Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay

What Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay does

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay (SRIJB) is a nonprofit research institute founded in 2013 and hosted by CUNY (Brooklyn College and Kingsborough Community College) at its Brooklyn campus. Its functional purpose is to generate interdisciplinary, policy-relevant science on coastal resilience — water quality, flooding, ecological health, and climate adaptation — for the Jamaica Bay region and, increasingly, New York City and New York State. It serves a tripartite constituency: government agencies (NYC, NPS, NOAA, NYSDOS, NYSERDA), academic and scientific collaborators, and community stakeholders in the Jamaica Bay watershed. Its core products are research publications, policy frameworks (including the Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework launched in 2019), and operational monitoring networks — most notably FloodNet, a community-based flood sensor network launched across NYC in 2022. It also delivers educational and workforce development programming through its CUNY host institutions.

SRIJB's underlying technical infrastructure is sensor-based monitoring (flood sensors, water quality instruments), associated data pipelines, and public-facing dashboards that translate raw observations into actionable information for planners and communities. The institute operates as a "boundary organization," convening scientists, agency staff, and residents to produce science that is both rigorous and usable in public decision-making.

The business model is grant-funded philanthropy: revenue is sourced from government grants (federal: NOAA; state: NYSERDA, NYSDOS; municipal via NYC partnerships) and private foundations (Doris Duke Charitable Foundation as the largest single anchor, plus Rockefeller and Packard). There is no commercial pricing model, no productized SaaS, and no fee-for-service revenue line; operations are sustained through competitive grants, cooperative agreements, and foundation awards.

Name

Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay

Legal name

Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay

Website

https://srijb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay is a CUNY-hosted nonprofit research institute conducting coastal resilience research and operating flood and water quality monitoring networks for government agencies, communities, and academic stakeholders across NYC and New York State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programs (BPADALAD), Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

Keywords

• Coastal resilience research
• Environmental monitoring
• Urban ecology studies
• Flood sensor networks
• Nature-based solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay is a nonprofit research institute that conducts applied research, monitoring, and community engagement on coastal resilience in the Jamaica Bay watershed. It produces data tools (water quality database, flood sensor network, decision-support tools), monitoring frameworks, educational programs (fellowships, webinars, podcasts), and science-policy translation outputs to support climate resilience planning for coastal communities, government agencies, and researchers.

Product overview

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay operates as a research and coordination organization rather than a traditional product company. Its core offerings include educational and research programs (Jamaica Bay Research Webinar Series, Fellowship Program), data tools (Jamaica Bay Water Quality Data Visualization and Access Tool, Visionmaker Jamaica Bay), monitoring networks (FloodNet NYC, Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework), and community engagement programs (Community Flood Watch Project, Jamaica Bay Community Flood Fellowship Program). These offerings are integrated through its mission to produce integrated knowledge that increases biodiversity, well-being, and adaptive capacity in coastal communities. The Institute also publishes the 'Prospects for Resilience' book and produces the Jamaica Bay Podcast Series as educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jamaica Bay Water Quality Data Visualization and Access Tool Interactive web application that centralizes access to water quality data for Jamaica Bay from the National Park Service and NYC Department of Environmental Protection, covering over a century of data, for researchers, agencies, and the public.
• FloodNet NYC Network of coastal flood sensors installed around Jamaica Bay to capture tidal flooding data and inform community-led responses, planning, and policy action on flooding.
• Visionmaker Jamaica Bay Spatially explicit online tool for developing and sharing visions of resilience in Jamaica Bay, evaluating ecosystem responses to adaptation and restoration strategies, and identifying sources of vulnerability.
• Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework Standardized framework with 17 indicators and protocols to monitor natural and nature-based features across New York State's coastal regions, supporting consistent data collection and evaluation.
• Community Flood Watch Project Citizen science program enabling community members to share photos of local high tide flood events to support flooding research and monitoring in Jamaica Bay communities.
• Jamaica Bay Community Flood Fellowship Program Fellowship program designed to improve students' ability to pursue environmental careers through experiential learning and hands-on training in using science to manage coastal urban areas.
• Nature-Based Solutions Research Research and projects focused on natural and nature-based features (NNBF) as alternatives to traditional shoreline armoring, including living shorelines and community practice for implementing and monitoring nature-based solutions.
• Jamaica Bay Research Webinar Series Recurring webinar series featuring researchers whose work revolves around Jamaica Bay, sharing scientific data, information, tools, and resources with partners working in Jamaica Bay and other urban estuaries.
• Prospects for Resilience Book 2016 book published by Island Press providing information and advice on building resilience in Jamaica Bay and beyond, informed by insights of more than fifty scholars and practitioners.
• Jamaica Bay Podcast Series Podcast featuring interviews with people who live or do research on Jamaica Bay, providing educational content about the bay's ecology and resilience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework with 17 indicators for NYS coastal monitoring
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore founding partner in the Institute. NPS manages Gateway National Recreation Area including Jamaica Bay. Provides research coordination, data sharing, and is party to the cooperative management agreement with NYC.
• City of New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner through NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Operates under cooperative management agreement with NPS for Jamaica Bay parks.
• City University of New York (CUNY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead consortium institution hosting the Institute through Brooklyn College and Kingsborough Community College. Provides institutional infrastructure, faculty, and student participation.
• New York Sea GrantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating partner on natural and nature-based features research and coastal resilience outreach programs. Co-developing forums and workshops on NNBF implementation.
• NY Sea GrantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner on the Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework (Measuring Success) initiative for NYS coastal monitoring.
• Consensus Building InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project developing the Statewide Shoreline Monitoring Framework.
• SCAPEsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationPartner on the Measuring Success project for NYS shoreline monitoring framework.
• ArcadissecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project for NYS shoreline monitoring framework.
• NYC ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project and cooperative management of Jamaica Bay parks.
• NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary ProgramsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project for NYS shoreline monitoring framework.
• CUNY Advanced Science Research Center / Brooklyn CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project; home to Institute headquarters.
• US Forest Service, NYC Urban Field StationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project and social science research on Jamaica Bay.
• NY-NJ Harbor Estuary ProgramsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Measuring Success project for NYS shoreline monitoring framework.
• Waterfront AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to evaluate and improve the Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) program. Institute led a Technical Working Group to provide technical review of the guidelines.
• RAND CorporationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts participatory-based resiliency planning focused on Jamaica Bay as part of the Institute, with support from Rockefeller Foundation.
• Happold ConsultingsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in integrated, participatory-based resiliency planning focused on Jamaica Bay.
• Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit conservancy providing logistical and technical support for Jamaica Bay restoration and resilience efforts.
• Columbia University CIESINcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Jamaica Bay Water Quality Database and Visualization Tool, integrating water quality data from NPS and NYC DEP.
• Cornell UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the Jamaica Bay Water Quality Database and visualization tool.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• NYC Urban Field Station: US Forest Service-led partnership based in NYC focused on urban ecosystems, forestry, and climate resilience. Closely comparable scope on urban ecology and social science, and a named Institute partner on community forums and the Measuring Success initiative.
• RAND Corporation: Global policy research nonprofit executing participatory resilience planning for Jamaica Bay with Rockefeller Foundation support. Compares to the Institute as a research-policy translation partner in coastal resilience, though much broader in scope and resources.
• Columbia Climate School / CIESIN: Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network, which co-built the Institute's flagship Jamaica Bay Water Quality Visualization Tool. Compares on coastal data infrastructure and science-policy translation in the same bay.

Regional players

• Scenic Hudson: Hudson Valley-based environmental nonprofit combining land conservation, climate resilience, and community engagement along the NY shoreline. Operates on a regional (Hudson estuary) rather than Jamaica Bay footprint but matches the Institute's mix of conservation, science, and civic engagement around coastal resilience.

Direct peers

• Waterfront Alliance: NY-based coalition advancing resilient, accessible, and working waterfronts through the WEDG program. Direct partner on the WEDG technical review funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Institute's Statewide Shoreline work.
• New York Sea Grant: Federal-state university coastal research and extension program that is itself a core partner of the Institute and operates the Jamaica Bay Coastal Resilience program. Directly comparable mission around coastal resilience, community engagement, and science-policy translation in NY.
• NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program: EPA-funded estuary program coordinating science, policy, and community action across the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Directly comparable as a regional coastal ecosystem convening and science coordination body, and an Institute partner on the Measuring Success project.
• Billion Oyster Project: NYC-based nonprofit restoring oyster reefs in NY Harbor with a strong education and citizen-science mission. Operates in the same NY Harbor ecosystem and overlaps with the Institute on community-based coastal restoration and education.
• Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC): Nonprofit conservancy co-located at Jamaica Bay providing logistical and technical support for restoration and resilience efforts. Operates the Jamaica Bay Mapping Tool that parallels several Institute data initiatives and serves the same geographic community.

Broad incumbents

• NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ): City agency coordinating NYC's climate adaptation and environmental justice policies including flood resilience and coastal protection. Operates at municipal scale with substantially larger budget and policymaking authority over the same resilience agenda the Institute supports with research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SRIatJB
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/science-and-resilience-institute-at-jamaica-bay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay