The SeaDoc Society

What The SeaDoc Society does

SeaDoc Society is a 501(c)(3) marine conservation nonprofit that funds and conducts scientific research aimed at protecting the health of marine wildlife and ecosystems in the Salish Sea, spanning the U.S. Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Founded circa 2000 as a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the organization is headquartered on Orcas Island, Washington, and operates with a small multidisciplinary team of wildlife veterinarians, marine scientists, research assistants, and communications staff. Core activities include a competitive grants program (funding over $200,000 of external research annually through a Scientific Advisory Committee, including a dedicated Tribal and First Nations track), direct field research on species such as Southern Resident killer whales, rockfish, and Olympia oysters, and translation of findings into policy and management recommendations.

The organization distributes its science through a portfolio of communication products — the Salish Sea Wild documentary series, the Pod of Orcas podcast, two published books, a monthly newsletter, and a blog — alongside long-running citizen-science collaborations with partners including The Whale Museum, COASST, REEF, and the Northwest Straits Foundation. Revenue is generated through individual donations (including the recurring Tidepoolers program), foundation and agency grants, and annual fundraising events such as the Wine & Sea Auction on Orcas Island, with cross-border donor support via Canada Tax ID 154146 and U.S. 501(c)(3) Tax ID 94-6081352 through UC Davis Foundation. In 2025 SeaDoc merged with Wild Orca, absorbing Dr. Deborah Giles to consolidate Southern Resident killer whale research, and in 2026 added a full-time veterinary translational scientist (former NOAA program lead Dr. Michelle Barbieri Lino), signaling continued capacity build-out across both science and policy advocacy.

Name

The SeaDoc Society

Legal name

SeaDoc Society

Website

https://seadocsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SeaDoc Society is a 501(c)(3) marine conservation nonprofit operating in the Salish Sea from Orcas Island, Washington. Founded in 2000 as a UC Davis program, it funds and conducts wildlife health research, runs a $200K+ annual grants program, and distributes science through documentaries, podcasts, and publications to donors, policymakers, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Wildlife health science
• Salish Sea ecosystem
• Conservation grant funding
• Marine science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Eastsound

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Primary funding source from individual donors supporting marine conservation in the Salish Sea. Includes monthly recurring donations through the Tidepoolers program.
2. Competitive Grants: SeaDoc funds external scientific research projects reviewed by Scientific Advisory Committee. The organization also receives grants for its own research and operations.
3. Events: Annual Wine & Sea Auction on Orcas Island serving as major fundraising event and community celebration of 25 years in the Salish Sea.
4. Tax-Exempt Status: United States 501(c)(3) Tax ID: 94-6081352 through UC Davis Foundation. Canada Tax ID: 154146 for cross-border donor support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SeaDoc Society is a nonprofit marine conservation organization that funds and conducts science-based research on Salish Sea wildlife (including Southern Resident killer whales, rockfish, and Olympia oysters), awards competitive grants to external researchers, and produces educational content such as the Salish Sea Wild documentary series and the Pod of Orcas podcast. The organization relies on individual donations, grants, and event fundraising, including its Tidepoolers recurring-donor program and the annual Wine & Sea Auction on Orcas Island, Washington.

Product overview

The SeaDoc Society is a marine conservation nonprofit organization that operates through a portfolio of science communication products and funding programs. The core offerings include Salish Sea Wild (a documentary video series) and Pod of Orcas (a podcast), both focused on Salish Sea marine wildlife and conservation. Supporting these are two published books, a monthly newsletter, and the Tidepoolers donor club providing exclusive access to events. The organization's primary conservation mechanism is its Competitive Grants Program, which funds external scientific research reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Committee, including a dedicated Tribal and First Nations grant track. Annual fundraising is conducted through the Wine & Sea Auction event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salish Sea Wild: Wildlife documentary series hosted by SeaDoc Society's Joe Gaydos, featuring stories of the Salish Sea ecosystem including orcas, giant octopus, rockfish, sea lions, and other marine wildlife.
• Pod of Orcas

Products and services

• Salish Sea Wild

Quantifiable outcome

• 125 species of concern tracked through biennial Marine Species at Risk compilation used by EPA and Environment Canada
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Wild OrcaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2025Wild Orca merged with SeaDoc Society in 2025, bringing respected Killer Whale Scientist Dr. Deborah Giles onto the team. Combined teams work towards shared vision of Southern Resident killer whale recovery in a healthy ecosystem.
• Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at UC Davis School of Veterinary MedicineflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaDoc Society is a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. This parent organization relationship provides academic rigor and veterinary medical expertise to SeaDoc's marine conservation mission.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMakeda Okolo of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance joined Dr. Deborah Giles in Washington DC meetings with legislators about Southern Resident killer whale conservation, representing a key research partnership.
• The Whale Museum (San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Whale Museum and SeaDoc Society work together to run the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, investigating and collecting data on marine mammal strandings.
• COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeach monitoring volunteer program for citizen science participants interested in marine natural resources and active role in marine conservation.
• REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerREEF conserves marine environments worldwide through engaging the public in citizen science, education, and partnerships with the scientific community.
• Northwest Straits FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeaDoc reports derelict fishing gear to Northwest Straits Foundation for removal, as seen when Joe Gaydos and Cat Lo spotted a ghost net during research dives.
• Birds CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research project led by David Bradley to model sea duck trends using citizen science survey data from British Columbia and U.S. programs.
• Simon Fraser UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research by Isabelle Côté on killer whale, salmon, and herring responses to vessel noise pollution in the Salish Sea.
• Pacific Northwest Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research by Michael Metzger testing cockle susceptibility to transmissible cancer after transplantation.
• Puget Sound Restoration FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research led by Ryan Crim to develop genetic markers for Olympia oyster restoration management.
• Tsawout First NationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded research led by Lais Chaves on Dungeness crab stock assessment within Tsawout First Nation Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, part of dedicated Tribal and First Nations grant program.
• Two Beers BrewingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrewery created Southern Resident IPA, donating over $15,000 to SeaDoc over five years while prominently featuring whale conservation messaging on packaging.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Oceana: Global marine conservation organization focused on science-based policy campaigns. Comparable science-to-policy mission and donor-supported funding model, but operating at international scale.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large national marine conservation nonprofit with science-based policy advocacy. A broader incumbent in the same marine conservation space, with deeper fundraising and policy infrastructure than SeaDoc.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Larger, established marine mammal rescue and research organization. Comparable in mission focus on marine mammal health and veterinary science, but operates at national scale rather than regionally.

Direct peers

• Wild Orca: Former direct peer nonprofit dedicated to Southern Resident killer whale conservation that merged with SeaDoc in 2025. Shared mission, donor community, and geographic focus on the Salish Sea.
• Friends of the San Juans: Salish Sea environmental advocacy organization focused on shoreline and marine protection in the San Juan Islands. Operates as a peer conservation nonprofit in the same geographic footprint as SeaDoc.
• The Whale Museum: Direct peer in Salish Sea marine conservation. Operates the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network alongside SeaDoc, sharing the same geographic focus on Friday Harbor / San Juan Islands and overlapping audience of marine wildlife supporters.
• Puget Sound Restoration Fund: Pacific Northwest marine restoration nonprofit that receives SeaDoc grants for Olympia oyster restoration work. Operates in the same Salish Sea ecosystem with overlapping science and donor base.
• Northwest Straits Foundation: Marine conservation partner working on derelict gear removal and habitat restoration in the same Salish Sea region. Directly collaborates with SeaDoc on field activities and shares donor/community overlap.

Regional players

• REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation): Citizen science marine conservation organization that partners with SeaDoc on volunteer engagement. Operates a comparable citizen science model, but with a broader geographic focus beyond the Salish Sea.

Others

• NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region: Federal agency responsible for Southern Resident killer whale recovery and Salish Sea fisheries management. SeaDoc collaborates with NOAA scientists and provides research that informs its policy decisions, making it a key counterpart rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/seadocsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-seadoc-society
• Xx.com/SeaDocSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeaDocSociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The SeaDoc Society