Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Name

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Legal name

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy

Website

https://atlanticwhiteshark.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation & Wildlife Research

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Shark tracking technology
• Environmental education programs
• Wildlife conservation nonprofit
• Public safety outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Chatham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Shark Center Admissions: Revenue from the Shark Center in Chatham, MA offering interactive exhibits, videos, and educational displays. Daily admission fee of $10/person with children 5 and under admitted free.
2. Shark Center Memberships: Annual membership programs including Best Fins ($25/year dual), Shark Shiver ($50/year family), Shark Shiver+ ($100/year ultimate family), and Shark Supporter ($200/year ultimate) tiers.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online and in-store shop selling hoodies, hats, and custom-designed gear. All proceeds support the AWSC mission.
4. License Plate Sales: Massachusetts specialty license plates designed by marine-life artist Paul McPhee. $28 of the $40 special plate fee is tax deductible and donated to AWSC. Renewal fees of $40 also donated.
5. Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsors can sponsor buoys, name sharks, advertise on Sharktivity app, or sponsor events like the annual Gala. Includes buoy sponsorships and Sharktivity advertising.
6. Apex Society Major Donations: Gold Member ($100,000), Silver Member ($50,000), Bronze Member ($25,000) annual cash or stock donations.
7. Planned Giving/Legacy Society: Bequests, life income gifts, charitable trusts, and life insurance gifts to support AWSC's future mission.
8. Expedition Programs: White shark expeditions offering ecotourism and research experiences on the water.
9. Event Revenue: Revenue from educational lectures, social events, and special programs like Season Kick Off Parties.
10. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations via website, PayPal, Venmo (@AtlanticWhiteShark), or mail. Monthly recurring donations of at least $10/month encouraged.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that funds and conducts white shark scientific research, operates the AWSC Shark Center museum and educational facility in Chatham, MA, and maintains technology platforms including the Sharktivity mobile app and White Shark Logbook for public shark sighting reporting and tracking. The organization delivers public safety data to Cape Cod municipalities, develops science-based curriculum for schools, and runs community education and outreach programs.

Product overview

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy operates as a nonprofit focused on white shark research, education, and public safety in the Northwest Atlantic. Its product portfolio centers on the Sharktivity ecosystem (Sharktivity App and Sharktivity Pro subscription), the White Shark Logbook and Catalog for research data access, and the Shark Center Chatham as an in-person education venue. These core offerings are supported by educational programs including Shark Smart Beach outreach, STEM Week, and an intern program; accessibility initiatives including sensory-friendly visits and Aira integration; and revenue-generating merchandise, memberships, license plates, expeditions, and donor recognition programs (Apex Society, Legacy Society). The organization provides what it describes as the most comprehensive publicly available information on white sharks in the Northwest Atlantic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sharktivity: White shark sighting and tracking app developed with input from Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, Cape Cod National Seashore, and officials from Cape Cod and South Shore towns.
• White Shark Logbook
• Gills Club

Products and services

• Sharktivity App A mobile application (iOS and Android) that displays white shark sightings, detections, and real-time alerts to help beachgoers stay informed about shark activity off Cape Cod. Users can view confirmed and unconfirmed sightings, report their own sightings with photos for verification, and receive push notifications when sharks are detected near public beaches.
• Sharktivity Pro A subscription tier within the Sharktivity iOS app that provides exclusive features including Field Updates from the science team, home screen widgets, and app customization options. Standard features like shark alerts remain free for all users.
• White Shark Logbook An interactive online platform providing acoustic detection data for tagged white sharks off the coast of Massachusetts. Allows users to explore real-time and historical shark movements, detections, and activity patterns in the Northwest Atlantic.
• White Shark Catalog

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 individual white sharks identified and cataloged in the Northwest Atlantic
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, core and minor.

• Kulture CitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sensory inclusive certification completed in 2025. Staff and volunteers trained in sensory inclusive practices. Sensory bags and labeled areas available for visitors with sensory needs.
• Autism AlliancesecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership established in 2024 to train AWSC staff and volunteers to understand and welcome those who have autism. Goal is to create a more inclusive community for all visitors.
• Massachusetts Division of Marine FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Primary research partner since 2013. AWSC is the largest funder of DMF's white shark research studies led by state marine biologist Dr. Greg Skomal. Collaboration includes population estimates, movement tracking, and habitat use studies. AWSC provides funding and in-kind support for studies on fine-scale movements, broadscale movements along the east coast, and population genetics.
• New England White Shark Research ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of the consortium enabling collaborative research across Cape Cod and throughout New England. By working collaboratively, consortium members draw from individual expertise while tapping lessons learned from other white shark hotspots worldwide.
• New England AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew England Aquarium validates public sightings submitted through the Sharktivity app, providing expert verification of reported shark sightings to ensure data accuracy.
• AirasecondaryTechnology or IntegrationVisual interpreting app partnership allowing visitors who are blind or low vision to connect with professional interpreters as they explore the Shark Center.
• Cape Cod National SeashorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in producing shark advisory signs, flags, and brochures for beach safety. Collaborates with AWSC on shark mitigation alternatives analysis.
• Woods Hole Sea GrantsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported development of the 'Understanding the Rewilding of Cape Cod' middle school curriculum unit exploring seal and shark population dynamics.
• Conserve.iosecondaryTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped the Sharktivity app for AWSC with input from Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Cape Cod National Seashore officials.
• Cape ClaspminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApp sponsor for Sharktivity application.
• N. Granese & SonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApp sponsor for Sharktivity application.
• Tide GuideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApp sponsor for Sharktivity application.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Cape Cod-based marine research institution that co-developed AWSC's middle school curriculum and conducts broader ocean science. Comparable regional New England marine science focus and partnership overlap, though WHOI is a much larger research institution rather than a public-facing nonprofit.

Direct peers

• OCEARCH: National nonprofit focused on shark and ocean research through tagging and a publicly accessible shark tracker. Highly comparable mission (white shark research, public tracking data, education) with similar real-time shark tracking product, though operating at a larger national scale.
• Sea Turtle Conservancy: Florida-based nonprofit focused on sea turtle research, education, and conservation. Comparable structure as a species-specific marine conservation nonprofit combining field research, public education resources, and donor-supported programs.
• Atlantic Marine Conservation Society: Long Island-based nonprofit focused on marine animal response, research, and education along the US Atlantic coast. Comparable regional Atlantic-coast nonprofit combining stranding response, research, and public education in an overlapping geography with AWSC.
• New England Aquarium: Boston-based aquarium and marine conservation nonprofit. Comparable as a regional New England marine education and conservation organization; it also directly partners with AWSC by validating public shark sightings submitted through Sharktivity.
• Shark Research Institute: Nonprofit dedicated to scientific research on sharks and rays, including tagging, population studies, and public education. Directly comparable research-and-education mission focused on elasmobranchs, though with a global rather than regional focus.
• The Marine Mammal Center: California-based nonprofit combining marine mammal rescue/rehabilitation, research, and education. Comparable operating model: single-site nonprofit combining a physical visitor/education facility with research, veterinary, and volunteer-driven programs.

Broad incumbents

• Georgia Aquarium: Large US aquarium with active research, conservation, and education programming including shark-focused exhibits. Comparable as a marine conservation nonprofit with research and visitor-education components, but at substantially larger scale and broader species portfolio.
• National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: Nonprofit supporting the National Marine Sanctuary System through education, conservation, and community programs. Comparable as a US marine conservation nonprofit with education and public engagement focus, though at a national scale covering multiple sanctuaries rather than one species.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Major US aquarium combining visitor exhibits, conservation research, and education programs. Comparable as an aquarium-led marine conservation nonprofit, but with a much larger physical footprint and broader species focus than AWSC's shark-specific scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AtlanticWhiteSharkConservancy/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/atlanticwhiteshark
• Instagraminstagram.com/atlanticwhiteshark

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Atlantic White Shark Conservancy