Action For Ocean

What Action For Ocean does

Action For Ocean (AFO), formerly Aqua-Farms Organization, is a Tanzanian nonprofit marine conservation organization founded in 2016 by 13 University of Dar es Salaam undergraduate students and headquartered in Dar es Salaam. AFO works directly with coastal communities across Tanzania's 1,424-km coastline to restore marine ecosystems (coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass), strengthen fisheries co-management through Beach Management Units and Collaborative Fisheries Management Areas, and build inclusive blue-economy livelihoods — particularly for women seaweed farmers — through a portfolio of interconnected programs.

Its core programmatic assets are the Matumbawe Hai community-anchored coral restoration model, the CLEAR Model (Coastal Livelihood Entrepreneurship for Adaptation and Resilience) which links community-based finance with digital traceability, the Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF) targeting USD 50 million in blended finance for 25,000 women seaweed farmers, and the Tanzania DiveLab — Tanzania's first locally-operated NGO PADI Educational Facility, producing a pipeline of certified professional divers. AFO also operates mangrove restoration (287,240 mangroves planted), fisheries governance support across 69 co-management communities covering 367,500 hectares, Village Savings and Loan Associations, the Sus Blue Shop value-chain initiative, and a Women Water Watch citizen-science program with the University of Antwerp.

AFO is funded primarily through international grants and donations (Segal Family Foundation, Livelihood Impact Fund, Judith Neilson Foundation, SDG Finance Initiative, Convergence Blended Finance, USAID Heshimu Bahari, OCEAN Grant Programme, Whole Foods Market Foundation, Rufford Foundation, 1% for the Planet, and others) and generates emerging revenue streams from blue carbon credit development, PADI certification fees, and blended finance intermediation. The organization operates across offices in Dar es Salaam, Kilwa, Tanga, Mafia Island, and Pemba, and is led by Executive Director Jerry Mang'ena and Co-founder/Technical Advisor Nancy Iraba.

Name

Action For Ocean

Legal name

Action For Ocean

Website

https://afo.or.tz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Action For Ocean is a Tanzanian nonprofit that restores coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass while building sustainable blue-economy livelihoods — especially for women seaweed farmers — through fisheries co-management, the CLEAR Model, Tanzania DiveLab, and the Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore & Open-Ocean Aquaculture (AFAEAAAH), Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES) (IMAMAJAK), Ocean-Based Carbon Removal (Alkalinity Enhancement, Seaweed, Ocean Biomass Sinking) (EUABAFAF), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation services
• Community-based conservation
• Sustainable aquaculture programs
• Fisheries co-management
• Blue economy livelihoods

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar Es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: AFO operates primarily as a non-profit organization funded through international grants, foundation support, and donations. Major funders include Segal Family Foundation, Livelihood Impact Fund, Judith Neilson Foundation, and others supporting conservation and community development.
2. Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF): Blended finance facility mobilizing $50 million USD targeting 25,000 women seaweed farmers across the Western Indian Ocean region. Combines feasibility grants ($200,000 from SDG Finance Initiative), microcredit schemes, and Village Savings and Loan Associations.
3. Blue Carbon Credits: Voluntary carbon credit market development for mangrove restoration projects. Establishing blue carbon credits through mangrove protection generating revenue for coastal communities while supporting climate goals.
4. Donations via Every.org: Public-facing donation platform enabling individual supporters to contribute to conservation efforts, accessible through the organization's website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Action For Ocean (AFO) is a Tanzanian nonprofit that restores marine ecosystems (mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass), implements fisheries co-management through BMUs and CFMAs, and builds climate-resilient blue economy livelihoods for coastal communities. Its flagship offerings include the Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF) for women seaweed farmers, the Tanzania DiveLab PADI-certified training program, the Matumbawe Hai coral restoration model, digital traceability via the Koltiva platform, mangrove restoration generating blue carbon credits, and Village Savings and Loan Associations for financial inclusion.

Product overview

Action For Ocean (AFO) is a Tanzanian youth-led marine conservation organization operating a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on sustaining fisheries, restoring marine ecosystems, and empowering coastal communities. The core offerings include the Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF) for financing women seaweed farmers, Tanzania DiveLab for professional diving certification, and the Matumbawe Hai coral restoration model. These programs are unified by the CLEAR Model framework combining community-based finance with digital traceability. Supporting services include mangrove restoration, fisheries co-management governance support, Village Savings and Loan Associations for financial inclusion, and the Sus Blue Shop for sustainable blue economy commerce. The organization also offers PADI dive certification training through its certified educational facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tanzania DiveLab: A local training ecosystem merging scientific diving, storytelling, community education, and conservation entrepreneurship to build local capacity for ocean access and marine conservation in Tanzania.
• Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF)
• Matumbawe Hai
• CLEAR Model

Products and services

• Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF) A blended finance facility providing women seaweed farmers across the Western Indian Ocean region with access to finance, deep-sea farming technology, and market linkages for climate-resilient blue economy livelihoods. Targeted primarily at the 80%+ women who constitute Tanzania's seaweed farmers and implemented through VSLAs, microcredit, and digital traceability.
• Tanzania DiveLab A locally-operated training ecosystem merging scientific diving, storytelling, community education, and conservation entrepreneurship. Operating as a PADI Educational Facility in Kilwa Masoko to train professional divers, instructors, and underwater researchers from coastal communities, with a 5-year goal of 150+ professional divers and 100 divemasters.
• Matumbawe Hai Coral Restoration Model A community-anchored coral restoration approach that integrates governance, restoration, livelihoods, Village Savings and Loan Associations, leadership training, youth engagement, and eco-tourism into a single sustainable system. Designed to operate without external expertise dependency and to remain functional when funding cycles end.
• Digital Traceability System for Seaweed Farming A data-driven traceability system using the Koltiva platform that creates digital identities for seaweed farmers, tracks harvests and quality metrics, and connects farmers to financial services and premium markets through verifiable data. Operational with the Makoroni Group (Mkinga, Tanga) as early adopters.
• Mangrove Restoration Program Marine ecosystem restoration initiative focused on restoring mangrove forests along Tanzania's coastline, supporting coastal community livelihoods, and building blue carbon credit markets. Includes school-based mangrove awareness programs (e.g., Mtakuja Beach Secondary School) and carbon footprint offsetting partnerships.
• Fisheries Co-management and Governance Community-led fisheries management program supporting Beach Management Units (BMUs) and Collaborative Fisheries Management Areas (CFMAs) to strengthen governance and sustainable resource use across Tanzania's coastline. Includes leadership training, capacity building, and integration with Marine Protected Area frameworks.
• Sus Blue Shop Sustainable Blue Economy shop initiative increasing income for women seaweed farmers in Zanzibar through improved product quality, packaging, business skills development, and partnerships with buyers and distributors. Combines production support with market linkage for higher-value sales.
• PADI Dive Certification Training Globally recognized PADI scuba courses from beginner to professional levels offered through AFO's certified PADI Educational Facility in Kilwa, enabling local coastal residents to become certified divers and marine professionals. Training pipeline includes divemaster and instructor-level certifications.
• Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) Community-based savings and lending groups that mobilize local capital and build a culture of saving and reinvestment among coastal communities, particularly women seaweed farmers and fisher groups. Embedded across AFO's seaweed farming and fisheries programs as a financial inclusion mechanism.
• Deep-Water Tubular Net Seaweed Farming Technology Climate-resilient deep-water seaweed farming technology deployed in partnership with SeaPower and supported by ORRAA. Enables shallow-water farmers to upgrade to deeper, more productive waters with accompanying microcredit and savings schemes for equipment purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• 287,240 mangroves restored across Tanzania's coast
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, key and minor.

• Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2024After three years of partnership including ORRAA's Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (ORIC) where AFO was one of its first winners, AFO achieved full membership status. ORRAA has supported AFO's mangrove restoration linked to carbon credit markets and microcredit schemes for women seaweed farmers. Membership enables deeper involvement in ORRAA projects and access to vast network of governments, finance and insurance partners.
• Mawimbi Ocean Innovations (Kenya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKenyan partner in the Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility (AFSFF), a groundbreaking initiative to transform East Africa's coastal seaweed farming sector through climate financing using the CLEAR model.
• MaliasilicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunications workshop facilitator and partner in the African Marine Conservation Leadership Program. Co-facilitated the WIOMSA Community Marine Leaders Hub. Supporting organizational communications capacity building.
• Blue VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the African Marine Conservation Leadership Program (AMCLP), a partnership between Maliasili and Blue Ventures hosting 18 senior leaders from Mozambique, Kenya, and Tanzania.
• Segal Family FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted Spotlight Africa event during New York Climate Week, providing platform for AFO and Tengeneza Generation to present 'Guardians of Green and Blue: A Tanzanian Conservation Journey'. Partnership with Rippleworks, Livelihood Impact Fund, and Judith Neilson Foundation.
• Tengeneza Generation (TEG)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for New York Climate Week session bringing green and blue voices together - forest guardians from Uluguru Mountains and coastal ocean defenders. TEG working with 15 communities near mountain reserves with 80% of businesses still operating since 2023.
• PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)coreTechnology or IntegrationAFO became a certified PADI Educational Facility - the first locally-operated NGO PADI center in Tanzania, authorized to provide official PADI dive courses from beginner to professional levels aligning with global standards.
• Nature Environment & Wildlife Filmmaking (NEWF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Refocused partnership with National Geographic Society running Tanzania DiveLab. Trained 120+ Africans in diving skills to divemaster level with focus on women. NEWF's goal to reach 100 Africans with Divemaster skills by 2030.
• National Geographic SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Refocused partnership with NEWF focusing on 'changing the storyteller'. Supporting Tanzania DiveLab, Nancy Iraba's 2024 Wayfinder Award, and ocean conservation storytelling capacity.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on artisanal fisheries patterns mapping survey, training data collectors on mapping fishing grounds, metadata creation, and evaluation methodologies.
• KoltivakeyTechnology or IntegrationDigital traceability platform connecting seaweed farmers, buyers, and batches through verifiable data. Building digital identities for farmers, proof of productivity, quality, and sustainability for financial inclusion.
• SeaPowerkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for upscaling deep-water tubular net seaweed farming technology along Tanzania's coastline. Joint project 'Developing Micro Credit and Savings Schemes to Upgrade to Tubular Nets for Seaweed Farming' supported by ORRAA.
• Goshen CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based liberal arts college students participated in mangrove restoration activities, donated approximately 1,200,000 TZS to facilitate carbon footprint removal and mangrove restoration (~1 acre). Professor Jerrell Richer provided carbon onsetting insights.
• Institute of Development Policy (IOB), University of AntwerpkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Women Water Watch (wWw) citizen science project for water quality monitoring. IOB bringing research expertise alongside AFO's community engagement experience in citizen science initiatives.
• Blue VentureskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among blue carbon accelerator cohort partners; conservation organization focused on community-based marine conservation
• Honeyguide FoundationkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTanzanian NGO that has spent nearly two decades developing Wildlife Management Areas. AFO learned from Honeyguide's experience in turning conservation areas into self-reliant social enterprises to apply lessons to marine CFMAs.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• REV Ocean: Large-scale marine conservation and ocean science organization with global blue economy and ocean-health mandate; comparable in marine conservation scope but operates at significantly larger scale and different geography.
• Conservation International: Large global conservation organization funding blue carbon and coastal community programs globally, including in East Africa; overlaps with AFO in marine conservation and blue economy themes.
• Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): Global conservation NGO with active Tanzania fisheries and marine programs; AFO partner on artisanal fisheries mapping, but WCS operates at vastly larger scale across many geographies.
• Rare: Global conservation organization specializing in community-based fisheries and coastal co-management with a behavior-change methodology — comparable in mission to AFO's BMU/CFMA and livelihood work but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Blue Ventures: Community-based marine conservation organization operating across the Western Indian Ocean with co-managed fisheries, community-led conservation, and livelihoods programs — directly comparable model to AFO and an existing AFO partner.
• SeaPower: Provider of deep-water tubular net seaweed farming technology in East Africa; AFO partner under ORRAA on the same seaweed farming technology deployment, operating in overlapping geographies.
• Mawimbi Ocean Innovations: Kenya-based organization working on seaweed farming value chains and ocean innovation in East Africa; AFO's AFSFF co-implementation partner and the most directly comparable seaweed-farming peer in the region.
• Honeyguide Foundation: Tanzanian NGO that has run Wildlife Management Areas for nearly two decades using community-based conservation and social enterprise models; AFO explicitly cites Honeyguide as a model for self-reliant marine CFMAs.

Others

• ORRAA (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance): Multi-stakeholder alliance coordinating finance, insurance, and government action on ocean risk; AFO is a full member. ORRAA funds and convenes actors like AFO rather than competing with them on program delivery.
• Maliasili: Capacity-building organization that supports African conservation leaders and runs the African Marine Conservation Leadership Program alongside Blue Ventures; AFO partner and ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afo_tz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrDK6X41uEM-fcWmGQUuInw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/aquafarmsorganization
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aqua-farms-organization
• Instagraminstagram.com/afo_tz

Compliance1 record

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 Action For Ocean