Inwater Research Group
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersJensen Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Inwater Research Group firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Inwater Research Group industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Inwater Research Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jensen Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Inwater Research Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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
- 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
- General Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting sea turtle conservation
- Educational Materials and Posters: Free educational resources distributed via digital delivery (Google Drive, Dropbox), including curricula, posters, and educational materials
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Basic Turtle Adoption ($30) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Upgraded Turtle Adoption ($40) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Classroom Turtle Adoption ($20) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Classroom Turtle Adoption with Mascot ($30) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Turtle Walk Tickets ($10) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Inwater Research Group product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Inwater Research Group
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Inwater Research Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Inwater Research Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- St. Lucie County Public SchoolscoreMarine 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 SchoolscoreTraveling Trunks lending hub partner for teachers in Martin County. Educational outreach program coordination.
- Simply SoutherncorePartnership 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 TheatreminorYouth Driven Cinema film festival venue host in Stuart, FL.
- Florida Oceanographic SocietyminorCollaborative work at St. Lucie Site involving marine wildlife research and conservation.
- Sea Turtle Care and Conservation SpecialistsminorCollaboration on Boca Raton fishing pier study examining green turtle interactions with recreational fisheries.
- Gumbo Limbo Nature CenterminorCollaboration on Boca Raton fishing pier research project and satellite tagging programs (olive ridley Doc, hawksbill Lyra).
- Loggerhead Marinelife CentercoreCollaborative satellite tagging with Dean Bagley. Hawksbill project partnership. Joint support for olive ridley satellite tagging programs. Youth Driven Cinema festival partner.
- Disney ConservationminorRachel Smith, Conservation Programs Manager with Disney Conservation, serves on IRG Board. Collaborative sea turtle conservation initiatives.
- University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research GroupcoreLong-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 PreserveminorManages Traveling Trunks reservations for Martin County community organizations and private schools.
- The Turtle HospitalcoreCollaborative 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 TeamcoreOrganization 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 BranchcoreCollaborative 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 RefugecoreRefuge 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 DistrictminorEducational collaboration for Big Bend/Pasco County research. Educators gain field experience with IRG biologists paired with Traveling Trunks professional development.
- Mote Marine LaboratoryminorCollaborative research with Mote Marine Lab biologists on sea turtle health and conservation projects.
- Florida Power & Light (FPL)coreFPL 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)coreContracted 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 UniversityminorCollaborative research with university biologists on various sea turtle research projects at St. Lucie Site.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Inwater Research Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Inwater Research Group social profiles
Digital presenceInwater Research Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Inwater Research Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles21 records
Inwater Research Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Inwater Research Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Inwater Research Group
What does Inwater Research Group do?
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.
Is Inwater Research Group a public or private company?
Inwater Research Group is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Inwater Research Group founded?
Inwater Research Group was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Inwater Research Group based?
Inwater Research Group is headquartered in Jensen Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Inwater Research Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Turtle Adoptions are the primary driver. The others are turtle Walk Tickets, general Donations and educational Materials and Posters.
Who are Inwater Research Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, Florida Oceanographic Society, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, The Turtle Hospital, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Loggerhead Marinelife Center and Sea Turtle Inc.. FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute is listed as an others.
Does Inwater Research Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Inwater Research Group.
What industry is Inwater Research Group in?
Inwater Research Group's product category is Marine Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation, with a secondary code of THAAAIAH, Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks). Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8731.