What MigraMar does

MigraMar is a US-based 501c3 non-profit scientific research organization, founded in 2006 and formally incorporated in 2017, that conducts research to understand and conserve marine migratory species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The organization operates a network of 24 active member researchers, 3 external board members, 1 core staff member, 1 expedition ambassador, and more than 13 graduate and undergraduate students, with headquarters in Bodega Bay, California and an office in Mexico City. Its work is centered on the Swimways Initiative (MigraVías), a connectivity conservation framework that has been adopted by national authorities and embedded in the CMAR intergovernmental treaty signed by Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama, and on the Regional Tagging Project, an international acoustic and satellite telemetry coalition active since 2006 that has tagged 1,919 animals across more than 20 species including sharks, rays, sea turtles, and tunas.

MigraMar's core technical platform comprises four proprietary methodologies: a Regional Acoustic Telemetry Array connected to the Ocean Tracking Network; Stereo-BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations) using paired cameras for biomass and abundance assessment; multiple satellite tag attachment techniques (bolt, fin clamp, suction cup, shell-mounted); and a Swimways/MigraVías analytical framework that integrates biological, socioeconomic, and legal feasibility analysis. Core programmatic products include the Baby Shark Project (nursery identification for scalloped hammerhead sharks, culminating in the 2021 Puerto Cabuyal Marine Reserve) and the Climate Change Project, which models species response to oceanographic shifts. Supporting platforms include the Marine Migrations Portal, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and the SharkCount citizen-science mobile app.

MigraMar is a donation- and grant-funded organization with no commercial products. Revenue is sourced from major international foundations (Bezos Earth Fund, National Geographic, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, WWF/Fundación Telmex-Telcel, WWF/Fundación Carlos Slim, Shark Conservation Fund, The Sandler Foundation, Whitley Fund for Nature, Galapagos Conservation Trust, International Community Foundation, Fins Attached, Ocean Blue Tree) and individual donations via Donorbox. Its "customers" are national governments in the Eastern Pacific (Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico) and intergovernmental bodies (CMAR) that consume its scientific evidence to design and expand marine protected areas, with secondary stakeholders including research universities, allied NGOs (Pelagios Kakunja, Mission Blue, PACIFICO Foundation, CREMA), and local fishing communities engaged in co-monitoring.

Name

MigraMar

Legal name

MigraMar

Website

https://migramar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MigraMar is a US 501c3 non-profit research network founded in 2006 that conducts acoustic and satellite tagging, BRUVS, and connectivity studies to inform marine protected area design for migratory species in the Eastern Pacific, serving national governments, CMAR, and major conservation foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Research

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Migratory species tracking
• Acoustic telemetry studies
• Marine protected areas
• Marine corridor design

Headquarters

HQ city

Bodega Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a US-based 501c3 non-profit organization, MigraMar operates primarily through donations and grants from foundations, governments, and individuals. The organization accepts donations through Donorbox and partners with major conservation funders.
2. Research Project Funding: Funded by international foundations and conservation organizations for specific research projects. Funding sources include International Community Foundation, WWF/Fundación Telmex-Telcel, WWF/Fundación Carlos Slim, Ocean Blue Tree, Fins Attached Marine Research and Conservation, National Geographic, Shark Conservation Fund, The Sandler Foundation, Whitley Fund for Nature, Galapagos Conservation Trust, and Bezos Earth Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MigraMar conducts scientific research to better understand and safeguard healthy populations of marine migratory species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The organization delivers research programs, data platforms, and policy evidence through its Swimways Initiative, Regional Tagging Project, Baby Shark Project, BRUVS methodology, and Climate Change Project, producing scientific publications, interactive data portals, and expedition outputs for governments, researchers, and conservation stakeholders.

Product overview

MigraMar is a scientific research non-profit organization (US 501c3) that conducts the scientific research needed to better understand and safeguard healthy populations of marine migratory species in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The organization's offerings consist of research programs and platforms rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include: the Swimways Initiative (MigraVías) — connectivity conservation projects creating marine corridors between protected areas; the Regional Tagging Project — international acoustic and satellite tracking of marine megafauna since 2006; the Baby Shark Project — hammerhead shark nursery identification and conservation; BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations) — non-invasive stereo video methodology for species assessment; and the Climate Change Project — modeling species response to oceanographic changes. Supporting platforms include the Marine Migrations Portal for data visualization and StoryMaps for public storytelling. The organization also produces Institutional Reports and facilitates Members Publications, and conducts Cocos-Galapagos Expeditions combining multiple research methodologies. There is no API offering, AI capability, or SaaS product in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swimways Initiative (MigraVías) A connectivity conservation initiative that creates marine corridors between protected areas and habitats such as seamounts and underwater ridges, reducing mortality risk for migratory species as they move across the seascape. Includes the Coiba-Malpelo Swimway, Cocos-Galapagos Swimway, and Mexican Pacific Swimways. Designed for governments and conservation stakeholders in the Eastern Pacific.
• Regional Tagging Project An international coalition of scientists using standardized acoustic and satellite tracking methods to assess the movement of marine megafauna across the Eastern Pacific Ocean, active since 2006, covering over 20 species including sharks, rays, sea turtles, marine mammals, and tunas. Provides movement data to governments and the research community.
• Baby Shark Project A three-year project focused on identifying nursery grounds for scalloped hammerhead sharks and providing decision support tools to improve protection of the species across Eastern Pacific countries, culminating in the establishment of the Puerto Cabuyal-Punta San Clemente Marine Reserve.
• Climate Change Project Modeling the response of commercial and threatened migratory species to changes in oceanographic conditions, generating interactive tools to inform climate change and fishing effort management scenarios for the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• Marine Migrations Portal An interactive online portal for visualizing tracking data and migratory routes of studied marine species across the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
• BRUVS (Baited Remote Underwater Video Stations) Non-invasive video technique using stereo cameras to assess abundance, size structure, and biomass of pelagic marine species. Stereo-BRUVS create 3D images for measuring fish passing in front of cameras, deployed near seamounts and in open waters.
• Cocos-Galapagos Expeditions Multi-day research expeditions between Cocos Island National Park (Costa Rica) and Galapagos Marine Reserve (Ecuador) conducting satellite tagging, acoustic tagging, BRUVS sampling, biodiversity counts, DNA sampling, and plastic transects across oceanic seamounts and islands.
• Institutional Reports Published scientific reports including priority area identification for ocean ecosystems management, fishing effort dynamics, expedition reports, and the Baby Shark Project annual reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fourfold increase in marine protected area coverage (156,000 km2 in 2010 to 630,000 km2 in 2022)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CMAR (Marine Corridor of the Eastern Tropical Pacific)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergovernmental treaty signed by Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Panama to promote connectivity and sustainable use of marine resources in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. MigraMar's Swimways Initiative is integrated into the CMAR framework for regional conservation.
• PACIFICO FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional foundation partner working with MigraMar to implement roadmap for improving management of marine migratory species throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific region.
• Mission BluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal marine conservation organization partnering with MigraMar to implement conservation initiatives and marine protected area advocacy in the Eastern Pacific.
• Pelagios KakunjácoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican non-profit organization dedicated to study and protection of sharks and mantas. Co-leading shark tracking research with MigraMar, providing technical information for regional management and conservation strategies.
• Ocean Tracking NetworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationInternational network providing infrastructure for acoustic telemetry data collection and sharing across institutions worldwide. MigraMar contributes data to the OTN portal.
• Fins Attached Marine Research and ConservationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit providing the research vessel 'Sharkwater' for MigraMar's Coco-Galapagos expeditions and supporting shark research efforts.
• Galapagos National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuadorian government agency managing the Galapagos Marine Reserve; key partner in Cocos-Galapagos Swimway research and expeditions.
• Cocos Island National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosta Rican national park; key research site and partner in CMAR and Swimway initiatives.
• Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuadorian university where MigraMar expedition leader Alex Hearn is based; key research partner.
• University of California DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS university providing animal ethics oversight and research collaboration; home institution of Donald Croll.
• CREMA (Centro de Especies Marinas en Peligro de Costa Rica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCosta Rican NGO focused on endangered marine species; co-author on seamount research with Randall Arauz.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MigraMar
• Facebookfacebook.com/migramar
• Instagraminstagram.com/migramarnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 MigraMar