Herring Gut Learning Center
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Port Clyde, Maine delivering place-based marine science education to 7,000+ participants annually through 300+ school outreach, summer camp, sailing, and field programs across Midcoast Maine.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersPort Clyde, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Herring Gut Learning Center does
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit marine and environmental science education organization founded in 2000 and headquartered in Port Clyde, Maine. The organization rebranded from 'Herring Gut' to its current name in August 2022 to reflect expanded programming and a new collaboration with Colby College's Island Campus on Allen Island. It delivers place-based, experiential marine science education across Midcoast Maine through on-site campus programs at its 59 Factory Road facility, school outreach to 9+ Maine school districts, field excursions including sailing aboard the 55' ketch A Morning in Maine, tidepool treks, and an aquaponics greenhouse that supplies local food pantries and restaurants.
The organization operates a diversified program portfolio including the Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together watershed education project, Watershed Watchers Protocol, summer camps (Aquatots, Marine Explorers, Junior Marine Scientist, Changing Seas), Cabin Fever lecture series, Artist-In-Residence program, Coastal Resilience programming, and teacher professional development. Annual reach exceeds 7,000 children, families, and visitors through more than 300 programs. Core technology consists of hands-on physical infrastructure (touch tanks, aquaponics greenhouse, sailing vessel access) and a Squarespace-based website with etapestry donation processing.
Revenue derives from a mix of grants (government and foundation), individual donations, program fees for summer camps and field trips, business sponsorships, and fundraising events such as the annual Spring Auction. Individual giving grew 47% to partially offset an approximately 50% reduction in grant funding. The 6-person team is led by Executive Director Sarah D. Oktay, PhD, who joined in November 2023 with 30+ years of oceanographic research experience. Strategic partnerships include Colby College, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Bigelow Laboratory, Maine Ocean Voices Engage (MOVE) coalition, and West Bay Rotary.
Herring Gut Learning Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Herring Gut Learning Center
- Legal name
- Herring Gut Coastal Science Center
- Website
- https://herringgut.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Herring Gut Coastal Science Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Port Clyde, Maine delivering place-based marine science education to 7,000+ participants annually through 300+ school outreach, summer camp, sailing, and field programs across Midcoast Maine.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Herring Gut Learning Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental and Marine Science Education
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Snorkeling & Marine Activity Centers (THAAAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips) (THAAAIAB), Educational Cruises & Shipboard Learning Programs (THAKAGAM), Aquaculture & Fisheries Operations (EDAOAOAK)
Keywords
Where Herring Gut Learning Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Port Clyde
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Herring Gut Learning Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Individual Giving: Private non-foundational gifts, individual donations, and general support contributions. Individual giving grew by 47% to offset loss of grant funding.
- Program Fees: Fees for summer camps (Marine Explorers Camp, Junior Marine Scientist Camp, Changing Seas Camp), field trips, Science Under Sail excursions, and other educational programs
- Grants and Foundation Funding: Government and foundation grants including Maine State Department of Education Grant, Maine Business Recovery and Resilience Fund Grant, West Bay Rotary grants, and Connecting Learning Grant from Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Competition for grants has increased with approximately 50% reduction in grant funding.
- Business Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors for events and programs including annual galas, with sponsors like Village Ice Cream providing donated goods
- Spring Auction: Annual fundraising auction with 80+ business and individual donors raising over $11,000 for summer camp scholarships and programmatic needs
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Herring Gut Learning Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Herring Gut Learning Center (operating as Herring Gut Coastal Science Center) delivers place-based, experiential marine and watershed science education to K-12 students, teachers, families, and visitors through on-campus programs, school outreach, summer camps, sailing-based field excursions, and teacher professional development. Offerings include the Fresh to Salt watershed curriculum, Science Under Sail excursions aboard A Morning in Maine, tidepool treks, touch tank tours, the Watershed Watchers monitoring protocol, and an on-site aquaponics greenhouse that supplies local food pantries and restaurants.
Product overview
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center operates as a unified suite of marine and environmental science education programs rather than a traditional software product. The core offerings include hands-on field programs (Science Under Sail, Tidepool Treks, Watershed Watchers), summer camps for various age groups (Junior Marine Scientist, Marine Explorers, Changing Seas, Aquatots, Ocean Hour), school-based programs, and professional development for teachers. The Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together program serves as a flagship watershed education initiative. Additional offerings include the Cabin Fever lecture series, Artist-In-Residence program, Coastal Resilience programming, and Learn Discover Grow virtual series. The center also provides Touch Tank Tours as a regular visitor offering. Programs serve over 7,000 children, families, and visitors annually through more than 300 programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together: A watershed education project that integrates classroom and field experiences where students 'think' and 'do' like scientists and engineers.
- Science Under Sail
- Junior Marine Scientist Camp
- Phyllis Wyeth Visionary Award
Products and services
- Junior Marine Scientist Camp
- Marine Explorers Camp
- Changing Seas Camp
- Aquatots
- Ocean Hour
- Science Under Sail
- Tidepool Treks
- Touch Tank Tours
- School Programs
- Teacher Professional Development
- Fresh to Salt: Flowing Together
- Watershed Watchers Protocol
- Coastal Resilience Programs
- Cabin Fever Lecture Series
- Learn, Discover, Grow
- Artist-In-Residence Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 7000+ children, families, and visitors educated annually through 300+ programs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Herring Gut Learning Center
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Herring Gut Learning Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Herring Gut Learning Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Maine Ocean Voices Engage (MOVE)coreCoalition of ocean-focused organizations including research institutions, science centers, fishing and aquaculture associations, universities, and community groups collaborating to help policymakers understand federal funding impact. Herring Gut is a member proud to participate in this initiative.
- A Morning in MainecorePartnership with the 55' ketch A Morning in Maine for Science Under Sail excursions. Participants learn about Penobscot Bay ecology while viewing wildlife and conducting oceanographic equipment demonstrations.
- Colby College Island CampuscoreCollaboration for field excursions to Allen Island where St. George students conduct research and learn about Colby research activities. Also hosts A Day of Fresh to Salt artist invitationals.
- Ice House OystersminorJohn Cotton and Toni Small provide oyster farming education as part of the Ingenuity Gap Year Program with Forman School.
- Georges River Land TrustminorMarcy Bonner, Trails and Public Access Manager, contributes career path education as part of experiential learning programs.
- Gulf of Maine Research InstitutecoreProvided Connecting Learning Grant for Sturgeon Bride Project and other initiatives integrating climate science education with NASA data visualization tools.
- Bigelow LaboratoryminorDr. Deborah Bronk, President and CEO, presented Cabin Fever Series lecture on exciting work at Bigelow Labs and beyond.
- Business Event SponsorsminorBlue Barren Distillery, Eastwind Inn, Jim Balano Oysters, Salt Water Fields Event Barn, The Art of Stewardship, Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Waterman's Beach Brewery sponsored the Evening of Fresh to Salt fundraising event.
- Village Ice CreamminorDonated ice cream for community ice cream social events.
- Farnsworth Art MuseumminorDr. Alexis Saba, Senior Manager of Academic Programs, participated in Art + Science panel discussion with Herring Gut educators.
- Shaw InstituteminorPresented microplastics research happening in Maine at Herring Gut as part of Cabin Fever Series.
- Maine Department of Marine ResourcesminorAri Leach, Marine Resource Scientist, presented nearshore survey work and commercially important species research in the Gulf of Maine.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Herring Gut Learning Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Island Institute: Rockland, Maine-based nonprofit focused on Maine's island and coastal communities through research, education, and economic development — overlapping community-education and coastal-resilience programming with Herring Gut.
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences: East Boothbay, Maine-based ocean research institution with public engagement and K-12 education programming; partners with Herring Gut on Cabin Fever lectures and shares the marine science education mission in Maine.
- Center for Coastal Studies: Provincetown, Massachusetts-based nonprofit focused on coastal and marine science research, education, and conservation. Highly comparable mission; Herring Gut's current Executive Director previously led this organization.
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute: Portland, Maine-based nonprofit delivering marine science education, school programs, and teacher professional development across the Gulf of Maine — directly comparable mission, geography, and K-12 program model. Herring Gut has also received a Connecting Learning Grant from GMRI.
- Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park: Maine-based environmental education nonprofit offering residential learning programs, teacher PD, and citizen-science initiatives in a coastal setting — same place-based experiential model as Herring Gut, serving schools across New England.
Broad incumbents
- New England Aquarium: Boston-based major aquarium and marine science education institution; significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach, but operates touch tanks, school programs, and teacher PD in the same general category as Herring Gut.
- The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk: Connecticut-based aquarium with hands-on marine science exhibits, school field-trip programming, and boat-based education excursions — comparable touch-tank-and-vessel model to Herring Gut's campus and Science Under Sail.
Others
- Maine Coast Heritage Trust: Maine-based land conservation nonprofit running the Ecology School and watershed education initiatives; thematically aligned with Herring Gut's watershed/coastal education mission and overlapping Maine school networks.
Regional players
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: Boothbay, Maine-based botanical garden offering nature-based education, family programming, and seasonal events — comparable scale and Maine-coast community-education footprint, though focused on botany rather than marine science.
- MDI Biological Laboratory (Mount Desert Island): Bar Harbor, Maine-based biomedical and environmental research institution with K-12 and community science education programs; comparable regional Maine research-education nonprofit structure and community outreach mission.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Herring Gut Learning Center social profiles
Digital presenceHerring Gut Learning Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Herring Gut Learning Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Herring Gut Learning Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Herring Gut Learning Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Herring Gut Learning Center
What does Herring Gut Learning Center do?
Herring Gut Learning Center (operating as Herring Gut Coastal Science Center) delivers place-based, experiential marine and watershed science education to K-12 students, teachers, families, and visitors through on-campus programs, school outreach, summer camps, sailing-based field excursions, and teacher professional development. Offerings include the Fresh to Salt watershed curriculum, Science Under Sail excursions aboard A Morning in Maine, tidepool treks, touch tank tours, the Watershed Watchers monitoring protocol, and an on-site aquaponics greenhouse that supplies local food pantries and restaurants.
Is Herring Gut Learning Center a public or private company?
Herring Gut Learning Center is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Herring Gut Learning Center founded?
Herring Gut Learning Center was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Herring Gut Learning Center based?
Herring Gut Learning Center is headquartered in Port Clyde, United States, in the North America region.
How does Herring Gut Learning Center make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Individual Giving is the primary driver. The others are program Fees, grants and Foundation Funding, business Sponsorships and spring Auction.
Who are Herring Gut Learning Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Island Institute, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Center for Coastal Studies, Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park. Broad incumbents are New England Aquarium and The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Maine Coast Heritage Trust is listed as an others. Regional players are Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and MDI Biological Laboratory (Mount Desert Island).
Does Herring Gut Learning Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Herring Gut Learning Center.
What industry is Herring Gut Learning Center in?
Herring Gut Learning Center's product category is Environmental and Marine Science Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAKAE, Snorkeling & Marine Activity Centers, with a secondary code of THAAAIAB, Guided Diving & Snorkeling Excursions (boat/shore trips). Its NAICS code is 61151 and its SIC code is 8200.