Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center

What Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center does

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center (ATMEC) is a Thailand-based marine science education and research initiative operating under the Love Wildlife Foundation, founded in 2020 and based at Aow Thai. Its functional role is to deliver structured marine ecology education and to generate biodiversity data through citizen science, serving three customer groups: fee-paying adult course participants, school groups, and research interns. The center offers three marine ecology courses, school outreach under Project Deep Blue plus adapted curricula, and research internships, with participant fees ranging from 20,000 to 85,000 THB per program. Operational delivery is anchored by formal collaboration with Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), giving the center access to national marine sites and regulatory standing that independent operators lack.

The center's research arm consists of four citizen science projects - TTAT, MARsCI, Sea Slug Thailand, and iSeahorse - which convert student and volunteer fieldwork into biodiversity datasets for Thai waters and feed content back into the curriculum. Underlying technology is field- and pedagogy-based rather than software-based: there is no proprietary platform, app, or digital product in evidence, and the model relies on in-person instruction, boat-based fieldwork, and partner site access. Business model revenue is a blend of course fees, donations to the parent foundation, and merchandise; Phase 1 reportedly educated 500+ students. From December 2023 through December 2026, on-island course operations are suspended for site refurbishment, and a Phase 2 expansion announced for 2024 targets the broader Gulf of Thailand and Andaman coastline to resume activity at larger scale once the pause ends.

Name

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center

Legal name

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center

Website

https://atmec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center is a Thai nonprofit (under Love Wildlife Foundation) delivering marine ecology courses, school programs, and citizen science research in partnership with Thailand's DMCR, serving students, interns, and visiting groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Science Education and Research

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips) (THAAAIAB)

Keywords

• Marine biology education
• Marine ecology research
• Coral reef conservation
• Citizen science programs
• Marine conservation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Pom Prap

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Courses and Internships: ATMEC generates revenue through offering professional marine ecology courses (Coral Reef Ecology, Benthic Ecology, People and the Sea) and research internships. Pricing ranges from 20,000-85,000 THB depending on course duration and program type.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations and receives project-specific funding from various supporters and partners to fund research and conservation activities.
3. Merchandise Sales: ATMEC sells merchandise as one of the funding streams mentioned on their supporter page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center (ATMEC) delivers professional marine biology and ecology education through three SCUBA-based courses (Coral Reef Ecology, Benthic Ecology, People and the Sea) and multi-month research internships. It also operates citizen science programs documenting sea turtles, sea slugs, seahorses, and discarded fishing gear in Thailand's waters, in collaboration with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).

Product overview

Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center (ATMEC) is a marine science initiative established in 2020 by Love Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with Thailand's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). The organization operates as a marine research and education center rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings include three professional Marine Ecology Courses (Coral Reef Ecology, Benthic Ecology, and People and the Sea) providing theoretical and practical education with SCUBA training, along with Research Internships for extended research participation. ATMEC also supports school groups through Project Deep Blue and shorter Adapted Programs. The organization's citizen science portfolio includes Tao Talay Aow Thai (TTAT) for sea turtle monitoring, MARsCI for documenting discarded fishing gear, Sea Slug Thailand for biodiversity documentation, and iSeahorse data contribution partnerships. ATMEC also produces peer-reviewed research publications advancing marine science in Thailand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Ecology Courses Three distinct professional courses combining theoretical classroom learning with practical SCUBA-based activities, covering coral reef biology, benthic ecology, and human-ocean interactions. Open to students aged 16+ regardless of prior SCUBA experience. Includes a minimum of 15 dives for Coral Reef Ecology and 10 dives for People and the Sea.
• Research Internships Extended research programs (typically 2-3 months) where certified students assist and conduct marine research projects under ATMEC staff supervision. Includes transport, accommodation, equipment, certification, and a minimum of 25 field survey dives per month. Priced 65,000–85,000 THB per semester.
• Project Deep Blue School excursion program offering students hands-on marine environment experience spanning biology, conservation, and resource use. Delivered through Love Wildlife Foundation for school group bookings.
• Adapted Programs Shorter excursions and day-trips for school groups adaptable to specific syllabus requirements, covering topics from plastic pollution to sea turtle monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ students and interns educated in Phase 1 (2020-2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, certification center, multi-tier, fieldwork center and minor.

• Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATMEC operates in collaboration with Thailand's DMCR, based on a Memorandum of Understanding between the DMCR and Love Wildlife Foundation. DMCR manages Koh Mun Nai island where ATMEC conducts field research. ATMEC and DMCR facilitate and support the research, education and conservation priorities of one another.
• Love Wildlife FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATMEC is a marine science focused initiative by Love Wildlife Foundation, a registered Thai foundation (Registration Number: กท 1943, Tax ID: 099 3 00009553 7). Love Wildlife Foundation serves as the parent organization, providing organizational infrastructure and handling school group programs.
• IUCN AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUCN Asia is a project creator for MARsCI (Marine science Citizens Initiative), collaborating with DMCR and ATMEC. This represents a collaboration between government, non-government and academic organisations.
• EJ Foundationcertification centerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEJ Foundation is a certification center for MARsCI, having participated in multiple MARsCI cleanup and data collection dives, with qualified individuals to certify others in the MARsCI protocol.
• Thai Ocean Academymulti-tierChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThai Ocean Academy serves both as a certification center and fieldwork center for MARsCI. They have individuals qualified to certify others in the MARsCI protocol and prioritize fieldwork components of the protocol representing their respective regions.
• Nature Mind EDfieldwork centerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFieldwork center partner for MARsCI, prioritizing fieldwork components of the MARsCI protocol and representing their respective regions.
• New Heaven Reef Conservationfieldwork centerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFieldwork center partner for MARsCI, prioritizing fieldwork components of the MARsCI protocol representing their respective regions.
• Coral Tribefieldwork centerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFieldwork center partner for MARsCI, prioritizing fieldwork components of the MARsCI protocol representing their respective regions.
• ECCA (Ecological Consultancy and Conservation)minorOthersListed as a supporter of ATMEC activities and productivity.
• CORDAP (Coral Reef Degradation and Anthropocene Project)minorOthersListed as a supporter of ATMEC activities and productivity.
• Conservation DivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation Diver is listed as a supporter and partner. ATMEC offers Conservation Diver courses on demand and utilizes their seahorse monitoring course. The relationship dates back to Project Seahorse initiatives in the Gulf of Thailand.
• Project Seahorse / iSeahorsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATMEC maintains a productive relationship with Project Seahorse that was established in the Gulf of Thailand with Conservation Diver. ATMEC collects and provides data to their citizen science portal iSeahorse.org.
• Sea Slug ThailandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacebook page created and administered by enthusiastic divers. In collaboration with ATMEC, Sea Slug Thailand has begun cataloguing and analysing diversity and distribution of sea slugs in Thailand, curating over 5000 observations.
• Bird Conservation Society of ThailandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCST, Thailand's Birdlife Partner, has been monitoring Spring bird migration at Koh Mun Nai for over a decade with an MOU with DMCR signed on same day as ATMEC's.
• Dive Ventures ThailandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorATMEC was featured alongside Dive Ventures Thailand in International School Leader Magazine for bringing marine science and SCUBA education to international schools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Project Seahorse: Marine conservation research and citizen science initiative focused on seahorses and their habitats; ATMEC contributes to its iSeahorse.org portal. Directly comparable as a niche marine citizen-science and conservation-research organization.
• Reef Check: International citizen-science reef monitoring network running Reef Check surveys globally. Comparable to ATMEC's citizen science model (TTAT, Sea Slug Thailand) and SCUBA-based biodiversity data collection.
• Thai Ocean Academy: Thai marine education and dive-training organization that is both a certification center and fieldwork partner for ATMEC's MARsCI project. Closely comparable as a Thailand-based marine-science and SCUBA training provider.
• Conservation Diver: Global marine conservation education and diver-certification organization that partners with ATMEC and supplies courses (including seahorse monitoring) used in ATMEC programs. Directly comparable as a marine-science training and citizen-science provider.
• New Heaven Reef Conservation: Koh Tao–based Thai marine conservation and education program that is a fieldwork partner of ATMEC's MARsCI initiative. Highly comparable as a Thai-based SCUBA diving citizen-science and education operator.

Broad incumbents

• Blue Marine Foundation: International marine conservation NGO focused on ocean protection, MPAs and marine biodiversity policy. Comparable as a marine conservation funder and program operator, though at a larger scale and broader geographic remit.
• Reef-World Foundation: International NGO running the Green Fins program for sustainable diving and marine tourism, with a global footprint. Comparable to ATMEC as a marine conservation organization targeting the dive industry and policy.
• IUCN Asia: Regional office of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and project creator of MARsCI alongside ATMEC and DMCR. Comparable as a marine and freshwater conservation organization running citizen-science programs.

Emerging players

• Marine Megafauna Foundation: Marine research and conservation organization focused on large marine species and citizen science. Comparable in blending research, education and citizen-driven data collection for marine biodiversity outcomes.

Regional players

• Coral Tribe: Indonesia-based marine conservation and education organization that is a MARsCI fieldwork partner alongside ATMEC. Comparable in mission (coral reef conservation, community-led diving science) though operating primarily in Indonesia.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC66A58XM41L0uFR_YpwAMeg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ATMEC.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atmec-thailand
• Instagraminstagram.com/atmec_team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center