Organization for Tropical Studies

What Organization for Tropical Studies does

The Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium of approximately 50 universities, colleges, and research institutions founded in 1963, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina with operational offices in Costa Rica and South Africa. OTS operates four biological research stations — La Selva (1,600+ hectares, Caribbean lowland rainforest), Las Cruces & Wilson Botanical Garden (mid-elevation rainforest with 1,724 plant accessions), Palo Verde (Pacific dry forest adjacent to a UNESCO Ramsar wetland), and Skukuza (within South Africa's Kruger National Park) — collectively spanning rainforest, dry forest, wetland, and savanna ecosystems. The organization delivers field-based undergraduate and graduate education programs accredited through the University of Costa Rica and University of Connecticut, plus specialized REU research internships (NSF LSAMP, NAPIRE), and has trained over 10,789 students from 70+ countries.

OTS generates revenue through five primary streams: education program tuition (semester and summer courses), research station usage fees (dynamic pricing by membership status and visit length), research permit facilitation services (SINAC, CONAGEBIO), natural history visitor fees (guided tours, birding, night walks), and tax-deductible charitable donations. The organization maintains proprietary databases including BINABITROP (tropical biology publications), the OTS Plant Database, and meteorological data systems, and has been associated with 6,400+ scientific publications and 4,500+ publications from La Selva alone. Technology infrastructure includes a Research Database portal for project management, online application portals, and citizen science integrations with iNaturalist, eBird, BioSonidos, and PlantNet to aggregate biodiversity observations.

OTS also publishes the Revista de Biología Tropical (International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation) since 1953, operates the Center for Tropical Restoration Science (CTRS), and runs the EcoMaletas environmental education program for Costa Rican elementary schools. The organization distributes through its member institution network, digital marketing channels (website, blog, social media), and direct sales for research visits and natural history tourism. As a nonprofit, OTS is governed by a Board of Directors representing member institutions and is funded through member dues, program fees, research services, and donations, with commercial activities handled by ESINTRO, S.A.

Name

Organization for Tropical Studies

Legal name

Organization for Tropical Studies, Inc.

Website

https://tropicalstudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consortium of ~50 universities operating four tropical biology research stations in Costa Rica and South Africa, delivering field-based undergraduate and graduate education programs, research infrastructure, and permit facilitation services to international researchers and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Education Program Fees: Tuition and course fees for undergraduate and graduate field courses. Semester programs award 16 credits; summer courses award 4 credits. Students receive academic credit from University of Costa Rica or University of Connecticut.
2. Research Station Fees: Room, board, and facility access fees for researchers. Dynamic fee scale based on membership status, home country, and visit length. Short-term visits (up to 30 days) and long-term rates available. Includes lab space, field access, trails, libraries, and Wi-Fi.
3. Permit Facilitation Services: OTS charges service fees for assisting researchers with Costa Rican government research permits (SINAC, CONAGEBIO). Fees vary by permit type and membership status.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 56-2125831.
5. Natural History Visitor Fees: Fees for travelers seeking naturalist activities including guided trail walks, birding tours, night tours, and boat tours at research stations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

OTS operates a network of four tropical research stations located in Costa Rica (La Selva, Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Garden, Palo Verde) and South Africa (Skukuza), spanning lowland rainforest, tropical dry forest, wetland, and African savanna ecosystems. The consortium sells field-based academic programs (undergraduate courses, graduate Masters and PhD training, an NSF-funded REU), research infrastructure access and accommodations for visiting scientists, and guided natural history visitor experiences. Revenue and operations are sustained through institutional membership, grants, donations, and program fees.

Product overview

Organization for Tropical Studies operates a network of four research stations (La Selva, Las Cruces, Palo Verde in Costa Rica, and Skukuza in South Africa) serving as the world's leading institution in tropical biology education and research. The organization offers field-based undergraduate and graduate education programs accredited through the University of Costa Rica and University of Connecticut, plus specialized REU internships. OTS publishes the Revista de Biología Tropical journal, maintains extensive biodiversity databases, and provides natural history visitor experiences. The CTRS center coordinates restoration science research, while EcoMaletas delivers environmental education to Costa Rican elementary schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CTRS – Center for Tropical Restoration Science: A center dedicated to tropical ecosystem restoration research and collaboration.
• NSF LSAMP REU Program
• NAPIRE Program

Products and services

• La Selva Research Station

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 students trained from 70+ countries with alumni including many leading tropical ecologists
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Member Universities and Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1963OTS is a nonprofit consortium of about 50 universities, colleges, and research institutions worldwide, primarily from the United States, Costa Rica, Mexico, South Africa, and Australia. Member institutions receive preferential pricing for research station access and educational programs.
• MINAE (Ministry of Environment and Energy - Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTS works with Costa Rican government ministry for research permits and regulatory compliance. SINAC and CONAGEBIO permits are facilitated through this partnership.
• SINAC (National System of Conservation Areas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTS facilitates SINAC scientific research permits, collecting licenses, and export permits for researchers working in Costa Rican conservation areas.
• CONAGEBIO (National Commission for Biodiversity Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOTS assists researchers with CONAGEBIO permits for genetic and biochemical research involving Costa Rican biodiversity.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Conservation International: Conservation International is a global nonprofit focused on biodiversity, tropical ecosystems, and policy. Comparable in tropical conservation mission and donor-supported model, though focused on policy and funding rather than operating research stations.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: WCS is a large conservation nonprofit operating zoos, field conservation programs, and global research stations (including tropical sites). Comparable as a nonprofit combining research-station operations, conservation science, and education/outreach, but with a broader geographic and zoological mandate.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a global conservation nonprofit operating across many geographies and ecosystems, including tropical landscapes. Comparable in nonprofit conservation mission, mix of science and policy, and donor-supported revenue model, though at materially larger scale and with different geographic depth.
• Field Museum of Natural History: The Field Museum conducts natural history research and education, including tropical biodiversity work, and operates research collections and exhibits. Comparable as a research and education institution with collections, but with much broader natural-history scope.

Direct peers

• Missouri Botanical Garden: MBG operates a botanical garden with herbarium research collections, conducts tropical plant research, and hosts education programs. Comparable to OTS at the intersection of public-facing botanical garden visitation, herbarium data assets, and tropical research.
• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch facilitates field-based research expeditions and citizen science programs. Comparable to OTS in combining field research infrastructure, paying researcher/participant programs, and citizen science integration, though globally distributed rather than tropical-focused.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Chicago Botanic Garden operates public garden visitation, conservation science, and education programs. Comparable to OTS' Las Cruces/Wilson Botanical Garden operations in visitor programming, research collections, and educational mission, though primarily temperate.
• New York Botanical Garden: NYBG operates a major botanical garden, herbarium, and tropical plant research programs. Comparable to OTS in combining botanical garden public programming, research collections, and field-based tropical research, with similar nonprofit education/research mission.
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: STRI operates tropical biology research stations in Panama, runs graduate and postdoctoral programs, and offers research infrastructure to international scientists. It is the closest direct analog to OTS in mission, operating model, and customer base (academic researchers, graduate students, conservation scientists).

Regional players

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Kew Gardens operates a botanical garden and a global science program, including tropical research at satellite sites and partnerships. Comparable in combining visitor-facing gardens, herbarium-led research, and tropical scientific partnerships, but with a UK base rather than tropical field operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tropicalstudies
• YouTubeyoutube.com/TropicalStudies
• Facebookfacebook.com/tropicalstudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/organization-for-tropical-studies
• Instagraminstagram.com/tropicalstudies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Organization for Tropical Studies