Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

What Institute for Marine Mammal Studies does

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by Dr. Moby Solangi and headquartered at 10801 Dolphin Lane, Gulfport, Mississippi. It functions as the premier stranding response organization in the Mississippi–Louisiana–Alabama region and the only rehabilitation facility for marine mammals and sea turtles in Mississippi. IMMS operates as an active participant in NOAA's National Stranding Network and the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, and holds state and federal permits for satellite transmitter application on sea turtles. Its programs span marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, sea turtle rehabilitation, long-term bottlenose dolphin photo-identification research using dorsal fin nicks and scars cataloged in a Microsoft Access-based FinBase database, and sea turtle satellite telemetry tracking delivered through a public-facing tracking portal.

IMMS's core product surface includes the Ocean Adventures Marine Park — featuring a 500-seat arena, educational museum, classrooms, and a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital — which generates earned revenue through ticket sales on Bookeo, gift certificates, field trips, summer camps, and public programs. Supporting offerings include education programs for K–12 and college groups, a structured internship pipeline (Research, Animal Training, Aquarist/Education, Veterinary Externship with MSU-CVM, and Stranding), volunteer programs, and peer-reviewed scientific publications. Technology assets center on non-invasive photo-identification methodology, satellite telemetry hardware partnerships with MDMR, and necropsy/tissue analysis capabilities.

IMMS's business model is a hybrid of (a) charitable donations via PayPal, Amazon wishlist, and the Mississippi specialty marine conservation license plate program, (b) earned income from Ocean Adventures ticketed programs, and (c) likely grant funding from NOAA, MDMR, USFWS, MDEQ, NFWF, and academic partners including Mississippi State University, University of Southern Mississippi, and University of Miami. Its customer base spans the general Mississippi Gulf Coast public, K–12 and college students, aspiring marine science professionals (interns/volunteers), and federal/state agencies requiring regional stranding response capacity.

Name

Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

Legal name

Institute for Marine Mammal Studies Inc.

Website

https://imms.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 in Gulfport, Mississippi, serving as the premier marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation and stranding response organization for the Mississippi–Louisiana–Alabama Gulf Coast, combining rescue operations, photo-identification research, public education via Ocean Adventures Marine Park, and NOAA-coordinated stranding network participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gulfport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: IMMS operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization relying primarily on public donations. Donation mechanisms include PayPal (hosted_button_id HP43KED9MA7K8), purchase of Mississippi specialty marine conservation license plates, and Amazon wishlist item gifting for animal care supplies.
2. Ocean Adventures Marine Park Programs: Revenue generated from public visitor programs including interactive dolphin encounters, educational presentations, marine park tours, field trips, summer camps, and gift certificate sales through the Ocean Adventures brand.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMMS is a marine conservation nonprofit that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases stranded marine mammals (dolphins, whales, porpoises) and sea turtles along the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama Gulf Coast. It operates the Ocean Adventures Marine Park for public education, conducts long-term bottlenose dolphin photo-identification research and sea turtle satellite telemetry tracking, and runs educational programs including field trips, summer camps, and internships. The organization relies on donations, public program fees, and grants to fund its operations.

Product overview

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) is a marine conservation organization operating as a multi-faceted platform combining marine mammal rescue/rehabilitation, scientific research, and public education. The core offerings include the Ocean Adventures Marine Park for public education and animal interactions, Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation services for dolphins and whales, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation with satellite tracking capabilities, and Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-Identification Research. Supporting programs include education initiatives (field trips, camps, outreach), multiple internship pathways, volunteer opportunities, scientific publications, and donation/license plate programs. The organization functions as an integrated marine conservation center rather than a single product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Adventures Marine Park Educational marine park offering interactive programs with dolphins, sea lions, and tropical birds for public engagement and conservation awareness. Includes a 500-seat arena, educational museum, classrooms, and on-site ticketing.
• Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation
• Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Program
• Satellite Turtle Tracking (Track Our Turtles)
• Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-Identification Research
• Education Programs
• Internship Programs
• Volunteer Program
• Donation Program
• Mississippi Specialty License Plates

Quantifiable outcome

• Responded to hundreds of live and dead sea turtle strandings since 2010
• +2 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

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Orange Beach Wildlife CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2021Orange Beach Wildlife Center collaborated with IMMS on the November 2021 release of an adult Kemp's ridley sea turtle with satellite transmitter in Orange Beach, AL. IMMS provided rehabilitation and transport coordination.
• Turtles Fly ToocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 December 2020Turtles Fly Too is a volunteer organization that donates flights for endangered species. They transport cold-stunned sea turtles from Massachusetts to IMMS in Gulfport for rehabilitation, enabling IMMS to assist with overflow turtle care from Northeast facilities.
• Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU-CVM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMMS partners with MSU-CVM for veterinary care of stranded animals. MSU-CVM attending veterinarians supervise clinical work at IMMS, and the organizations jointly run a Veterinary Externship Program for 3rd and 4th year veterinary students. Specialty veterinarians from MSU-CVM provide additional care including eye exams, radiographs, and ultrasounds.
• University of Southern MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMMS collaborates with researchers from University of Southern Mississippi studying captive dolphin biology, including behavioral enrichment and acoustic studies. IMMS has provided funding and facilities to graduate students from this university for research.
• New England AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA, provides initial treatment for cold-stunned sea turtles before they are transferred to IMMS. IMMS received 30 turtles from this partnership in December 2022.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMMS operates as part of the National Marine Stranding Network and Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network under NOAA authority. NOAA coordinates cold-stunned turtle transfers to IMMS and IMMS holds federal permits authorized by NOAA for satellite tagging.
• Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDMR provides satellite transmitters for sea turtle tracking studies and collaborates on sea turtle nesting ecology analysis. MDMR and IMMS jointly conduct sea turtle releases with satellite tags in Mississippi waters.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSFWS collaborates with IMMS on sea turtle nesting ecology analysis, particularly on the Mississippi mainland and barrier islands.
• Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDEQ oversees the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) project administered through MDEQ that supports IMMS turtle conservation efforts.
• Dauphin Island Sea LabminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDauphin Island Sea Lab partnered with IMMS to analyze the necropsy and findings of the Fin Whale that stranded in Pass Christian in January 2023.
• Gulf WorldminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGulf World partnered with IMMS to analyze the Fin Whale necropsy findings alongside other collaborators including MSU and Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
• University of MiamiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMMS has conducted studies in cooperation with scientists from University of Miami as part of its broad collaborative research network.
• National Marine Fisheries ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMMS holds federal permits from NOAA Fisheries for satellite tagging and works with them on marine mammal stock assessments. Research collaborations have covered dolphin population dynamics following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
• Naval Research LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaval Research Laboratory collaborated with IMMS on ambient noise measurements in the Mississippi Sound and Gulfport harbor and their potential influence on marine mammals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Marine Mammal Center: Largest nonprofit marine mammal hospital in the U.S., specializing in the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded marine mammals (seals, sea lions, elephant seals, dolphins). Directly comparable to IMMS in mission scope (rescue, rehab, research, education) and nonprofit operating model, though at meaningfully larger scale and with broader species coverage on the West Coast.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Nonprofit marine rescue, rehabilitation, and education center in Florida focused on stranded marine animals including dolphins, sea turtles, and otters. Compares to IMMS in operating marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and public education programs; a clear like-for-like nonprofit peer in the Gulf/Southeast U.S. rescue ecosystem.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Florida-based nonprofit marine research institution running marine animal rescue and rehabilitation alongside an aquarium and education programs. Closely comparable to IMMS in the combination of stranding response, sea turtle/dolphin research, and public-facing aquarium programming on the Gulf Coast.
• National Marine Life Center: New England nonprofit marine animal hospital dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of stranded marine animals including seals, sea turtles, and dolphins. Directly comparable to IMMS as a regional marine rehabilitation nonprofit and a referral counterpart in the Northeast-to-Gulf cold-stun turtle pipeline.
• New England Aquarium: Major Boston-based nonprofit aquarium operating an on-site Sea Turtle Hospital that performs initial rehabilitation of cold-stunned sea turtles before transferring overflow to facilities like IMMS. A direct counterparty in IMMS's inter-regional turtle transfer partnership and a broader-scope peer in marine conservation education and research.
• Dauphin Island Sea Lab: Marine research and education facility on Alabama's Gulf Coast collaborating with IMMS on necropsies and joint research. Comparable to IMMS in coastal Alabama marine research, education, and stranding-response mission, and an active regional collaborator on ecosystem health and species studies.
• Pacific Marine Mammal Center: Laguna Beach-based nonprofit dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine mammals (seals, sea lions, elephant seals) and to public education. Closely comparable to IMMS in nonprofit marine rescue-and-rehabilitation model and education programming, despite differing regional focus and species mix.

Broad incumbents

• Texas State Aquarium: Large nonprofit aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas, focused on Gulf of Mexico marine life and wildlife rescue (including sea turtle and dolphin programs). Operates at significantly larger scale than IMMS in education and visitor programs while sharing the rescue-and-education mission across the western Gulf.
• Audubon Nature Institute: Family of nature facilities in New Orleans including the Audubon Aquarium and a coastal wildlife network engaged in marine animal rescue and conservation. Comparable to IMMS in Gulf Coast wildlife education and rescue mission, but materially larger in scale and aquarium footprint.

Others

• NOAA Fisheries: Federal agency that oversees the National Marine Stranding Network and issues the satellite-tagging permits under which IMMS operates. Comparable to IMMS as the regulatory counterpart and primary federal partner for IMMS's marine mammal and sea turtle research, rescue, and population monitoring work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrz13d-qnUHuBBb9cdOJXFA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstituteForMarineMammalStudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-marine-mammal-studies-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Marine Mammal Studies