CoralWatch | The University of Queensland

Name

CoralWatch | The University of Queensland

Legal name

CoralWatch

Website

https://coralwatch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Citizen Science & Marine Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC), Environmental & Occupational Health Surveillance Programs (HLAJANAI)

Keywords

• Citizen science monitoring
• Coral reef conservation
• Marine science education
• Environmental data collection
• Reef health research

Headquarters

HQ city

St Lucia

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a not-for-profit organization based at The University of Queensland, CoralWatch relies on donations and government grants for funding. They received an Engaging Science Grant from Queensland DETSI for the Outback to Ocean program.
2. Merchandise Shop: Online shop selling educational materials, curriculum resources, and CoralWatch merchandise.
3. Free Membership and Chart Distribution: Initial Coral Health Chart is provided free to participants; membership is free. Revenue is not the primary driver - mission is conservation and education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CoralWatch provides a Coral Health Chart — a colour-matching tool (like a paint swatch) used by global volunteer citizen scientists to quantify changes in coral colour associated with bleaching — paired with an interactive global data map and supporting education, training, and outreach programs. The free-to-join citizen science program collects reef health data that has been cited in more than 200 scientific publications and used by Australian government scientific bodies AIMS and CSIRO.

Product overview

CoralWatch is a citizen science program at the University of Queensland offering a suite of interconnected products for global coral reef monitoring and education. The core offering is the Coral Health Chart—a colour-matching tool used by citizen scientists worldwide to assess coral bleaching—paired with an Interactive Data Map that visualizes global survey results. Supporting products include the PADI Coral Health Chart Distinctive Specialty (a diving certification), Education Curriculum Materials for K-12 and university students, a Youth Ambassador Program, and the sustainability-focused 'Save Reefs from Home' initiative. Data is collected via the Biocollect platform and integrated with the Atlas of Living Australia infrastructure for analysis and visualization. The program also delivers the Outback to Ocean regional education program in Queensland and has published a book titled 'Coral Reefs and Climate Change. What Can I Do?'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coral Health Chart A colour-matching chart (like a paint swatch) that enables citizen scientists aged 6-80 to quantify changes in coral colour associated with bleaching. Provided free to participants upon request.
• Interactive Data Map A global visualization tool displaying coral health survey results worldwide, built on Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) infrastructure with automated analyses of submitted citizen science data and a potential bleaching map layer.
• Citizen Science Monitoring Program Global volunteer program enabling novice marine biologists (ages 6-80) to conduct coral health surveys using the Coral Health Chart. Data is submitted through the Biocollect platform and used for reef conservation research.
• PADI Coral Health Chart Distinctive Specialty A diving certification program developed with PADI that trains divers in coral biology, bleaching, survey methods, and data upload procedures. Includes knowledge development sessions, virtual practice surveys, and knowledge reviews.
• Education Curriculum Materials
• Youth Ambassador Program Program engaging young people as advocates for coral reef conservation, with ambassadors participating in community outreach, education events, and reef protection awareness activities.
• Save Reefs from Home Sustainability program providing actionable climate change mitigation guidance across seven life areas: Food, Energy, Waste, Travel, Activism, Education, and Rewilding, including factsheets and recommendations for home-based environmental action.
• Outback to Ocean Education Program Regional Queensland community education initiative connecting inland and coastal environments through immersive workshops featuring virtual reef tools, augmented reality experiences, and direct engagement with marine scientists.
• Coral Reefs and Climate Change. What Can I Do? Published book identifying home-based changes to protect coral reefs, covering solar power adoption, recycling, water conservation, and sustainable lifestyle choices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000 surveys conducted on approximately 2,100 reefs across 80+ countries by 8,000+ citizen scientists
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 September 2023International collaboration led by CoralWatch at UQ to predict future coral bleaching events. NOAA provides satellite-based bleaching alert data while CoralWatch contributes ground-truth citizen science observations from its global network, creating a comprehensive global bleaching prediction system.
• Atlas of Living Australia (ALA)coreTechnology or IntegrationALA provides the underlying data infrastructure for CoralWatch's citizen science platform, including the Biocollect data entry system and global database. Josh Passenger developed the interactive data map using ALA infrastructure.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPADI Coral Health Chart Distinctive Specialty developed through Ambassador/PADI instructor Amber Moran. Provides dive professionals with certified training materials for incorporating coral health monitoring into PADI certifications.
• Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIMS uses CoralWatch citizen science data as supporting evidence in scientific findings about reef health and bleaching events across the globe.
• CSIROmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian government scientific body that utilizes CoralWatch volunteer-collected data in coral reef research and monitoring efforts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reef Check Foundation: International citizen science organization coordinating volunteer reef monitoring across 100+ countries using standardized survey protocols. Directly comparable to CoralWatch in citizen-driven reef health data collection and global volunteer network model.
• Project AWARE Foundation: PADI-affiliated nonprofit mobilizing divers for ocean conservation through citizen science, policy advocacy, and marine debris monitoring. Highly comparable as a dive industry-anchored citizen science and conservation education organization.
• Reef-World Foundation: UK-based charity promoting sustainable coral reef tourism through the Green Fins initiative and dive industry engagement. Comparable to CoralWatch's PADI partnership approach and focus on embedding reef monitoring into dive industry practice.
• Reef Life Survey: Global citizen science program using trained recreational divers to systematically survey reef fish and invertebrate communities worldwide. Highly comparable to CoralWatch in mission, methodology, and volunteer-driven global reef monitoring focus.
• Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative: Multi-institutional coalition producing ecosystem reports on Mesoamerican Reef health through collaborative monitoring. Comparable to CoralWatch in producing standardized reef health data used by governments and conservation managers.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS): Australian government tropical marine science agency conducting large-scale long-term reef monitoring programs. Comparable as a producer and consumer of reef health data, but operates as a much larger professional scientific institution rather than a citizen science program.
• Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN): International network coordinating global coral reef status reporting for the International Coral Reef Initiative. Comparable in aggregating reef health data globally, but operates as an umbrella network rather than running its own citizen science surveys.
• NOAA Coral Reef Watch: US government satellite-based global coral bleaching monitoring program that is also a direct collaborator with CoralWatch. Comparable as a global reef health monitoring authority, but operates at much larger scale using remote sensing rather than in-water citizen science.

Emerging players

• Earthwatch Institute: International environmental nonprofit engaging citizens in scientific field research across marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Comparable in citizen science methodology and volunteer mobilization model, though with broader environmental scope beyond coral reefs.

Regional players

• Coral Triangle Center: Regional foundation focused on sustainable marine resources management across the Coral Triangle region (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, etc.). Comparable in marine conservation mission and capacity building, but operates regionally rather than globally like CoralWatch.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coral_watch
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@coralwatch8058
• Facebookfacebook.com/coralwatch
• Instagraminstagram.com/coral_watch/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coralwatch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CoralWatch | The University of Queensland