Project Baseline
Project Baseline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes ~375 volunteer divers worldwide to systematically document underwater environmental change, publishing observations through a free public database used by researchers and conservation partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersReno, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Project Baseline does
Project Baseline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes volunteer divers to document and monitor underwater environmental conditions globally. Founded in 2009 as a conservation initiative of Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), it incorporated as an independent nonprofit by 2019 and continues to maintain a sponsorship relationship with GUE. The organization's primary functional purpose is to organize citizen-science divers — approximately 375 globally as of 2021 — into a structured observation network spanning the USA, UK, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The organization's core product is the Project Baseline Database, a freely accessible online repository that ingests structured underwater observations (benthic conditions, species presence, habitat state) submitted by trained volunteer divers. The database functions as both a contributor tool and a public research asset, with academic partnerships (notably with the University of Southampton for seagrass surveys) leveraging the dataset for peer-reviewed work. Supporting infrastructure includes a Data Submission System to standardize intake and co-branded dive equipment (with Halcyon Manufacturing) that embeds the program into the technical diving community.
Project Baseline operates on a donation-funded nonprofit model: contributions are tax-deductible, there are no fee-based services, and a small paid staff of 1–10 supports a largely volunteer contributor base. Revenue mechanics are purely charitable, supplemented by in-kind partnerships with equipment manufacturers and academic institutions. The go-to-market is community-led through dive clubs, training organizations, and conservation alliances rather than commercial sales channels, which constrains scalability but yields a deeply engaged participant base.
Project Baseline firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Project Baseline
- Legal name
- Project Baseline
- Website
- https://projectbaseline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Project Baseline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes ~375 volunteer divers worldwide to systematically document underwater environmental change, publishing observations through a free public database used by researchers and conservation partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Project Baseline industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)
Keywords
Where Project Baseline is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reno
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Project Baseline business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization (tax identification number 88-0481583), Project Baseline operates entirely on donations. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. The organization does not charge for participation - volunteer divers contribute their time and data freely.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Project Baseline product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Project Baseline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer scuba divers, free-divers, and snorkelers worldwide to systematically record and monitor changes in underwater environments. Its core offering is a freely accessible online database that aggregates standardized underwater observation data—including photographs, GPS coordinates, temperature, and visibility measurements—collected by a global network of 375 volunteer divers across countries including the USA, UK, Norway, Italy, Netherlands, and New Zealand. The organization engages scientific, conservation, and government entities to use this longitudinal dataset to support restoration, protection, and policy efforts targeting five focus areas: Eutrophication, Overfishing, Ghost Fishing & Plastics, Baseline Shift, and Historical Heritage.
Product overview
Project Baseline is a nonprofit organization operating a citizen-science platform for underwater environmental monitoring. The core offering consists of the Project Baseline Database, which aggregates and displays volunteer-collected underwater observations, paired with a Data Submission System allowing divers to contribute observations on location, depth, temperature, and visibility. The organization focuses on five key environmental areas: Eutrophication, Overfishing, Ghost Fishing & Plastics, Baseline Shift, and Historical Heritage. The platform serves as the primary tool for engaging volunteer divers in conservation efforts to document and protect underwater ecosystems globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Project Baseline Database A freely accessible online database that stores and displays data and images collected by volunteer citizen-divers documenting changes in underwater environments worldwide. Users can browse, search, and submit standardized observations including location, depth, temperature, and visibility measurements.
- Data Submission System A platform for submitting underwater observation data including location, depth, temperature, and visibility measurements to the Project Baseline database. Supports existing projects, ad-hoc submissions, and email-based submissions for volunteer divers participating in citizen science documentation.
- Project Application Process An online application system that allows volunteers to start their own Project Baseline initiative in their local area, enabling citizens worldwide to contribute to global underwater documentation efforts under the standardized Project Baseline methodology.
Quantifiable outcome
- 375 volunteer divers across multiple countries documenting underwater environments since 2009
Companies that use Project Baseline
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Project Baseline technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Project Baseline partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Global Underwater Explorers (GUE)coreProject Baseline originated as the conservation initiative for Global Underwater Explorers (GUE), a scuba diving organization formed in 1999. GUE divers constitute the majority of teams regularly engaging in Project Baseline missions. GUE continues to sponsor Project Baseline both monetarily and through incorporation of the Project Baseline mission into their training programs and messaging. The organizations maintain a close working relationship with shared goals in diver education and underwater conservation.
- Halcyon ManufacturingminorProject Baseline collaborated with Halcyon Manufacturing (co-founded by GUE founder Jarrod Jablonski) to create custom Project Baseline dive wings. Halcyon is a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced scuba diving equipment. The collaboration produces branded merchandise that supports the organization.
- Blue Hope AlliancecoreBlue Hope Alliance is a cross-sector 'Network for Nature' that connects like-minded groups through a community-led citizen science survey collaboration, supported by volunteer marine scientists and divers. They work for the restoration of the marine ecosystem in the north west of Scotland. Project Baseline UK supported their 2023 maerl surveys and this collaboration continues into 2025.
- Blue Marine FoundationminorBlue Marine Foundation is a marine conservation organization. Project Baseline UK collaborated with them and MarineQuest Dive on data collection efforts for horse mussel distribution studies off the East Coast of Scotland in 2022/2023.
- MarineQuest DiveminorMarineQuest Dive participated in collaborative data collection with Project Baseline UK and Blue Marine Foundation for marine conservation research including horse mussel distribution studies.
- Berwickshire Marine ReserveminorBerwickshire Marine Reserve is a marine protected area where Project Baseline UK divers conducted surveys contributing to scientific publications on marine ecosystem research.
- University of SouthamptonminorProject Baseline UK collaborates with University of Southampton on seagrass surveys at Studland Bay in Dorset, combining citizen science data collection with academic research.
- Dorset Coastal ForumminorDorset Coastal Forum partners with Project Baseline UK on seagrass surveys at Studland Bay, integrating citizen science data into coastal management efforts.
- Matthew Good FoundationminorThe Matthew Good Foundation supported Project Baseline's conservation efforts, including participation in scientific publications related to marine conservation research.
- Santi DivingminorSanti Diving is mentioned as a supporter of Project Baseline's conservation work, with their logo appearing in scientific publication acknowledgments for marine research collaborations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Project Baseline competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Oceana: Oceana is a major international ocean conservation advocacy organization focused on policy campaigns around overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. It overlaps with Project Baseline's focus areas (overfishing, eutrophication, plastics) but pursues them through policy advocacy rather than citizen-science data collection.
- The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is one of the largest global environmental nonprofits, with substantial marine and coastal conservation programs including scientific monitoring of marine protected areas. It competes for donor attention and grant funding in the same ocean-conservation space as Project Baseline, though at vastly greater scale.
- PADI AWARE Foundation: PADI AWARE is the conservation arm of the world's largest recreational diving organization, running citizen science and marine debris programs through the global PADI dive center network. It overlaps with Project Baseline in mission (diver-driven ocean conservation) but operates at much greater scale through its parent organization.
Direct peers
- Reef Life Survey: Reef Life Survey trains recreational divers to conduct underwater fish and invertebrate surveys using standardized methods and publishes results in an open global dataset. It mirrors Project Baseline's volunteer-diver-driven, longitudinal, open-database model for marine biodiversity monitoring.
- Reef Check Foundation: Reef Check mobilizes volunteer scuba divers worldwide to survey and monitor coral reef health using standardized protocols. It is the closest direct peer to Project Baseline in mission, methodology (citizen diver data collection), and structure (nonprofit, global volunteer network, public database).
- CoralWatch: CoralWatch runs a citizen science program that engages divers and snorkelers to monitor coral bleaching using a standardized coral health chart. It is directly comparable to Project Baseline in its volunteer-diver, open-data, nonprofit approach to underwater environmental monitoring.
Emerging players
- SeaLegacy: SeaLegacy uses professional photography, expeditions, and storytelling campaigns to drive ocean conservation awareness and funding. It overlaps with Project Baseline's underwater documentation mission and donor-base appeal, but relies on professional imagery rather than citizen-collected datasets.
- Surfrider Foundation: Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots nonprofit focused on beach access, water quality, and coastal conservation, with a volunteer chapter network and citizen science programs (e.g., Blue Water Task Force). It shares Project Baseline's volunteer-driven nonprofit model and coastal focus, though its water-quality work is shore-based rather than underwater.
- Marine Conservation Institute: Marine Conservation Institute runs the Marine Protection Atlas and works to establish and strengthen marine protected areas globally using scientific data. It is comparable as a science-driven nonprofit focused on underwater habitat protection, though it leans more on remote sensing and policy mapping than volunteer diver surveys.
Others
- Global Underwater Explorers (GUE): GUE is the parent diving organization from which Project Baseline originated and continues to receive sponsorship and diver pipeline support. While not a direct peer (GUE is a dive training agency, not a conservation nonprofit), its tight operational and personnel overlap with Project Baseline makes it the most ecosystem-relevant comparable organization.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Project Baseline social profiles
Digital presenceProject Baseline financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Project Baseline leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Project Baseline subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Project Baseline funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Project Baseline M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Project Baseline
What does Project Baseline do?
Project Baseline is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes volunteer scuba divers, free-divers, and snorkelers worldwide to systematically record and monitor changes in underwater environments. Its core offering is a freely accessible online database that aggregates standardized underwater observation data—including photographs, GPS coordinates, temperature, and visibility measurements—collected by a global network of 375 volunteer divers across countries including the USA, UK, Norway, Italy, Netherlands, and New Zealand. The organization engages scientific, conservation, and government entities to use this longitudinal dataset to support restoration, protection, and policy efforts targeting five focus areas: Eutrophication, Overfishing, Ghost Fishing & Plastics, Baseline Shift, and Historical Heritage.
Is Project Baseline a public or private company?
Project Baseline is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Project Baseline founded?
Project Baseline was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Project Baseline based?
Project Baseline is headquartered in Reno, United States, in the North America region.
How does Project Baseline make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Who are Project Baseline's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Oceana, The Nature Conservancy and PADI AWARE Foundation. Direct peers are Reef Life Survey, Reef Check Foundation and CoralWatch. Emerging players are SeaLegacy, Surfrider Foundation and Marine Conservation Institute. Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) is listed as an others.
Does Project Baseline have an API?
No public API is recorded for Project Baseline.
What industry is Project Baseline in?
Project Baseline's product category is Marine Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of BPADALAI, Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management. Its NAICS code is 813312 and its SIC code is 8731.