Institute for Marine Research

What Institute for Marine Research does

The Institute for Marine Research (legal entity: Marine Research Institute Inc.) is a grassroots non-profit organization founded in 2018 by Chelsea Waters and Rafael Manrique and headquartered in Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines. The organization conducts long-term, fine-scale research on coastal marine ecosystems in the Coral Triangle — specifically Apo Island and the Dauin Municipality — through its flagship Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project, which was officially established in February 2019. The research program uses a multi-method stack that includes Diver-Operated Stereo Video Systems for fish biomass quantification, Structure from Motion photogrammetry for 3D reef modelling and rugosity analysis, and the ReefCloud machine-learning platform for benthic classification, supplemented by standard tools such as EventMeasure, AgiSoft MetaShape, RealityCapture, ImageJ, CPCe, and ArcGIS. A second research initiative, the FRAGS (Functional Restoration and Growth Studies) coral restoration project launched in late 2022 with a PADI AWARE grant, reattaches Corals of Opportunity damaged by Typhoon Rai (Odette) to artificial substrates.

The organization's revenue model combines fee-based educational programs with donations and grant funding. Tuition-bearing courses span five tiers — Research Assistant (4–5 weeks, ₱142K–₱180K), Research Fellowship (12 weeks, ₱227K), Research Assistant + Divemaster Internship (3 months, ₱324K), Research Assistant + IDC (8–12 weeks, ₱406K) and Research Fellowship + IDC (16 weeks, ₱426K) — plus an Independent Researcher monthly option at ₱80K/month. All programs are delivered on-site in Dauin and include PADI professional certifications, accommodation, meals, and equipment as applicable. The IDC tracks are co-delivered with sister company Instructor Development Philippines through two PADI 5-star CDC Dive Resorts.

IMR's customer segments are international marine science students, postgraduate thesis researchers, and aspiring dive professionals, alongside a secondary stakeholder constituency of local Philippine coastal communities and the Municipality of Dauin, to which it delivers annual Outlook Reports that inform Marine Protected Area and coastal management decisions. Distribution is direct via the IMR website, supplemented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube) and blog content marketing. Operational partnerships include the Municipality of Dauin Local Government Unit, PADI AWARE, Atmosphere Resorts, Liquid Dumaguete, Dive World, and Oriental Negros International School.

Name

Institute for Marine Research

Legal name

Marine Research Institute Inc.

Website

https://institutemarineresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute for Marine Research is a Dauin, Philippines-based non-profit that runs long-term coral reef monitoring research in the Coral Triangle and offers fee-based marine conservation training and PADI dive certifications to international marine science students, postgraduate researchers, and aspiring dive professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research & Education

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Coral reef monitoring
• Marine science education
• SCUBA diving training
• Coral restoration programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dauin

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Training Fees: Fee-based educational programs including Research Assistant, Research Fellowship, Divemaster Internship, and Instructor Development courses. These are multi-week immersive programs with tuition covering training, accommodation, meals, and equipment.
2. Donations and Grants: Donations directed to the Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project and coral restoration initiatives. Received research grants from organizations such as PADI Aware for the FRAGS (Functional Restoration and Growth Studies) project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute for Marine Research delivers fee-based, in-person marine conservation education and training programs (Research Assistant, Research Fellowship, Divemaster Internship, Instructor Development, and Independent Researcher) at its Dauin, Philippines research base, paired with PADI professional dive certifications. The organization also conducts long-term, fine-scale coral reef monitoring research through the Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project and the FRAGS coral restoration project, producing data that informs local government coastal management policy.

Product overview

Institute for Marine Research is a grassroots non-profit organization offering educational and training programs in marine conservation science. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Research Assistant Course serves as an entry-level introduction to marine conservation, while the Research Fellowship provides advanced leadership training. These core programs are supplemented by professional development tracks combining PADI Divemaster and Instructor certifications with marine research training. The Independent Researcher Program supports students conducting thesis research. All programs feed into and are supported by the Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project, which conducts long-term fine-scale research on coastal marine ecosystems, and the FRAGS coral restoration initiative. The organization publishes Annual Outlook Reports and scientific papers from its research findings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Assistant Course A one-month introductory program where participants assist IMR Science Staff in data collection and processing from the Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project, learning practical and theoretical marine conservation science skills. Offered at ₱142,000–₱180,000 depending on existing SCUBA certification level (Open Water, Advanced Open Water, or none). For marine science students and aspiring conservationists seeking introductory field experience.
• Research Fellowship A 12-week advanced leadership program for individuals pursuing or holding a Bachelor's degree in Marine Science, where Fellows maintain and develop research projects, process data, and mentor Research Assistants while building independent research capabilities. ₱227,000 (₱75,667 per month). Includes data analysis training, leadership development, and mentorship.
• Research Assistant + Divemaster Internship A three-month combined program integrating the Research Assistant curriculum with PADI Divemaster certification and training plus crew pack. ₱324,000 (₱108,000 per month). Prepares participants for professional careers in marine conservation science and dive leadership.
• Marine Research + Instructor Development Course (IDC) An 8- to 12-week combined program offering PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor Certification alongside cutting-edge marine conservation science training, including 3D reef modelling and stereo video system training. ₱406,000. Delivered in partnership with Instructor Development Philippines (IDP). Also offered as a 16-week Research Fellowship + IDC variant for ₱426,000.
• Independent Researcher Program A monthly program providing undergraduate or postgraduate students opportunities to conduct research for thesis projects, with access to IMR's marine environments and expert staff support. ₱80,000 per month. Includes an optional 14-day Research Assistant course, four dedicated dive days per week, accommodation, meals, and mentorship.
• Dauin Long-Term Reef Monitoring Project (LTRMP) The core research initiative tracking fine-scale changes in reef community over time through Diver-Operated Stereo Video Systems, 3D photogrammetry, benthic surveys, coral recruitment studies, and coral mortality driver analysis. Findings are published in annual Outlook Reports shared with the Local Government Unit of Dauin to direct coastal management strategies.
• FRAGS (Functional Restoration and Growth Studies) Coral Restoration Project A coral restoration project utilizing Corals of Opportunity (COPs) by reattaching fragments to artificial structures of various compositions and complexity to replenish reefs damaged by Typhoon Rai (Odette) in December 2021. Funded by a PADI AWARE research grant in late 2022 and aimed at developing a best-practices handbook on coral fragging.

Quantifiable outcome

• 113 completed surveys in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Instructor Development Philippines (IDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company partnership providing PADI Instructor Development Courses. IDP is the only dual destination IDC program in the Philippines operating through two PADI 5-star CDC Dive Resorts. Combines IDP's instructor training with IMR's research fellowship for comprehensive professional training in diving and marine conservation science.
• Liquid Dumaguete Dive ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner dive resort where IMR students assist with Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses during Divemaster training. Provides professional dive training environment and course delivery support.
• Atmosphere Resorts and SpaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner resort providing additional dive training and professional development opportunities. Associated with the Data Protection Officer contact at [email protected].
• Dive WorldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner dive operator for international dive tourism and professional development opportunities.
• Oriental Negros International School (ONE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational school partnership for educational programs and community outreach activities in Dauin, Philippines.
• Municipality of DauincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership for coastal management. IMR shares annual Outlook Reports with LGU to direct coastal management strategies. Collaborates with local Fishermen's Associations for Marine Protected Area decisions and mayor for policy approval on conservation interventions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Coral Triangle Center: Indonesia-based non-profit working on marine conservation within the Coral Triangle, with training programs and policy advisory functions similar to IMR's LGU-facing model. Addresses the same geographic biodiversity hotspot and similar threats (COTS, bleaching, overfishing), giving it strong overlap with IMR's research and develop pillars.
• Marine Conservation Philippines (LAMAVE): Philippines-based marine research and conservation NGO conducting long-term species and ecosystem monitoring, with field-based research assistant placements for international students. Most direct Philippines-internal peer given shared operating geography, donor base, and student-recruitment pool.
• Reef Check: Global citizen-science reef monitoring organization operating standardized benthic and fish surveys across tropical reefs. IMR's DO-SVS, benthic point-intercept, and reef-health methodology overlap directly with Reef Check protocols, making it a primary methodological peer for the LTRMP outputs.
• Reef-World Foundation: UK-registered marine conservation charity that partners with the dive industry (PADI/SSI) to train divers in reef monitoring via the Green Fins and Reef Check programs. Highly comparable given its dive-industry-funded monitoring work, citizen-science orientation, and reef-health evidence generation.
• Conservation Diver: Mexico-founded non-profit that pairs PADI dive certifications with marine conservation science training and field research, closely mirroring IMR's Research Assistant + Divemaster/IDC model. Operates its own long-term reef monitoring sites in tropical coastal waters, making it the closest direct analog for combined dive-training-plus-research delivery.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Large global marine conservation NGO operating reef programs across the Coral Triangle and Pacific, including MPA financing and restoration investment. Comparable as a scale incumbent that competes with IMR for the same corporate, sovereign, and philanthropic conservation capital IMR needs to grow.
• Mars Sustainable Solutions: Corporate-backed entity (Mars, Inc.) running large-scale coral reef restoration programs (MARS Coral Reef Restoration) across multiple tropical sites. Relevant as a much larger incumbent in the same coral-restoration funding pool that IMR's FRAGS project is competing within for outcome-based restoration capital.
• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based marine conservation foundation supporting MPA creation, fisheries reform, and reef protection globally with a science-policy pipeline similar to IMR's LGU-facing model. Comparable as a broader-scope incumbent that channels philanthropic capital into the same kind of evidence-based reef conservation work IMR performs.
• Project AWARE Foundation (PADI AWARE): The PADI-affiliated conservation foundation that already funds IMR (FRAGS grant) and operates globally across ocean conservation. Not a direct operator of field research stations but the dominant funder/administrator of dive-industry conservation grants, making it both a partner and adjacent incumbent.

Regional players

• CORDIO (Coastal Oceans Research and Development - Indian Ocean): Research organization conducting long-term coral reef monitoring, capacity building, and policy support across the Western Indian Ocean. Methodological peer for IMR's LTRMP-style time-series reef work, but operating in a different ocean region rather than directly competing in the Philippines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCART5lj5SpuZ_8HzdixENGA
• Facebookfacebook.com/institute.marineresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/institute.marineresearch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-marine-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute for Marine Research