What GREAT Institute does

GREAT Institute is The Gambia's first marine research institute, founded in 2017 by Maiyai Taal Hocheimy and headquartered in Brusubi Phase II along the Coastal Highway. The organization operates as a private nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen observation and data systems for The Gambia's marine, freshwater, and coastal environments through education, research, and community engagement. Its core "products" are not commercial goods but a portfolio of free research programs, educational courses, and citizen-science initiatives: the Gambia Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS), which collects physical, chemical, and biological parameters at eight sites along the River Gambia; the BLUEMap Project funded by the National Geographic Society to assess mangrove carbon storage across roughly 100 km; the RREMEDY field study course funded by the Sustainable Ocean Alliance; the Sailing for Mangroves expedition aboard Pacifique Foundation vessels; and Gambia Ocean Heroes, a volunteer beach-cleanup network of 2,000+ people that has removed 900+ tonnes of waste since 2018.

The institute serves three primary constituencies: university students and recent graduates (mainly from the University of The Gambia) seeking hands-on marine and climate research training; coastal communities along the River Gambia and 80 km of Atlantic coastline affected by erosion, saltwater intrusion, and mangrove degradation; and K-12 schools across all seven regions of The Gambia. Technically, the platform is built on standardized environmental-monitoring protocols (water quality sensors, sediment sampling, biodiversity surveys, GPS/DGPS and drone-based erosion measurement), deployed through a distributed citizen-science workforce of Community Science Leaders and Community Focal Points, and supported by a small full-time team of approximately seven people plus visiting international researchers.

GREAT Institute does not sell products or services; all educational programs, field courses, and outreach activities are offered free of charge. Revenue is exclusively philanthropic, sourced from foundation grants (National Geographic Society, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Swansea University GCRF, Bridge Spark Fund, Global Climate Fund/UNEP, Standard Chartered Bank), PayPal donations, and in-kind contributions. GTM is community-led and event-driven, combining free field courses, citizen-science programs, school outreach, and documentary content to build constituency among students, communities, and policymakers.

Name

GREAT Institute

Legal name

GREAT Institute

Website

https://greatinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GREAT Institute is The Gambia's first marine research nonprofit, founded in 2017 to deliver free environmental education, citizen-science monitoring, and mangrove research along the River Gambia and 80 km coastline. It serves university students, coastal communities, and K-12 schools through grant-funded research and outreach programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Research and Environmental Education

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Blue Carbon Removal (Mangroves, Seagrass, Salt Marsh) (EUABAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Offset Projects (Grid/Off-grid, Cookstoves, Buildings/Industry) (EUABABAN), Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK)

Keywords

• Marine research
• Coastal conservation
• Citizen science
• Environmental education
• Mangrove restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bijilo

HQ country

Gambia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Philanthropic Funding: Primary revenue source from international foundations and organizations including National Geographic Society Perpetual Planet Oceans Expeditions, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Swansea University Internal GCRF Fund, Global Climate Fund/UNEP EbA project, and Standard Chartered Bank. These grants fund specific research programs, expeditions, and educational initiatives.
2. Donations: Accepts cash donations via PayPal and in-kind donations including used books, journals, and equipment for labs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GREAT Institute is The Gambia's first marine research institute, delivering free educational programs (Climate Change Biology, Key Skills & Literature Review, RREMEDY), scientific expeditions (BLUEMap, Sailing for Mangroves), and citizen science initiatives (GEMS, WACEM, PCG, Gambia Ocean Heroes) focused on marine, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems along River Gambia.

Product overview

GREAT Institute is The Gambia's first marine research institute offering educational programs, research expeditions, and citizen science initiatives focused on aquatic and coastal ecosystems. The organization provides free high-quality learning through courses including Climate Change Biology and Key Skills & Literature Review, complemented by field study programs and expeditions such as BLUEMap and Sailing for Mangroves. Research programs including GEMS, WACEM, and PCG collect environmental and biodiversity data along the River Gambia and coastal areas. The Gambia Ocean Heroes volunteer program supports coastal cleanup activities. These offerings collectively form an integrated approach to marine/coastal education, research, and community engagement rather than a traditional product-platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RREMEDY: Restoration, Research, and Education on Mangrove Ecosystem with Dynamic Youths - a field study course that trains University of The Gambia students on research and presentation skills, watershed management, environmental monitoring, mangrove ecology, and above ground carbon quantification.
• BLUEMap
• GEMS
• WACEM

Products and services

• BLUEMap Project (Biodiversity, Livelihoods, and Understanding of Ecosystems Mangrove) A science-led, solutions-focused expedition assessing the ecological health, carbon storage, and socio-economic value of The Gambia's mangrove ecosystems spanning approximately 100 km from the Atlantic coast to estuarine parts of the River Gambia. Recruits 20 science students from the University of The Gambia to participate in three expeditions in 2025-2026.
• Sailing for Mangroves Expedition A scientific expedition program in collaboration with Pacifique Foundation, University of Geneva, and Swansea University that trains Gambian students on coastal and marine research aboard a floating laboratory vessel along the River Gambia.
• Climate Change Biology Course A 3-day course examining global-scale climate phenomena and processes with emphasis on connections across physics, chemistry, geology, and biology and how they interact with climate. Free for eligible university students and early career professionals.
• Key Skills & Literature Review Course A course providing experience with up-to-date methods in marine and coastal science research, covering scientific writing, literature review, research methods, and presentation skills for university students and early career professionals.
• Gambia Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) Programme An environmental monitoring program that collects aquatic and terrestrial data at 8 sites along the River Gambia (from Essau at the river mouth to Koina near the Gambian border), establishing the first comprehensive environmental and biodiversity dataset for The Gambia to support long-term socio-ecological research, development, and management.
• West Africa Continuous Environmental Monitoring Programme (WACEM) A capacity-building program funded by Swansea University to collect essential environmental data about the Tanbi Wetland Complex, developing solutions for sustainable natural resource management.
• Promoting Conservation in The Gambia (PCG) Programme A coastal citizen science program that facilitates sustainable conservation efforts to protect mangrove forests along the River Gambia through community engagement and local capacity building, with Community Focal Points collecting weekly aquatic data from 6 tributaries.
• RREMEDY Field Study Course (Restoration, Research, and Education on Mangrove Ecosystem with Dynamic Youths) A field study course funded by Sustainable Ocean Alliance that trains University of The Gambia students on research skills, watershed management, environmental monitoring, mangrove ecology, and above ground carbon quantification.
• Gambia Ocean Heroes (GOH) A service-learning project with over 2,000 volunteers focused on reducing coastal pollution through monthly beach clean-up exercises and educational seminars along The Gambia's 80km coastline. Has collected over 900 tonnes of trash since 2018.
• Field Study Courses Standards-driven student learning within the context of real-world environmental problems through hands-on investigation of local environmental issues for undergraduate science students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 900+ tonnes of trash collected along 80km coastline since 2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Pacifique FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborates on Sailing for Mangroves expeditions - scientific expeditions aboard floating laboratory ships (Mauritius and Fleur de Passion) to train Gambian students on coastal and marine research along River Gambia. Provides the sailing vessel and scientific equipment.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Long-standing academic partnership for research collaboration. Funded WACEM program and PHG project. GREAT team visited Swansea in 2022 for 10-day research travel grant from Internal Global Challenge Research Fund. Partnership began 2019 when Swansea team visited The Gambia for consultations.
• University of GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Sailing for Mangroves expeditions. University of Geneva's Aquatic Physics Group provides scientific expertise and student participation. Students from UNIGE join expeditions alongside University of The Gambia students.
• Texas A&M University - Corpus ChristicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-PI Angelo Bernardino from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi involved in BLUEMap Project. Provides scientific expertise for mangrove ecosystem assessment expeditions.
• University of BernsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in BLUEMap Project contributing scientific expertise to expeditions assessing Gambia's mangrove ecosystems.
• Federal University of Espirito SantosecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research partner in BLUEMap Project expeditions for mangrove ecosystem assessment.
• Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Global Outreach Initiative Award funding the 2021 Aquatic Sciences Virtual Conference in The Gambia. Provided one-year free ASLO memberships to conference participants and connects African researchers with global L&O community.
• Blacks in Marine Science (BIMS)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Dive Into Marine Science outreach program at Maahad Senior Secondary School. BIMS sponsored the activity and provided expertise for marine science education.
• AquaBioTech Group (Malta)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector of GREAT Institute visited AquaBioTech Group in Malta to explore potential benefits from their environmental and technical consultancy services for food supply support.
• Gambia Maritime AdministrationsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in Quarterly Coastal Clean-up events with Gambia Ocean Heroes. Provides support for beach clean-up activities along Gambia's coastline.
• National Environment AgencysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment partner for International Coastal Clean-up Day events. Collaborates on policy advocacy for environmental protection.
• Gambia Tourism BoardsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in coastal clean-up events and tourism promotion supporting ocean conservation efforts.
• Gambia Environmental Alliance (GEA)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoalition of civil societies and CBOs dedicated to restoring and protecting The Gambia's environment. GREAT Institute co-founder Muhammed Hydara serves as Secretary General.
• TRY Oyster Women's AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Focal Points (CFPs) who are oyster harvesters participate in PCG project, collecting weekly aquatic data from tributaries. Collaborative approach enhances community engagement in conservation.
• British High Commission The GambiasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMet with GREAT team during COP26 activities. UK Regional COP26 Ambassador and British High Commissioner engaged with GREAT's climate data presentation.
• Sankandi Youth Development Association (SYDA)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal CBO partner in RREMEDY project. Received training on water quality assessments and testing equipment for routine monitoring at restored mangrove site.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Ventures: Marine conservation organisation that partners with coastal communities for locally led conservation, including mangrove and fisheries programmes. Comparable to GREAT on community-based marine conservation in a developing-country context.
• Sea Watch Foundation: UK-based marine citizen science organisation that recruits volunteers to collect systematic marine wildlife and environmental data. Closely comparable to GREAT's citizen-science-driven monitoring model and community engagement approach.
• Mangrove Action Project: International NGO focused on mangrove forest conservation, restoration, and community-based stewardship. Highly comparable to GREAT's RREMEDY mangrove restoration and BLUEMap mangrove carbon-storage work.
• Reef Check: Global citizen-science reef monitoring network training volunteers to collect standardised ecological data. Shares GREAT's volunteer-driven aquatic monitoring methodology and standardised-protocol approach.

Broad incumbents

• Sustainable Ocean Alliance: Global ocean-focused organisation that funds and accelerates ocean solutions, including RREMEDY which is GREAT's mangrove programme. Both organisations target youth-led ocean stewardship, though SOA operates as a funder/accelerator.
• Wetlands International: Established global NGO dedicated to wetland and mangrove conservation across dozens of countries. Operates at a much larger scale than GREAT but addresses overlapping mangrove and coastal-ecosystem themes.
• Conservation International: Large multinational conservation organisation with significant Africa and coastal-ecosystem programmes. Comparable thematic overlap on mangroves, blue carbon and community-based conservation, though at vastly greater scale.
• Fauna & Flora International: Large international conservation organisation with marine and coastal programmes including mangroves and capacity building in developing countries. Comparable mission space to GREAT, though operating at greater scale and geographic breadth.

Emerging players

• BirdLife International: Global partnership of conservation organisations built around citizen-science bird and biodiversity monitoring. Relevant as a comparable citizen-science-driven conservation model that scaled from local volunteer data collection to global influence.

Others

• The Ocean Foundation: US-based community foundation that manages dedicated funds for ocean conservation, including blue carbon. Functions as a peer in the marine-conservation funding ecosystem that channel-grants to organisations like GREAT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GREAT-Institute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 GREAT Institute