?feature=mhee
• Facebookfacebook.com/floridaoceanographic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-oceanographic-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/floridaoceanographic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Florida Oceanographic Society