What Ocean Conservation Trust does

Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) is a UK-registered charity (number 1032491) founded in 1998 and headquartered in Plymouth, Devon. It operates the National Marine Aquarium — the UK's largest public aquarium, housing over 5,000 marine animals across 120+ tanks holding 3.5 million litres of water — alongside a portfolio of conservation, education and advocacy programmes. The organisation runs three integrated workstreams: Ocean Habitats (notably the Blue Meadows seagrass restoration programme, with 12 hectares restored and 208 hectares protected since 2020); Ocean Experiences (school visits reaching 30,000+ students annually, virtual experiences reaching 35,000+ students, STEMFest and outreach workshops); and Ocean Advocacy (Motion for the Ocean adopted by 40 UK councils representing 5M+ residents, plus the #thinkOcean campaign).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid non-profit model: charitable donations and regular giving, National Marine Aquarium admissions and annual passes, corporate partnerships and business supporter programmes, paid education services (e.g. £5.50 per school student, £120 per virtual class of up to 32 students, £150 per outreach workshop, £100 per STEM show), and retail via octshop.co.uk. The organisation holds three wholly-owned subsidiaries (National Aquarium Ltd, NMA Operations Ltd, Scylla Reef Ltd) and partners through the European-funded ProBleu consortium alongside Earthwatch, CSIC, Plymouth Marine Laboratories and others.

OCT operates an experiential, event-driven go-to-market centred on the aquarium as a physical anchor, augmented by nationwide virtual and outreach delivery. Technology stack centres on 360-degree VR content delivery for the Ocean for All programme, live-streaming infrastructure for virtual school tours, and proprietary aquarium life-support engineering. The charity employs 80-100 staff across marine biology, ecology, education and operations functions, with active recruitment visible across marketing, learning and engineering roles.

Name

Ocean Conservation Trust

Legal name

Ocean Conservation Trust Ltd

Website

https://oceanconservationtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ocean Conservation Trust is a Plymouth-based UK charity (founded 1998) that operates the National Marine Aquarium and runs ocean habitat restoration, education, and advocacy programmes for schools, councils, corporate partners and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation and Ocean Education Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation charity
• Marine education services
• Seagrass restoration program
• Public aquarium experiences
• Ocean literacy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Primary revenue stream from individual donations, regular giving programmes, and one-time contributions from supporters passionate about ocean conservation.
2. Aquarium Admissions and Experiences: Revenue from National Marine Aquarium visitor admissions, annual passes, and special experiences offered to the public.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sustainable income through development of long-term corporate relationships, partnership proposals, and business supporter programmes.
4. Education Services: Fees for school visits, virtual experiences, outreach workshops, and educational programmes delivered to schools and community groups.
5. Retail (Shop): Online shop (octshop.co.uk) selling merchandise and ocean-themed products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ocean Conservation Trust operates the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and runs ocean conservation programmes spanning habitat restoration (Blue Meadows seagrass programme), education (school visits, virtual experiences, outreach workshops), and advocacy (Motion for the Ocean, #thinkOcean). It combines visitor admissions, corporate partnerships, donations, and educational services to fund conservation work and ocean literacy initiatives reaching over 80,000 learners annually.

Product overview

The Ocean Conservation Trust operates a platform of ocean conservation products and services centred around the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth. The portfolio combines physical visitor experiences (aquarium admissions, guided tours, animal care experiences) with educational programmes (school visits, outreach workshops, virtual experiences), technology-enabled accessibility initiatives (Ocean for All VR), and habitat restoration (Blue Meadows seagrass programme). The trust also runs advocacy campaigns including Motion for the Ocean and #thinkOcean. All offerings are unified by the mission to connect people with the ocean and inspire pro-ocean behaviour.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Marine Aquarium: The UK's largest public aquarium, located in Plymouth, serving as OCT's Center of Ocean Excellence and primary visitor attraction.
• Blue Meadows
• #thinkOcean
• Motion for the Ocean
• Ocean for All

Products and services

• National Marine Aquarium A conservation aquarium located in Plymouth housing over 5,000 marine animals across 120+ tanks with 3,500,000+ litres of water; serves as the primary physical experience venue and Centre of Ocean Excellence for the trust, engaging approximately 30,000 students on education visits per year.
• Ocean Experiences Education and visitor experience programmes connecting people with the ocean through on-site aquarium visits, snorkel experiences, rockpool safaris, and ocean safaris.
• Blue Meadows Programme A holistic subtidal seagrass protection, regeneration and restoration programme operated across South and South West England; 12 hectares restored and 208 hectares protected since 2020.
• Ocean for All VR Programme Virtual reality outreach programme bringing immersive underwater experiences directly into care homes, hospitals, and community settings using 360-degree VR headsets and tactile marine artefacts; reached over 1,800 people since 2019 and received a Special Commendation at the Ocean Awards 2026.
• Virtual Experiences for Schools Live-streaming virtual tours of the National Marine Aquarium for schools. Interactive 90-minute bespoke experiences with education professionals, curriculum-linked content for EYFS through KS4. Over 35,000 students participated in current academic year.
• Education Visits (Schools) School programmes offering guided tours and curriculum-linked workshops at the National Marine Aquarium. Approximately 30,000 students annually, with entry from £5.50 per student, plus optional guided tours and workshops.
• Outreach Programme Mobile education delivery to schools, beaches, conferences and events. Includes classroom workshops (32 students, £150 per session), outdoor workshops, and STEM shows for large audiences (£100 per show).
• Motion for the Ocean Evidence-based advocacy campaign encouraging local authorities to declare an urgent need for ocean recovery. 40 councils across the UK have passed the motion, collectively representing over 5 million UK residents. Co-wrote with the LGA Coastal Special Interest Group.
• Mini Meadows Ocean Fund Individual ocean habitat support programme launched in 2025 at the Southampton International Boat Show, enabling individuals to directly fund hands-on seagrass conservation under the Blue Meadows programme.
• STEMFest Annual Festival Annual educational festival at the National Marine Aquarium igniting curiosity in STEM through ocean conservation. Engaging thousands of students annually with hands-on activities and innovation challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% participant-reported immediate improvement in wellbeing and enjoyment from Ocean for All VR experiences
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, supporting, minor and core.

• Communications IncstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partnered with Communications Inc and Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration to submit response to Culture Global Stocktake for Climate Action (CGS), making the case for ocean integration in international climate policy.
• Services Design Solutions (SDS)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Plymouth-based engineering consultants that provided generous funding enabling around 1,000 students to attend STEMFest 2025 completely free, including travel support.
• Edina TrustsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Provided funding for materials (solar-powered fan kits) used in STEMFest 2025 workshops, supporting hands-on STEM education.
• British MarineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Host of Southampton International Boat Show where OCT engaged with boating community about seagrass conservation and launched Mini Meadows Ocean Fund.
• RYA (Royal Yachting Association)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025OCT participated in British Marine Reception for RYA's The Green Blue initiative at Southampton Boat Show, engaging on sustainable ocean use.
• Local manufacturers and businesses (Plymouth/South West)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Call for makers, engineers, and manufacturers to partner with OCT to help turn student ocean innovation designs into real-world products for distribution to STEMFest participants.
• ProBleu ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean-funded education programme (3-year initiative) bringing ocean and water literacy into schools across Europe. OCT is one of five partners alongside Earthwatch, CSIC (Spanish National Research Council), Innova+, and Kaunas University of Technology, plus Plymouth Marine Laboratories. Supported 100+ schools with funding for student-led initiatives aligned with Network of European Blue Schools (NEBS).
• Plymouth Marine LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ProBleu consortium, contributing scientific expertise to ocean literacy education programmes across European schools.
• EarthwatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental charity partner in ProBleu consortium working to bring ocean and water literacy into European schools.
• CSIC (Spanish National Research Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch council partner in ProBleu consortium providing scientific research expertise to ocean literacy education.
• Mission Ocean and Waters ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOCT represented ProBleu at the 4th Mission Ocean and Waters Forum during European Ocean Days in Brussels, engaging with policymakers, scientists, NGOs, and youth representatives on ocean and water restoration.
• Centre for Ocean Literacy CollaborationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with OCT and Communications Inc on Culture Global Stocktake response to advocate for ocean integration in climate policy and cultural frameworks.
• WWFstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on Happy by Nature live lesson with Steve Backshall, exploring ocean habitats and conservation efforts with global audience.
• Chester ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered on UK Wildlife live lesson exploring native species and UK sea wildlife conservation.
• Eden ProjectstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Virtual STEMFest 2024, exploring evolution and conservation inspired by Darwin200 expedition, streamed from National Marine Aquarium and Eden Rainforest Biome.
• Steve BackshallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNaturalist and presenter joined WWF x OCT live lesson going underwater at National Marine Aquarium, answering questions from global learners.
• Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group (LGA Coastal SIG)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-wrote the evidence-based Motion for the Ocean with LGA Coastal SIG, providing political framework for local authorities to declare ocean recovery.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WWF UK: Major UK environmental conservation charity with marine programmes, advocacy, and corporate partnerships. Comparable mission and revenue model (donations, partnerships, education); significantly larger scale and broader environmental remit beyond oceans.
• Sea Life (Merlin Entertainments): Global aquarium brand with multiple UK sites operated by Merlin Entertainments. Comparable as a UK aquarium visitor experience and education provider; differs as commercial operator with broader portfolio rather than conservation-focused charity.
• The Wildlife Trusts: Federation of 46 UK wildlife trusts operating nature reserves, visitor centres, and conservation programmes. Comparable as a UK environmental charity combining visitor engagement with habitat restoration; broader scope including marine but not aquarium-based.

Direct peers

• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based ocean conservation charity supporting marine protected areas and ocean restoration projects. Comparable mission and UK-centric marine focus; differs in operating model (grant-making and project-funder) rather than running a public aquarium.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Major US aquarium and ocean conservation charity combining public aquarium with significant conservation science and policy programmes. Globally comparable model (aquarium + conservation + education + advocacy) at much larger scale.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation: UK-based marine charity focused on cetacean protection, advocacy, and education. Comparable UK marine conservation charity with advocacy and education focus; differs in species specialism rather than habitat restoration.
• Cornish Seal Sanctuary: UK marine animal rescue, rehabilitation, and visitor attraction in Cornwall. Comparable as a UK marine wildlife attraction combining conservation with public engagement and education.
• Surfers Against Sewage: UK marine conservation charity known for beach cleans, plastic pollution campaigns, and ocean advocacy. Comparable UK marine advocacy and grassroots engagement model; differs in primary focus on pollution rather than habitat restoration.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK marine conservation charity focused on ocean health, sustainable fishing, and public engagement through campaigns and education. Directly comparable as a UK-registered marine-focused charity combining advocacy, education, and citizen science; differs in not operating a major public aquarium.
• The Deep: Public aquarium and conservation charity in Hull, UK, operating a major aquarium with educational and conservation programmes. Directly comparable operating model combining public aquarium, education, and conservation under a charitable structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OceanCTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/OceanConservationTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oceanconservationtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Ocean Conservation Trust