Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation

Name

Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation

Legal name

Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation

Website

https://bsfrf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fisheries Research Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Fisheries research
• Crab stock assessment
• Marine science research
• Fishery management consulting
• Collaborative pot sampling

Headquarters

HQ city

Bothell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Disaster Relief Funding: BSFRF receives funding through disaster relief programs specifically allocated for fisheries research, as evidenced by their 2026 field projects funded by disaster relief focusing on red king crab and snow crab.
2. Collaborative Research Partnerships: Conducts research in partnership with NOAA, ADF&G, and industry stakeholders. Revenue generated through collaborative project execution and shared research costs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation (BSFRF) is a non-profit research foundation that conducts collaborative fisheries research to improve the science used in managing crab fisheries in the Bering Sea, including Bristol Bay red king crab, snow crab, and Tanner crab. The foundation operates tagging studies (satellite and acoustic), collaborative pot sampling (CPS) surveys, and trawl surveys in partnership with NOAA, the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), and the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) industry.

Product overview

The Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation (BSFRF) is a fisheries research organization that conducts collaborative research to improve the science of crab fishery management in the Bering Sea. Rather than a traditional product-based company, BSFRF offers research services and programs including the Collaborative Pot Sampling (CPS) project for Bristol Bay red king crab distribution mapping, Tagging Studies using satellite and acoustic tags for seasonal movement assessment, and publishes Technical Memos and Publications. The organization also operates RFP-based vessel chartering programs for field research operations. BSFRF works collaboratively with NOAA, ADF&G, and the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) industry group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Collaborative Pot Sampling (CPS) Surveys
• Crab Tagging Studies
• Technical Memoranda and Research Publications

Quantifiable outcome

• 685 pop-up archival satellite tags successfully transmitted movement data for Bristol Bay red king crab
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• NOAA Fisheries (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOAA Fisheries, particularly the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Kodiak Shellfish Lab, is a primary research partner. NOAA provides scientific expertise, survey coordination, and integrates BSFRF data into stock assessments. Dr. Leah Zacher leads understanding of BBRKC distribution and seasonal movement with support from BSFRF.
• ADF&G (Alaska Department of Fish and Game)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlaska Department of Fish and Game collaborates on crab research, stock assessment, and harvest strategy development. ADF&G scientists participate in BSFRF field surveys and provide regulatory expertise for Bering Sea crab management.
• ABSC (Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABSC represents the crab industry and collaborates on research priorities, data sharing, and implementation of management measures informed by BSFRF research. Industry members provide vessels and expertise for field operations.
• NPFMC (North Pacific Fishery Management Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPFMC sets management policy for Bering Sea crab fisheries. BSFRF research priorities are aligned with NPFMC requirements, and research findings are presented to the Crab Plan Team and Scientific and Statistical Committee for consideration in management decisions.
• Crab Industry Vessels (F/V Vesteraalen, F/V Seabrooke, F/V Aleutian Lady, F/V Arctic Lady, F/V Royal American, etc.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommercial crabbing and fishing vessels serve as research platforms for BSFRF field operations. These vessels are chartered to conduct pot sampling, tagging operations, and trawl surveys, combining industry expertise with scientific protocols.
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council Crab Plan TeammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Crab Plan Team reviews assessment details and current research meant to provide management advice for Bering Sea crab fisheries. BSFRF presents findings and collaborates on research priorities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA PMEL): NOAA research lab focused on oceanographic and atmospheric conditions affecting North Pacific ecosystems. Comparable because its climate and ecosystem data is used alongside BSFRF's biological data to model Bering Sea crab population dynamics.
• Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA): NOAA's primary research arm for Alaska fisheries, producing stock assessments and surveys that BSFRF data feeds into. Direct operational overlap in Bering Sea crab science, but operates at much larger scale as a federal agency rather than a foundation.
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Division of Commercial Fisheries: State agency responsible for managing Alaska's commercial fisheries including Bering Sea crab. Functions as both a research collaborator (source of BSFRF data) and a parallel research producer on the same crab stocks.

Direct peers

• North Pacific Research Board: Independent research funding body that commissions and supports collaborative marine research in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. Direct peer because it shares BSFRF's geographic focus on North Pacific crab and groundfish stocks and its collaborative industry-science model.
• North Pacific Fisheries Foundation: Industry-aligned research foundation supporting North Pacific fisheries science. Comparable to BSFRF as a non-profit bridging commercial fishing interests with management-relevant research, though broader in species scope.
• University of Alaska Fairbanks - College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences: Academic institution conducting Bering Sea and North Pacific fisheries research including crab biology and oceanography. Direct peer in producing peer-reviewed fisheries science that informs NPFMC, with overlap in crab researchers and field methodologies (tagging, trawl surveys).
• Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC): Industry association representing Bering Sea crab fishermen, a Core partner of BSFRF that funds and collaborates on research. Comparable because it directly shapes the research agenda BSFRF executes and represents the commercial stakeholder for BSFRF's outputs.

Others

• Marine Stewardship Council: International seafood certification body whose sustainability assessments depend on fisheries science like BSFRF's. Adjacent peer because BSFRF's research outputs feed into MSC certification eligibility for Bering Sea crab fisheries, though MSC is certification/commercial rather than primary research.

Emerging players

• Environmental Defense Fund - Oceans Program: Environmental NGO with substantial fisheries science and management engagement in the North Pacific. Comparable because it produces scientific inputs to NPFMC processes alongside BSFRF, but operates from an advocacy-driven perspective rather than industry-collaborative model.
• Gulf of Alaska Research Program (Ocean Conservancy): Conservation NGO with relevant fisheries research and advocacy programs in Alaska. Comparable to BSFRF as an external stakeholder producing fisheries science, but with a broader advocacy and policy mandate rather than BSFRF's narrow tagging/pot sampling focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BSFRF
• Instagraminstagram.com/bsfrf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bering Sea Fisheries Research Foundation