Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy

What Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy does

Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy (CMERA) is a field-based marine research education program founded in 2011 and headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, with a research marina in Holiday, FL. The company trains undergraduate students, recent graduates, pre-vet students, and conservation professionals in non-lethal shark and ray research methods aboard USCG-captained research vessels in the Gulf of Mexico near Tarpon Springs, FL. The core technical offering involves gear deployment (longlines and nets), identification and PIT tagging, biological and environmental data collection, species identification, and ethical animal handling, with a reported mortality rate below 1.5% across all elasmobranch species studied over the program's full history. Research data is shared with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), NOAA, and the Florida Division of Parks and Recreation.

CMERA operates a direct-to-consumer revenue model with tiered weekly tuition at $979/week (with discounts for 4, 6, and 8+ week enrollments) and optional shared housing at $385/week in Clearwater. Supplemental revenue streams include the Shark Scientist Discovery Day Trip ($175/person, $1,000 boat fee), the international Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Rodadero, Colombia ($950–$1,250/week) operated in partnership with Mundo Marino Aquarium, and an optional Megalodon Tooth Scuba Expedition ($200/person). Marketing is conducted through the company's website, online reviews page, university professor referrals, alumni word-of-mouth, and a Facebook presence. Participants have come from more than 225 U.S. colleges and universities and over a dozen international countries, and alumni have progressed to internships at Georgia Aquarium, NOAA, Blue Ocean Society, and NSF REU programs, as well as graduate admissions at marine biology programs.

The company's strategic positioning is tightly paired with Moore Marine College, a private four-year institution also led by CMERA President Alan Moore, which guarantees enrolled students a minimum of 60 days of field research per year and provides CMERA's Shark Field Research Techniques online certificate course to Chief Scientist participants (4+ weeks). Additional academic and institutional partnerships include Rollins College (Dr. Fokidis, hammerhead stress hormone research), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA, and the Florida Division of Parks and Recreation. CMERA is a privately-held organization with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and a small core team of approximately seven personnel including faculty, a USCG-licensed captain and biologist, and rotating interns.

Name

Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy

Legal name

Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy

Website

https://coastalmera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CMERA is a Clearwater, Florida-based field marine research education program that trains students in non-lethal shark and ray research methods aboard USCG-captained vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, with supplemental programs in Colombia and day-trip experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Field Research Education

NAICS

Finfish Fishing (114111), Fishing (1141)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Lifeguard, Water Rescue & Aquatic Safety Training (EDAOAMAJ)

Keywords

• Marine field research
• Shark and ray research
• Hands-on marine education
• Sea turtle conservation
• Marine biology internships

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Summer Shark & Ray Research Program Tuition: Per-week tuition fees for the core field research program. Participants pay per week with tiered discounts for 4, 6, and 8+ weeks. Includes lectures, field research sessions, research vessel access, captain, fuel, equipment, T-shirt, and local transportation for students using program housing.
2. Student Housing: Optional $385 per week shared housing with kitchen, laundry, and Wi-Fi. Early payment discount of $25 per week if paid by December 31. An additional revenue stream that complements the core program.
3. Shark Scientist Discovery Day Trip: One-time per-person fee for a full-day on-water research experience. Boat fee is $1,000/day for up to 6 passengers; per-person rate is $175 with a minimum of 4 participants to operate.
4. Sea Turtle Conservation Program (Colombia): Weekly program fees for international sea turtle conservation experience in Rodadero, Colombia, partnered with Mundo Marino Aquarium. Standard weeks $950/week; special release week $1,250. Includes housing, airport transfers, activities, lectures, and bilingual liaison.
5. Megalodon Tooth Scuba Expedition (Optional Add-on): Optional $200 per person scuba diving expedition near Venice, FL to hunt for megalodon teeth fossils. Includes transportation, dive boat, tanks and weights. Participants who find megalodon teeth get to keep them.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CMERA delivers hands-on, field-based marine research education programs focused on sharks and rays in the Gulf of Mexico. Participants work aboard research vessels catching, tagging, and releasing elasmobranchs while collecting biological and environmental data that is shared with FWC, NOAA, and the Florida Division of Parks and Recreation. The flagship multi-week Summer Shark & Ray Research Program (1-18 weeks) is supplemented by a single-day Shark Scientist Discovery Program, an international Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Colombia, and Continuing Education Units for professional development.

Product overview

CMERA offers a portfolio of field-based marine research education programs centered on sharks and rays in the Gulf of Mexico. The core offering is the Summer Shark & Ray Research Program, a multi-week hands-on experience where participants work on research vessels conducting ethical, non-lethal research including tagging, data collection, and gear deployment. This core program is supplemented by the Shark Scientist Discovery Program (single-day experience), the Sea Turtle Conservation Program (international program in Colombia), and CEU credits for professional development. Optional student housing is available as a support service. Participants can attend for 1-18 weeks, with tiered designations (Research Scientist for 1-3 weeks, Chief Scientist for 4+ weeks) reflecting increasing responsibilities and benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Shark & Ray Research Program Hands-on field-based marine research program conducted in Clearwater, Florida where participants work on research vessels Monday-Friday catching, tagging, and releasing sharks and rays while collecting biological and environmental data. Available for 1-18 weeks in Summer 2026 and 1-17 weeks in Summer 2027. Tuition: $979/week (Summer 2026) or $929-$1,079/week (Summer 2027 depending on plan) with $279 deposit. Multi-week discounts available. Includes lectures, field research sessions, research vessel access, captain, fuel, equipment, T-shirt, and local transportation for students using program housing.
• Shark Scientist Discovery Program A full-day immersive experience on the water where participants join research vessels and assist with ongoing field projects studying local shark and stingray populations. Participants learn baiting gear, set longlines or nets, safely process sharks and rays, record scientific data, and observe real field research methods. Pricing: $175 per person (minimum 4 passengers) or $1,000 boat fee for the day (up to 6 passengers).
• Sea Turtle Conservation Program International hands-on sea turtle conservation experience operated in Rodadero, Colombia in partnership with Mundo Marino Aquarium. Participants work with hatched Loggerhead and Hawksbill sea turtles in a professional head-start program, gaining experience in feeding, health monitoring, growth tracking, data collection, and assisted treatment procedures. Pricing: $950/week standard (deposit $250) or $1,250 release week. Includes housing, airport transfers, program activities, lectures, T-shirt, and bilingual liaison. Capped at 5 participants per week.
• Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Continuing Education Units awarded to participants who complete CMERA programs. Participants can earn 4 CEUs for one week of participation in the Shark and Ray Summer Program. Certificates of Completion are provided with participant name, program title, total CEUs earned, and date of completion.
• Megalodon Tooth Scuba Expedition Optional $200 per person scuba diving expedition near Venice, FL to hunt for megalodon teeth fossils. Includes transportation, dive boat, tanks and weights. Participants who find megalodon teeth get to keep them. Scuba certification required.
• Student Housing Optional shared student housing accommodations available for $385 per week, including fully equipped kitchens, washer/dryer, bedding, bath towels, and kitchenware. Transportation to classrooms, boats, and grocery stores is included for housing participants. $25 off per week if paid by December 31.

Named customers10 records

Segments6 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moore Marine CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMERA is partnered with Moore Marine College, a private four-year college in Clearwater, Florida offering bachelor's and master's degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Conservation. CMERA President Alan Moore is also the President of Moore Marine College. The partnership offers guaranteed hands-on field research (minimum 60 days/year) and provides CMERA's Shark Field Research Techniques online certificate course to Chief Scientist participants (4+ weeks). CMERA and Moore Marine College jointly operate the Sea Turtle Conservation Program in Colombia.
• Mundo Marino AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMERA partners with Mundo Marino Aquarium in Rodadero, Colombia for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program. Mundo Marino runs a professional head-start program for loggerhead and hawksbill sea turtles. Mundo Marino requests a motivation letter from each participant as part of the application process. The program is capped at 5 participants per week for hands-on involvement.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMERA works with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on sea turtle monitoring in the Florida area. CMERA shares its research data with FWC as part of ongoing collaborative conservation efforts.
• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMERA shares shark and ray research data with NOAA. NOAA Fisheries has also employed CMERA alumni in research roles. Data contributes to NOAA's understanding of shark and ray populations in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Florida Division of Parks and RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMERA shares research data with the Florida Division of Parks and Recreation. Dan Larremore, Environmental Specialist at Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, has worked with CMERA for several years and provides ongoing professional endorsement of the program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• MarineQuest (UNC Wilmington): University-based marine science summer program for high school and undergraduate students; competes for the same summer field-experience dollars and accepts academic credit, similar to CMERA's credit-bearing model.
• Shark Research Institute: Global nonprofit focused on shark research and conservation; comparable in shark species focus and volunteer/citizen-scientist participation in tagging and data collection.

Direct peers

• Bimini Biological Field Station (Sharklab): Long-running Bahamas-based field research and education program focused on sharks and rays, operating under a similar citizen-science/expedition model with multi-week student participation.
• Earthwatch Institute: Nonprofit that places paying volunteers on scientific field expeditions; comparable citizen-science field-research model with marine and wildlife projects.
• Operation Wallacea: International conservation research expeditions that pay students to participate in biodiversity surveys; comparable citizen-science model and international footprint (Colombia, marine, and terrestrial sites).
• Sea Education Association (SEA): Long-established U.S. organization offering multi-week oceanographic and marine science field programs for undergraduates with academic credit; comparable in tiered multi-week tuition and college-credit framing.
• Cape Eleuthera Institute: Bahamas-based research and education institute offering hands-on marine science programs for high school and undergraduate students; comparable model of immersion-based field research with tuition-funded operations.
• Mundo Marino Aquarium: Colombian aquarium and sea turtle head-start program operator; CMERA's actual operating partner in the Rodadero Sea Turtle Conservation Program, sharing curriculum and host-country logistics.

Emerging players

• REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation): Citizen-science marine conservation organization running in-water fish surveys and education programs; adjacent to CMERA's shark/ray model and feeds a similar demographic of marine-bio students.

Regional players

• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Florida-based sea turtle research, rehabilitation, and education organization; overlaps with CMERA's sea turtle program in Colombia and shares state-level marine conservation partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coastal-marine-education-and-research-academy

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 Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy