CEDTM - Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines

What CEDTM - Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines does

CEDTM (Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1997 and headquartered in Piton Saint-Leu, La Réunion. Its mandate covers marine turtle conservation and, since 2017, responsible observation of marine megafauna (cetaceans and turtles) in the waters of La Réunion and the southwest Indian Ocean. The organization is structured around three core programs: marine turtle ecology research, beach rehabilitation for nesting habitat (covering 6 sites, 33+ hectares and 4+ km of coastline), and the Quiétude mission focused on cetacean observation management.

The association operates supporting digital infrastructure including the OMEGA free online certification platform for boat captains, the TORSOOI regional turtle photo-identification database administered jointly with Kélonia, and a citizen-science photo-ID pipeline. Delivery is field-heavy: 222+ participatory workshops have been run, 8,000+ people sensitized, and over 18,600 plants introduced across rehabilitation sites. Scientific output is supported through peer-reviewed publications and annual whale-season reports, and CEDTM maintains operational responsibility for the Quiétude sea-patrol team that engages marine tourism operators at sea.

The business model is grant-funded and non-commercial. Primary revenue streams are recurring public grants (EU INTERREG/FEDER, French State via DEAL/OFB, Région Réunion and Département 974), Marine Compensation Measure contracts (notably MCM03 and MCM05 funded by Région Réunion for the Nouvelle Route du Littoral project), voluntary donations via Helloasso, and project-specific corporate sponsorship from EDF Réunion and Albioma. There is no commercial product, paid tier, or tokenized revenue stream; the customer base consists of funders, volunteers, school programs (CP to 5ème), professional marine excursion operators, and government coastal managers across La Réunion and the Indian Ocean region.

Name

CEDTM - Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines

Legal name

CEDTM (Centre d'Etude et de Decouverte des Tortues Marines de La Reunion)

Website

https://cedtm-asso.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEDTM is a non-profit association founded in 1997 in La Réunion dedicated to marine turtle conservation and responsible cetacean observation. It runs beach rehabilitation, ecological research, and the free OMEGA training platform, funded by public grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Marine turtle conservation
• Beach rehabilitation programs
• Cetacean observation training
• Wildlife conservation education
• Coastal ecosystem restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Piton Saint-Leu

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (European, State, Regional): Primary revenue from public funds including EU programs (INTERREG, FEDER), French state agencies (DEAL, OFB), and regional/departmental collectives (Région Réunion, Département 974). Funding tied to specific conservation projects.
2. Compensation Measures: Implementation of environmental compensation measures for infrastructure projects, notably the Marine Compensation Measure MCM05 for the Nouvelle Route du Littoral highway project, funded by Région Réunion.
3. Donations: Voluntary public donations through Helloasso platform to support conservation actions.
4. Sponsorship and Patronage: Corporate sponsorship from companies like EDF Réunion, Albioma, and others for specific environmental projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEDTM is a non-profit association that studies and protects marine turtles and cetaceans in the southwest Indian Ocean, running three core programs — Marine Turtle Ecology, Beach Rehabilitation, and Marine Megafauna Quietude (responsible cetacean observation). It operates a care clinic for injured sea turtles, an on-site museum open to the public, eco-volunteer stays, and an online training/certification platform (OMEGA) for whale- and dolphin-watching operators in partnership with public authorities. Revenue and mission delivery are supported by EU, French, and regional public funding, donations, sponsorships, and visitor-related income.

Product overview

CEDTM is a non-profit association organized around three main program areas: (1) Écologie des tortues marines - sea turtle ecology research, (2) Réhabilitation des plages - beach rehabilitation for nesting, and (3) Quiétude de la mégafaune marine - responsible marine megafauna observation. Supporting these programs are digital tools including the OMEGA Formation platform for responsible observation training, the TORSOOI database for turtle photo-identification, and various project initiatives like MONITOBS and SENCEO. The organization also provides volunteer participation opportunities and educational materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Turtle Ecology Program (Programme Écologie des Tortues Marines) Field research, monitoring, and conservation of marine turtles including nesting surveys, tagging, capture-mark-recapture, photo-ID, Argos satellite telemetry, drone-based nest surveys, and a care clinic for sick and injured sea turtles. Targets scientific bodies, public funders, and the public via the on-site museum.
• Beach Rehabilitation Program (Programme Réhabilitation des Plages) Restoration and rehabilitation of marine turtle nesting beaches by removing invasive vegetation, planting suitable native species, cleaning shorelines of debris, and reshaping beach morphology where necessary. Delivered through site interventions combined with eco-volunteer work and school outreach.
• Marine Megafauna Quietude Program — Responsible Approach to Cetaceans (Programme Mégafaune Marine en Quiétude) Conservation program for cetaceans and other marine megafauna, combining photo-identification, satellite telemetry, genetic analyses, the TORSOOI national sightings database, and the OMEGA online training platform that certifies whale- and dolphin-watching operators in partnership with French state services.
• OMEGA Online Training and Certification Platform Web-based training and certification solution that delivers regulatory modules on the responsible approach to marine megafauna and issues the charter required for commercial whale- and dolphin-watching operations in La Réunion. Sold to / required of professional marine operators.
• Eco-volunteer Stays (Séjours éco-volontaires) Short, supervised conservation stays where paying individuals and groups take part in turtle care, beach rehabilitation, and cetacean activities alongside the CEDTM team. Designed for travelers and conservation-minded individuals.
• Maison de la Tortue Museum (Museum and Permanent Exhibition) Public museum at Piton Saint-Leu housing a permanent exhibition on marine turtles and the southwest Indian Ocean, a projection room, a conference area, and a gift shop. Free admission for visitors, school groups, and families.
• School and Public Outreach Program (Sensibilisation scolaire et grand public) Classroom and on-site education program with a dedicated pedagogy team delivering marine conservation sessions to schoolchildren throughout La Réunion and to visiting members of the public.
• Stranding-Response Network (Réseau d'intervention sur les tortues marines échouées) Operational response service that retrieves, transports, and treats stranded sea turtles in La Réunion and Mayotte, leveraging CEDTM's care clinic and partnership network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of boat-caused turtle collisions result in death at La Réunion
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Kelonia (Observatoire des Tortues Marines)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Close operational partnership for marine turtle conservation. Kelonia handles turtle care and rehabilitation while CEDTM focuses on field research and beach rehabilitation. Shared history from 1997-2013 when CEDTM managed Kelonia. Joint projects include MCM03 rehabilitation and photo-identification programs.
• Association JacarandascoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEmployment integration association providing 16 field agents for beach rehabilitation maintenance. Assumes site management duties from PSLLLT at rehabilitation locations including Cap Champagne.
• SPL TamaruncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPublic limited company handling waste management and beach maintenance on rehabilitation sites under commune management agreements.
• Commune de Saint-PaulcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal municipality whose coastal areas include Cap Champagne and Plage des Brisans rehabilitation sites. Delegated site management to associations and provided water access for irrigation.
• IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional forum for Indian Ocean cooperation. CEDTM coordinates the Sustainable Whale and Dolphin Watching Network (SWWN) in collaboration with IORA and the International Whaling Commission.
• GLOBICEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine conservation association handling cetacean stranding response at La Réunion. Contact point (+262 692 65 14 71) for reporting dead or distressed cetaceans through the permanent stranding network.
• International Whaling Commission (IWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergovernmental body for whale conservation. Collaborates with CEDTM through the SWWN network coordination and Indian Ocean regional initiatives.
• Conservatoire du LittoralcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoastal land conservancy body owning major portions of Trois Bassins rehabilitation sites. Coordinates site management through delegated agreements with Territoire de l'Ouest.
• ONF (Office National des Forêts)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational forests office managing Ravine Mulla site under forest regime. Handles dune restoration, drip irrigation systems, and ongoing invasive species control.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): Dedicated cetacean conservation NGO promoting responsible whale watching and observation standards. Highly comparable on the responsible observation / operator training side of CEDTM's Quiétude mission, but globally headquartered rather than regionally focused.
• IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare): Global animal welfare and conservation NGO with cetacean protection, marine mammal rescue, and policy advocacy. Overlaps CEDTM on responsible observation and marine mammal protection but with much larger international operations.
• WWF France: Large international conservation NGO with French overseas-territory marine programs overlapping sea turtles, cetaceans, and blue tourism. Comparable as a marine conservation stakeholder but operates at far broader scope and scale than CEDTM.
• Sea Shepherd France: International marine wildlife protection organization with active cetacean and sea turtle campaigns in French overseas territories. Overlaps CEDTM on marine mammal protection and conservation advocacy but is enforcement- and campaign-led rather than research-led.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: Global wildlife conservation organization with marine programs including sea turtle and cetacean work worldwide. Comparable as a marine conservation funder/operator but at a much larger institutional scale than CEDTM.

Emerging players

• Blue Ventures: Marine conservation social enterprise operating community-led marine management programs in Madagascar and the western Indian Ocean. Highly comparable on participatory, community-engaged marine conservation but with a stronger fisheries/aquaculture-adjacent focus.
• Blue Marine Foundation: Marine-focused conservation foundation working on ocean protection and sustainable blue tourism in select European and overseas geographies. Comparable focus area and roughly similar operational scale; overlaps on the blue-economy and protected-area advocacy dimensions of CEDTM's work.

Direct peers

• Globice: Reunion-based cetacean research and conservation NGO that operates the local stranding network partnered with CEDTM. Directly comparable as a small Reunion/Indian Ocean marine mammal research NGO with overlapping cetacean study and public engagement programs.
• Kelonia - Observatoire des Tortues Marines: La Réunion's dedicated sea turtle observatory handling care and rehabilitation, originally spun out of CEDTM in 2013. Operates the only marine turtle care facility on the island and shares the turtle photo-identification program with CEDTM, making it the closest analogue and operational partner.
• Association KARAWANE: Indian Ocean non-profit running marine research, cetacean studies and citizen science in Mayotte and Reunion. Similar small-team, French-overseas-territory marine research profile and overlapping cetacean/turtle conservation scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubem.youtube.com/@CEDTMKELONIA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/cedtm974
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cedtm
• Instagraminstagram.com/cedtm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 CEDTM - Centre d'Etude et de Découverte des Tortues Marines