Bay Islands Conservation Association

Marine Conservation Servicesbicainc.org

Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) is a Honduras-based marine conservation nonprofit founded in 1990 that protects coral reefs, sea turtles, mangroves, and water quality across the Bay Islands of Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja through research, environmental education, protected area co-management with the Honduran government, and community development programs.

Company typePrivate
Founded1990
HeadquartersTampa, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Bay Islands Conservation Association does

Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) is a non-profit marine conservation organization founded in 1990 by concerned citizens to protect the natural resources of Honduras' Bay Islands, which form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System — the second-largest barrier reef in the world. BICA operates three island chapters (Utila, Roatan, Guanaja) under four program pillars: Research & Monitoring, Environmental Education, Protection & Surveillance, and Community Development. Underlying capabilities include a Water Quality Laboratory on Roatan offering physicochemical, microbiological, and nutrient analysis; Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) monitoring across 10 sites with 412 colonies treated and tagged; coral nurseries and restoration science since 2018; sea turtle nest protection (Nesting Hope program) on Utila; mangrove reforestation; and citizen science initiatives including microplastics analysis and drift card studies. Under a 1994 co-management agreement with Honduras' Institute of Forestry Conservation and Wildlife (ICF), BICA co-manages the Bay Islands National Marine Park and Port Royal National Park.

BICA's revenue is diversified across individual donations (one-time and monthly from $5), corporate sponsorships, EcoShop retail sales on Utila and Roatan, Acropora Eco Trail Run event fees (approximately 600 participants annually), symbolic adoption programs (Adopt-a-Nest, Adopt-a-Beach), youth program sponsorships, and grants from funders including MARFUND, JICA, National Geographic, Seacology, Flora & Fauna International, and New England Biolab Foundation. A 501c3 entity in Tampa, FL facilitates US-based tax-deductible giving. Educational programs reach 8 schools on Utila with weekly instruction (375 students weekly, 575 workshops in 2023). Recent strategic moves include the February 2026 Strategic Plan refresh, the $650,000 Crawfish Rock Community Center project, the Ocean Protectors Divemaster scholarship program, and Roots & Shoots youth education. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with 11-50 staff across chapters and operates without external PE/VC ownership.

Bay Islands Conservation Association firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Bay Islands Conservation Association
Legal name: Bay Islands Conservation Association - BICA INC
Website: https://bicainc.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1990
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA) is a Honduras-based marine conservation nonprofit founded in 1990 that protects coral reefs, sea turtles, mangroves, and water quality across the Bay Islands of Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja through research, environmental education, protected area co-management with the Honduran government, and community development programs.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Bay Islands Conservation Association industry classification

Industry

Product category: Marine Conservation Services
NAICS: Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro primary industry: Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)
akta.pro secondary industry: Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks) (THAAAFAJ)

Keywords

Marine conservation services
Coral reef restoration
Environmental education programs
Protected area management
Water quality monitoring

Where Bay Islands Conservation Association is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Tampa
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

Bay Islands Conservation Association business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals supporting marine conservation; monthly donation option available starting from $5 equivalent
Corporate Donors and Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships for conservation support with custom recognition packages available; alignment with ocean conservation and community education
EcoShop Sales: Sale of sustainable and reusable products through EcoShops in Utila and Roatan; revenue supports environmental education and marine conservation programs
Event Fundraising: Acropora Eco Trail Run event with participant fees; supports coral reef restoration and community center construction
Symbolic Adoption Programs: Adopt-a-Nest and Adopt-a-Beach programs offering symbolic donations for sea turtle and nesting site protection
Youth Program Sponsorships: Sponsorships for Sea Turtle Camp educational programs for local youth combining conservation talks, games, and fieldwork

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Monthly Donation - Ongoing Support
One time/ perpetual license	Pay-as-you-go	One-time Donation - Direct Support
Subscription	Annual	Adopt-a-Nest - Symbolic Donation
Subscription	Pay-as-you-go	Adopt-a-Beach - Coastal Patrol Support
Subscription	Annual	Youth Camp Sponsorship

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Bay Islands Conservation Association product offering

Product offering

Core offering

BICA delivers marine and coastal conservation programs across the Bay Islands of Honduras through four interconnected pillars: Research and Monitoring (coral reefs, sea turtles, mangroves, seagrass, water quality), Environmental Education (school and community outreach), Protection and Surveillance (coral nurseries, mangrove restoration, marine protected area patrols), and Community Development (water governance, sanitation, waste management). The organization also co-manages the Bay Islands National Marine Park and Port Royal National Park with the Honduran government, operates EcoShop retail outlets for sustainable products, and runs fundraising events such as the Acropora Eco Trail Run.

Product overview

BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association) is a non-profit marine conservation organization operating across three island chapters (Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja) with a centralized Tampa, FL 501c3 entity. The organization delivers conservation impact through four interconnected program pillars: Research and Monitoring, Environmental Education, Protection and Surveillance, and Community Development. Core offerings include coral reef monitoring and restoration, sea turtle conservation (Nesting Hope), water quality testing services via an on-site laboratory, mangrove reforestation, and marine protected area co-management. Supporting programs include the EcoShop social enterprise for sustainable products, youth development through the Ocean Protectors Divemaster scholarships and Roots & Shoots education, community initiatives like waste separation and water/sanitation projects, and annual fundraising events including the Acropora Eco Trail Run. Research activities encompass SCTLD disease monitoring, citizen science projects, and coral spawning monitoring. The portfolio is unified by a mission to conserve coastal marine resources through participatory, transparent, and sustainable management for present and future generations in Honduras' Bay Islands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Research and Monitoring Program

Companies that use Bay Islands Conservation Association

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Bay Islands Conservation Association technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Bay Islands Conservation Association partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

Institute of Forestry Conservation and Wildlife (ICF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1994Co-management agreement since 1994 for marine and terrestrial protected areas in the Bay Islands of Honduras
Coral Reef AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner supporting coral reef monitoring and restoration initiatives
MPAConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner supporting marine protected area capacity building
Roatan Marine ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-manager of Bay Islands National Marine Park; joint protection and conservation efforts
Fundación Islas de la Bahía (FIB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for environmental education and conservation in the Bay Islands
Utila Research Conservation and Facilities (KANAHAU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Utila's environmental education program
Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center (WSORC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in environmental education on Utila
University of AlabamamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for research and monitoring collaboration
UNAH CURLAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Autonomous University of Honduras campus supporting research
ECOSURmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEl Colegio de la Frontera Sur academic research institution
The University of MemphismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership
Turtle Harbour Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtected area designation by National Congress of Honduras (Decree No. 75-2010) for sea turtle protection on Utila
Port Royal National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-managed protected area covering 499.59 ha with BICA implementing environmental protection projects
Wildlife Conservation SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational wildlife conservation organization
RAREmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation behavior change organization
Healthy Reefs InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReef health monitoring and reporting partnership
Break Free From Plastic (BFFP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal plastic pollution advocacy network
GPMLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Partnership on Marine Litter
College of Diving UtilaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDive operator supporter providing dive services and customer referrals
Anthony's Key ResortminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoatan resort supporter and dive operation partner
Utila Dive CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDive center supporter on Utila

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Bay Islands Conservation Association competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Bay Islands Conservation Association financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Bay Islands Conservation Association leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Bay Islands Conservation Association funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Bay Islands Conservation Association M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bay Islands Conservation Association

What does Bay Islands Conservation Association do?

Is Bay Islands Conservation Association a public or private company?

Bay Islands Conservation Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Bay Islands Conservation Association founded?

Bay Islands Conservation Association was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Bay Islands Conservation Association based?

Bay Islands Conservation Association is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.

How does Bay Islands Conservation Association make money?

Six revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Donors and Sponsorships, ecoShop Sales, event Fundraising, symbolic Adoption Programs and youth Program Sponsorships.

Does Bay Islands Conservation Association have an API?

No public API is recorded for Bay Islands Conservation Association.

What industry is Bay Islands Conservation Association in?

Bay Islands Conservation Association's product category is Marine Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAH, Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks), with a secondary code of THAAAFAJ, Marine Wildlife Sanctuaries & Protected Seascape Visitor Operations (Reef/Marine Parks). Its NAICS code is 712190 and its SIC code is 8600.