Inwater Research Group

What Inwater Research Group does

Inwater Research Group (IRG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 and headquartered in Jensen Beach, Florida, that conducts long-term in-water sea turtle research and runs complementary K-12 and community education programs. Its core research portfolio spans five Florida field sites — Big Bend, Florida's East Coast, the Florida Keys, the St. Lucie Site (FPL nuclear power plant cooling-water intake), and 15 km of South Hutchinson Island nesting beaches — using net capture, comprehensive health assessments (weighing, measuring, blood/biopsy/lavage sampling), satellite tagging, and visual transect surveys. Documented operational scale since 2009 includes over 20,000 sea turtles captured and released, 245 turtles transferred to rehabilitation, and 2023 record-breaking nesting counts of 5,491 loggerhead and 1,072 green nests.

The organization monetizes primarily through tax-deductible donations, foundation and government grants, and two small direct-revenue programs: a tiered symbolic Turtle Adoption program ($20-$40) and ticketed Turtle Walks ($10 per ticket via Eventbrite). Customer and partner relationships are anchored by Florida Power & Light (since 2009), US Navy NAVFAC Atlantic (Contract N6247020D0016), Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Palm Beach County DERM, Key West National Wildlife Refuge, University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Group, Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch, Mote Marine Laboratory, and Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Education is delivered free to schools in Martin and St. Lucie Counties via direct biologist outreach, Traveling Trunks lending hubs, grade-banded curricula (Turtle Time!, Turtle Treks, Beachfront Biologists), the Marine Marvels 4th-grade career program, the International Sea Turtle Ambassadors (ISTA) global framework, and the Youth Driven Cinema film festival. A co-branded merchandise partnership with Simply Southern's Turtle Tracker Collection (2024-2026) extends the satellite-tagging program into consumer retail.

Name

Inwater Research Group

Legal name

Inwater Research Group

Website

https://inwater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inwater Research Group is a Jensen Beach, Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts long-term in-water sea turtle research across five Florida field sites and delivers free K-12 marine science education programs to schools and communities, supported by grants, donations, and small turtle adoption and walk programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Sea turtle research
• Marine conservation
• Wildlife education
• Nest monitoring
• Satellite tagging

Headquarters

HQ city

Jensen Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Turtle Adoptions: Symbolic adoption packages sold to supporters featuring adoption certificates, turtle photos and background information, plush sea turtles for upgraded tiers, and classroom-specific options for educators
2. Turtle Walk Tickets: Ticketed educational programs where participants accompany biologists to observe sea turtle nesting; $10 per ticket with optional donation or refund upon arrival
3. General Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting sea turtle conservation
4. Educational Materials and Posters: Free educational resources distributed via digital delivery (Google Drive, Dropbox), including curricula, posters, and educational materials

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Inwater Research Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts long-term in-water and nesting-beach sea turtle research across multiple Florida locations (St. Lucie Site, Big Bend, Florida Keys, East Coast) and pairs it with K-12 marine science education programs, satellite tagging, multilingual outreach, and public engagement offerings such as Turtle Adoptions and Turtle Walks. Revenue is generated through grants, donations, turtle adoption packages, and turtle walk tickets, with educational programs delivered free to schools.

Product overview

Inwater Research Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering integrated sea turtle research and education programs across Florida. The core offerings consist of in-water sea turtle research programs (including Big Bend, Florida Keys, St. Lucie Site, and nesting beach surveys) paired with comprehensive K-12 educational programs. Research services include population monitoring, health assessments, satellite tracking, and disease research, supported by education programs spanning digital curricula, Traveling Trunks, multilingual initiatives (ISTA and Amigos de Las Tortugas), Marine Marvels career exploration, Turtle Walks, and Youth Driven Cinema film festival. The organization monetizes through Turtle Adoptions (symbolic adoption programs at $20-40) and public Turtle Walk events ($10 tickets), while maintaining a free education mission primarily serving Martin and St. Lucie Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Turtle Research Programs

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St. Lucie County Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Marine Marvels program partner for 4th-grade students. Serves as lending hub for Traveling Trunks within district. Hosts annual Elementary Science and Social Studies Showcase.
• Martin County Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Traveling Trunks lending hub partner for teachers in Martin County. Educational outreach program coordination.
• Simply SoutherncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with Simply Southern's Turtle Tracker Collection for satellite tagging projects. Merchandise sales directly support sea turtle research. Joint turtle tracking initiatives at Big Pine Key (2024, 2026) and Hutchinson Island (2025) where turtles are tagged and made available for public tracking via Simply Southern's platform.
• Lyric TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Youth Driven Cinema film festival venue host in Stuart, FL.
• Florida Oceanographic SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative work at St. Lucie Site involving marine wildlife research and conservation.
• Sea Turtle Care and Conservation SpecialistsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration on Boca Raton fishing pier study examining green turtle interactions with recreational fisheries.
• Gumbo Limbo Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration on Boca Raton fishing pier research project and satellite tagging programs (olive ridley Doc, hawksbill Lyra).
• Loggerhead Marinelife CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaborative satellite tagging with Dean Bagley. Hawksbill project partnership. Joint support for olive ridley satellite tagging programs. Youth Driven Cinema festival partner.
• Disney ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Rachel Smith, Conservation Programs Manager with Disney Conservation, serves on IRG Board. Collaborative sea turtle conservation initiatives.
• University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Long-term collaborative satellite tagging research. Joint projects include tracking Kemp's ridley and green turtles funded by US Navy Marine Species Monitoring Program. Dr. Kate Mansfield leads water column utilization studies with IRG field support.
• Blowing Rocks PreserveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Manages Traveling Trunks reservations for Martin County community organizations and private schools.
• The Turtle HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative research partnership in Big Pine Key/Boca Chica Key area. Joint efforts include health assessments on green and loggerhead turtles, 'hot spot' documentation, and ongoing research initiatives.
• FORCE BLUE TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Organization connecting special operations veterans with marine science and conservation. Partnership supports Big Pine Key research through collaborative field work and community engagement.
• Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Harbor BranchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborative sea turtle research including specimen collection for aquaria (roughtail stingrays for Georgia Aquarium, goliath grouper for Florida Aquarium) and joint research initiatives.
• Key West National Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Refuge managers tasked IRG with first in-water surveys for sea turtles in 2002. Long-term research collaboration supporting protected area management. Discovery of first documented adult green turtle foraging ground on US East Coast.
• Pasco County School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Educational collaboration for Big Bend/Pasco County research. Educators gain field experience with IRG biologists paired with Traveling Trunks professional development.
• Mote Marine LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Collaborative research with Mote Marine Lab biologists on sea turtle health and conservation projects.
• Florida Power & Light (FPL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009FPL St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant provides access to marine turtles entrained in cooling water systems. IRG has overseen turtle capture, data collection, and release since 2009. Over 20,000 turtles studied.
• Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management (PBCDERM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Contracted research partner for Lake Worth Lagoon and Jupiter Inlet studies. PBCDERM implements habitat restoration plans requiring sea turtle utilization data to maintain biological integrity and support endangered species.
• Florida State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1976Collaborative research with university biologists on various sea turtle research projects at St. Lucie Site.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Sarasota, FL marine research institute with dedicated sea turtle conservation program; named as a collaborative research partner to IRG and operates the same combination of long-term field research, rehabilitation, and public engagement.
• Florida Oceanographic Society: Stuart, FL coastal conservation and education nonprofit on Florida's Treasure Coast; listed as a collaborative research partner at IRG's St. Lucie site and serves overlapping local audiences for marine science education.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Clearwater, FL marine education and rehabilitation facility; multiple IRG staff (e.g., Yvette Fernandez, Andie Fisher) previously worked there, and it operates analogous sea turtle rescue, research, and education programming.
• Sea Turtle Conservancy: Florida-based (Gainesville) nonprofit and the world's oldest sea turtle research and conservation organization; runs the Tortuguero tagging program and extensive education initiatives analogous to IRG's mission.
• Gumbo Limbo Nature Center: Boca Raton, FL nature center operating a sea turtle rehabilitation facility and research program; named partner with IRG on the Boca Raton fishing pier study and satellite tagging projects.
• The Turtle Hospital: Marathon, FL sea turtle rehabilitation hospital and education center; explicitly listed as an IRG research partner on the Big Pine Key/Boca Chica Key joint health-assessment projects.
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation: Sanibel Island, FL marine and estuarine conservation nonprofit with a sea turtle program that has produced several IRG hires; comparable in combining long-term monitoring, public education, and donor-supported conservation.
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Juno Beach, FL sea turtle research, rehabilitation, and education center listed as IRG's active satellite-tagging and hawksbill project partner; near-identical model combining nesting-beach monitoring, hospital care, and K-12 education.
• Sea Turtle Inc. South Padre Island, TX-based sea turtle conservation nonprofit conducting research, rehabilitation, and public education — directly comparable research-plus-education operating model to IRG, with similar adoption and public engagement programs.

Others

• FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute: Florida Atlantic University's marine research institute and listed IRG research collaborator; comparable marine biological research capabilities and overlapping principal investigators, though academic rather than nonprofit structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InwaterResearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inwater-research-group-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Inwater Research Group