What Conservation Diver does

Conservation Diver is a Thailand-based nonprofit marine conservation training organization founded in 2014. It delivers a structured catalog of certification courses across three pillars — Research & Monitoring, Protection, and Restoration — covering topics such as ecological monitoring, coral taxonomy, shark and sea turtle ecology, plastic pollution assessment, coral restoration, coral spawning and larval culturing, mangrove reforestation, and mineral accretion technology. Courses are delivered through a global network of certified training centers spanning Thailand, Indonesia, Hawai'i (United States), Mallorca (Spain), and Portugal, supported by a Professional Trainer Certification pathway that allows new instructors to join the network.

The organization's underlying technology centers on proprietary field protocols, most notably the Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP), the Bottle Units Reef Restoration Technique (a low-cost substrate method using concrete-embedded glass bottles, developed at Koh Tao in 2009), and Mineral Accretion Technology (low-voltage seawater electrolysis for coral growth enhancement). Programmatic outputs include 8+ peer-reviewed scientific publications and multiple species discoveries (e.g., Armina scotti, Unidentia aliciae, Phestilla viei, Nanipora coral), as well as longitudinal field data from Koh Tao covering 191 sea slug species and the removal of 179,740 Drupella snails over a decade.

The business model combines course certification fees (treated in the source attribution as recurring/subscription-like revenue for ongoing engagement) with one-time sales of educational materials (manuals, books, underwater ID slates), supplemented by grants (notably a $1,000 instructor grant program launched in January 2025) and donations. The organization does not publicly disclose pricing, course fees vary by training center location, and revenue is not reported. Customer segments are horizontal: recreational and professional SCUBA divers, marine conservation professionals (biologists, reef managers), and academic institutions seeking field training and citizen science collaboration. The Career Headstart Program provides alumni with internship and job placement assistance through the network.

Name

Conservation Diver

Legal name

Conservation Diver

Website

https://conservationdiver.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conservation Diver is a Thailand-based nonprofit founded in 2014 that delivers marine conservation certification courses in research, monitoring, protection, and restoration across a global network of certified training centers in Thailand, Indonesia, Hawai'i, Spain, and Portugal, serving recreational divers, conservation professionals, and academic institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Education and Training

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Marine conservation training
• Coral reef monitoring
• Marine restoration certification
• Scientific diving courses
• Reef restoration techniques

Headquarters

HQ city

Koh Tao

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Course Certifications: Revenue generated from providing marine conservation training courses and certifications through a network of global training centers. Courses cover research, monitoring, protection, and restoration topics.
2. Educational Materials Sales: Sale of manuals, books, underwater ID slates, and other educational materials used during courses or independently.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Conservation Diver delivers standardized marine conservation training courses and certifications through a global network of affiliated training centers. Course offerings span research and ecological monitoring (coral reefs, seagrass, sharks, sea turtles, seahorses, nudibranchs), protection (coral predator management, mooring line installation, plastic pollution assessment), and restoration (artificial reef construction, coral restoration, larval culturing, mangrove reforestation, mineral accretion technology). The organization also sells educational materials and operates a Career Headstart program for aspiring marine conservationists.

Product overview

Conservation Diver is a marine conservation training organization offering a comprehensive suite of certification courses focused on research, protection, and restoration of marine ecosystems. The core offerings include Research & Monitoring courses (ecological monitoring, coral taxonomy, shark ecology, sea turtle monitoring, and species-specific programs), Protection courses (coral predator management, mooring line installation, plastic pollution assessment), and Restoration courses (artificial reef techniques, coral restoration, larval culturing, mangrove restoration). The organization also provides the Bottle Units reef restoration technique as a proprietary method, along with educational materials, a Career Headstart networking program, and a professional trainer certification pathway. Training is delivered through a global network of affiliated certification centers across Thailand, Indonesia, Hawai'i, Mallorca, and Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Monitoring Courses A comprehensive suite of marine research and monitoring certification courses covering coral reef ecology, coral taxonomy and identification, seagrass monitoring, macro algae management, giant clam nurseries, invasive lionfish, nudibranch and sea slug ecology, sea turtle monitoring, shark population studies, seahorse ecology, whale conservation, and ecological monitoring programs. Designed for divers, citizen scientists, and conservation professionals seeking standardized scientific diving certifications.
• Protection Courses Marine ecosystem protection certification courses covering coral predator (e.g., Drupella snail) population monitoring and management, mooring line maintenance and installation, plastic pollution monitoring and assessment, and sea turtle hatchery and head-starting programs. Targeted at divers and conservation practitioners responsible for managing reef health and mitigating human impact.
• Restoration Courses Marine restoration certification courses covering artificial reef theory and techniques, coral restoration theory and techniques, coral spawning and larval culturing, mangrove restoration and reforestation monitoring, and mineral accretion technology and techniques. Designed for restoration practitioners and project leaders.
• Professional Trainer Certification Professional certification program for becoming a Conservation Diver Trainer. Candidates must demonstrate dedication to research-led outputs and tangible environmental impact to deliver the organization's standardized curriculum at certified training centers.
• Educational and Training Materials Manuals, books, underwater ID slates, and other educational materials sold for use during Conservation Diver courses or independently by divers and conservation learners.
• Career Headstart Program A network of conservation centers offering assistance in finding internships, jobs, and other educational opportunities for individuals pursuing marine conservation careers.
• Conservation Diver Grant Program A $1,000 grant program supporting Conservation Diver instructors in expanding their impact through projects, training, certifications, and travel. Announced in January 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 191 sea slug species documented through 14-year citizen science study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of MauritiusminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Collaborative research partner for Drupella snail research expedition in Mauritius, working with published researcher Deepeeka Kaullysing to record observations in the Western Indian Ocean.
• New Heaven Reef Conservation Program (NHRCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding training center partner in Thailand that has collaborated on coral restoration projects, Drupella snail monitoring (179,740+ snails removed), and sea slug biodiversity research since the organization's inception.
• Love Wildlife FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThai-based wildlife conservation organization that partnered with Conservation Diver on the Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center (ATMEC) and various research expeditions including Philippines reef assessments.
• University of the Philippines, CebuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for reef assessment expeditions in the Escalante region of the Philippines, providing scientific expertise and student participation in biodiversity surveys.
• Aow Thai Marine Ecology Center (ATMEC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining center partner in Thailand founded by Conservation Diver board member Dr. Rahul Mehrotra, offering full range of Conservation Diver courses and conducting ongoing marine research.
• Blue Marlin Gili AircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining center partner in Indonesia where Leon Haines established marine conservation program teaching coral reef ecology, monitoring, nursery techniques, and artificial reef methods.
• Project Seahorse / iSeahorseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizen science collaborator for seahorse monitoring courses, providing global database for entering sighting data and contributing to international seahorse conservation efforts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors): PADI is the world's largest recreational scuba diving certification agency and offers specialty courses including conservation-focused training. It competes with Conservation Diver for divers seeking credentials, but operates at vastly greater scale with global brand recognition.
• SSI (Scuba Schools International): SSI is a major global scuba certification agency offering its own ecology and marine conservation specialty courses. It overlaps directly with Conservation Diver's training-based value proposition for divers pursuing recognized certifications.
• Project AWARE Foundation: Project AWARE is a scuba-diver-led nonprofit advancing ocean conservation through citizen science and policy. It overlaps with Conservation Diver's marine conservation training and citizen science participation model for the diving community.

Direct peers

• Coral Restoration Foundation: Coral Restoration Foundation is a nonprofit focused on restoring coral reefs through active intervention and training. It competes in the coral restoration training space that Conservation Diver addresses with its Restoration courses and Bottle Units technique.
• Reef Check Foundation: Reef Check runs a global volunteer citizen science program that trains divers to survey coral reefs using standardized protocols. It is highly comparable to Conservation Diver's Ecological Monitoring Program and citizen science positioning.
• Reef-World Foundation: Reef-World works with dive operators to train recreational divers in marine conservation and reef-friendly practices through the Green Fins initiative. It is a direct competitor in the niche of conservation training embedded in the dive industry.
• New Heaven Reef Conservation Program: NHRCP is Conservation Diver's founding training center partner in Koh Tao, conducting reef research, coral restoration, and citizen science. It is both a partner and a near-peer offering overlapping conservation training and field programs.

Emerging players

• Blue Marine Foundation: Blue Marine Foundation funds and runs marine conservation projects with a research and policy focus. It overlaps with Conservation Diver on marine protection outcomes and scientific publication output, though it does not run a training certification business.
• Reef Restoration Builders: This organization supports practitioners in building and deploying artificial reef structures for coral restoration, closely mirroring Conservation Diver's Bottle Units and Artificial Reef training offerings.
• Green Fins Hub: Green Fins is a UN-backed initiative providing environmental standards and training for dive and snorkel operators. It overlaps with Conservation Diver on marine protection training content targeting dive industry professionals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservation-diver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Conservation Diver