Marine Discovery Centre

What Marine Discovery Centre does

Marine Discovery Centre is a non-profit, community-based marine education facility founded in 1997 and located in Henley Beach, South Australia. It operates a single physical centre at the corner of Seaview Road and Marlborough Street, delivering interactive educational experiences focused on South Australian coastal and marine ecosystems, with explicit integration of Kaurna Aboriginal cultural knowledge. The centre serves three primary segments: schools and students (school excursions, curriculum-aligned programs), families and community groups (school holidays, open days, community programs), and teachers/educators (curriculum resources, professional development).

The core product suite combines physical interactive models and interpretive signage with immersive technology features (VR Experiences and a 3D Beachcombing installation) and a content brand, Porci's Ocean Patrol, that includes a serialised educational series for children. The centre is staffed by a small team of approximately 8 employees, including a full-time Marine Scientist and a Cultural Educator, supplemented by volunteers from teaching, marine science, and environmental science backgrounds. Revenue is generated through visitor fees and online bookings, an on-site retail shop, and an Adopt A Creature sponsorship program, with the non-profit maintaining formal partnerships with Catholic Education South Australia and the SA Government Department for Education to anchor its school-channel funnel. The 2025 financial year was described as a record-breaking year with strong growth, and the centre has begun extending its footprint through off-site events such as the planned National Science Week Premiere in North Adelaide in August 2026.

Name

Marine Discovery Centre

Legal name

Marine Discovery Centre

Website

https://marinediscoverycentre.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Marine Discovery Centre is a South Australian non-profit marine education facility in Henley Beach delivering interactive school excursions, community programs, and immersive VR/3D experiences that integrate Kaurna Aboriginal culture with marine conservation learning for students, families, and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Education and Conservation Services

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Marine education programs
• School excursions
• Community outreach
• Interactive learning experiences
• Environmental conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Henley Beach

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Visitor Fees and Bookings: The centre generates revenue through paid visitor experiences, school excursion bookings, and general admission to the centre. Visitors book online for experiences.
2. Shop Sales: On-site retail shop selling marine-themed merchandise and educational materials
3. Adopt A Creature Program: Sponsorship-style program where supporters can adopt marine creatures, likely providing recurring or one-time contribution to centre operations

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Marine Discovery Centre is a physical, non-profit educational facility in Henley Beach, South Australia that delivers interactive marine science and Aboriginal cultural learning experiences. It sells visitor admissions, school excursions, school holiday programs, community events, and an Adopt A Creature sponsorship program, and operates an on-site retail shop and volunteer program.

Product overview

The Marine Discovery Centre is a physical education center in Henley Beach, South Australia, offering interactive discovery learning experiences focused on marine conservation and Aboriginal culture. The centre operates as a unified educational facility rather than a software platform, providing hands-on programs including school excursions, holiday activities, community events, VR experiences, and 3D beachcombing. Key programs include Porci's Ocean Patrol (an educational series for children), interpretive signage, and teacher resources. The centre also offers adoption programs for marine creatures, volunteer opportunities, and a retail shop. Partnerships with Catholic Education SA and South Australian Government support its mission to inspire students to protect coastal and marine environments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Porci's Ocean Patrol: An educational series and resources for children focused on ocean conservation and marine education.

Products and services

• School Excursions

Named customers7 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Seagrass Fruit ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025The Marine Discovery Centre serves as a Seagrass Fruit Drop-Off Location, accepting seagrass fruit specimens as part of environmental research and conservation efforts.
• Catholic Education South Australia (CESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner providing educational endorsement and connection to Catholic schools across South Australia. The CESA logo appears on the centre's website indicating formal partnership for educational programs.
• South Australian Government Department for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner providing educational endorsement and connection to government schools across South Australia. The SA Government education logo appears on the centre's website indicating formal partnership for educational programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Reef Biosearch: Queensland-based marine education and research provider offering school excursions, snorkel tours, and citizen-science experiences focused on the Great Barrier Reef. Comparable as a regional non-profit-style marine education operator serving schools with hands-on, science-based programs.
• Dolphin Research Institute: Australia-based marine conservation education organisation running school incursion and excursion programs, citizen science projects, and community marine education events. Closely comparable as a non-profit marine education provider targeting Australian schools with conservation and citizen-science programs.

Regional players

• Adelaide City Council - Coast and Marine Education Programs: Local government coastal and marine education programming in the Adelaide region, including school holiday activities and community environmental events. Comparable as a regional provider of marine-themed community and school programs in the same South Australian market.
• Sustainability and Environmental Education (SEED) - SA: South Australian environmental education provider offering school programs and teacher resources on sustainability and ecosystems. Comparable as a regional education partner operating in the same South Australian school ecosystem, though broader in scope than marine-only.

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: Major international ocean conservation non-profit delivering education programs, citizen-science campaigns, and community engagement around marine protection. Comparable in its mission to drive marine conservation action through education and citizen-science participation.
• Australian National Maritime Museum: Federal maritime museum in Sydney delivering curriculum-aligned educational programs, interactive exhibits, and community engagement around marine and coastal themes. Comparable as a large-scale marine education destination serving Australian schools and visitors, with similar school-excursion and community-program business models.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Iconic global marine education and conservation institution offering interactive exhibits, school programs, VR experiences, and citizen-science participation. Comparable as a marine education destination with VR, interactive displays, and strong school and community programming, though at vastly larger scale.
• SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium: Major commercial aquarium and marine education attraction in Victoria offering interactive marine experiences, school excursion programs, and educational resources. Comparable as a marine education visitor destination serving Australian school groups, though it operates at significantly larger scale and with commercial rather than non-profit funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-discovery-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Marine Discovery Centre