Seawilding

What Seawilding does

Seawilding is a Scottish registered charity (No. SC050126) founded in 2020 that operates as the UK's first community-based native oyster (Ostrea edulis) and seagrass (Zostera marina) restoration project. Headquartered at the Craignish Boatshed in Loch Craignish, Argyll, the charity operates restoration programs in Loch Craignish and Loch Broom, Wester Ross, with a partnership footprint extending to the Isle of Skye through its Talisker Distillery engagement. The organization employs 7 full-time staff supported by hundreds of community volunteers and is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Caroline Younger, with Danny Renton serving as CEO and Founder.

The organization's restoration methodology centers on two programs. For native oysters, Seawilding grows hatchery-raised spat in floating nurseries from approximately 1g juveniles to ~12g release size, then deploys them by hand to create self-sustaining reef populations. For seagrass, the charity has pioneered an innovative rhizome translocation technique that transplants established shoots rather than planting seeds, achieving a 97% survival rate, a four-fold increase in seabed coverage within 6 months, and seabed coverage rising from 10% to 70% in 15 months. Cumulative outputs to date include 359,000 native oysters restored, 28,000 seagrass rhizomes planted, 3,000 m² of newly created seagrass habitat, and 73 hectares of seagrass mapped in Scotland.

Revenue is generated through a donation- and grant-funded model rather than commercial sales. Income streams include individual donations via Donorbox (priced at £60 per square meter of seagrass and 7p per hatchery-raised oyster), institutional grants from NatureScot, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the EU LIFE Programme, Esmée Fairbairn, Waitrose, and The Crown Estate, and a flagship £600,000 three-year corporate partnership with Talisker Distillery. A Restoration School launching in 2026 will add course-fee revenue (BSAC snorkel courses at £500, seagrass mapping at £250, restoration courses at £125, and £20-per-module online lectures), with merchandise sales via Teemill providing a supplementary stream. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer mobilization, citizen science surveys, educational programming, and earned media such as the RHS Chelsea 2025 exhibition.

Name

Seawilding

Legal name

Seawilding

Website

https://seawilding.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Seawilding is a Scottish registered charity founded in 2020 that restores native oyster and seagrass habitats in Scottish sea lochs through community-led conservation, employing 7 staff and hundreds of volunteers across Loch Craignish, Loch Broom, and the Isle of Skye.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation and Habitat Restoration Services

NAICS

Shellfish Farming (112512), Aquaculture (11251), Other Aquaculture (112519)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Shellfish Farming (e.g., oysters, mussels, clams) (AFAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Marine habitat restoration
• Native oyster restoration
• Seagrass restoration
• Marine conservation education
• Community-led conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Craignish

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Individual donations via Donorbox platform. Community members and supporters contribute financially to fund restoration activities.
2. Restoration School Course Fees: Educational programs including BSAC snorkel courses (£500 for 4-day), seagrass mapping courses (£250 for 2-day), seagrass restoration courses (£125 for 1-day), underwater photography (£125 for 1-day), oyster restoration courses, and online lectures (£20 per module).
3. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce shop selling branded clothing and accessories through Teemill. Gift options for seagrass meadows and native oysters.
4. Partnership and Grant Funding: Major funding from Talisker Distillery (£600,000 over 3 years), along with grants from NatureScot, National Lottery Heritage Fund, LIFE Programme of the European Union, Esmée Fairbairn, Waitrose, The Crown Estate, and other institutional funders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Seawilding is a Scottish registered charity that conducts community-led restoration of native oyster (Ostrea edulis) and seagrass (Zostera marina) habitats in Scottish sea lochs, including Loch Craignish and Loch Broom. The organization grows oysters in floating nurseries from hatchery-sourced juveniles and replants seagrass using an innovative shoot translocation method, while also delivering marine restoration training through its Restoration School educational program.

Product overview

Seawilding is a Scottish marine habitat restoration charity offering community-led conservation programs centered on two core restoration initiatives: Native Oyster Restoration and Seagrass Restoration. The organization complements its restoration work with educational offerings through the Restoration School (launching 2026), which provides training courses in marine restoration techniques. Additional programs include Seawildlings youth group, volunteer opportunities, a shop for donations and merchandise, and the Talisker Partnership for extended restoration projects. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but as a field-based conservation charity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Native Oyster Restoration Community-led restoration of native oyster (Ostrea edulis) populations in Scottish sea lochs. The project grows oysters in floating nurseries from hatchery-sourced juveniles to release size, then deploys them to create self-sustaining reef populations that filter water and support biodiversity.
• Seagrass Restoration Pioneering transplant-based restoration of seagrass (Zostera marina) meadows using an innovative shoot translocation methodology that achieves 97% survival rates. The project creates new seagrass habitat to sequester carbon and provide vital marine habitat.
• Restoration School Educational program launching in 2026 offering in-person and online courses in marine habitat restoration. Modules include BSAC Advanced Snorkel Diver training, seagrass mapping and monitoring, seagrass restoration techniques, underwater photography, and native oyster restoration project development.
• Seawildlings Youth Program Youth group for primary and secondary school-aged children on the Craignish Peninsula, offering marine environment activities, workshops with marine biologists, artists, foragers, and musicians, and education on coastal conservation.
• Seawilding Shop Online store offering branded clothing and accessories, plus gift options for seagrass meadow or native oyster restoration. All proceeds support marine habitat restoration efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% survival rate of transplanted seagrass shoots
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Talisker DistilleryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Landmark three-year partnership backed by £600,000 investment. Includes first annual community oyster count on Skye, hands-on conservation activities, restoration innovation, and education initiatives. Partnership aims to restore Scotland's west coast ecosystems and reconnect people with the sea. Community counts form a key part of the partnership with proposed events over three years.
• CROMACHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCraignish Restoration of Marine and Coastal Habitats (CROMACH) is a voluntary association with over 100 members. Caroline Younger, CROMACH Chair, also serves as Chair of Seawilding's Board of Trustees. CROMACH is a local partner organization working on marine and coastal habitat restoration.
• BSAC (British Sub-Aqua Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for delivering BSAC Advanced Snorkel Diver courses and Lifesaver Awards. Seawilding is a registered BSAC Snorkel Training Centre. Course trains participants to enable participation in marine habitat restoration snorkelling activities.
• Scotland the Big PictureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for learning days and volunteer opportunities. Scotland the Big Picture hosts Seawilding volunteer days including oyster survey activities at Loch Craignish.
• ERN (Education Scotland?)minorOthersPartner organization listed in partner logos section of the website.
• Our SeasminorOthersScottish marine advocacy organization listed as a partner in newsletter footer.
• Seagrass Restoration ProjectminorOthersSeagrass restoration network organization listed as a partner in newsletter footer.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Rewilding Britain: UK charity promoting rewilding at landscape scale. Comparable as a UK restoration-focused charity with overlapping donor audience and ecosystem-recovery framing, though Rewilding Britain focuses on terrestrial and freshwater systems.

Direct peers

• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based ocean conservation charity focused on marine protected areas, sustainable fishing, and habitat restoration including seagrass and shellfish. Closely aligned with Seawilding's mission to restore UK marine ecosystems and engage communities in marine stewardship.
• Native Oyster Restoration Programme (NORP / The Nature Conservancy UK): UK-wide native oyster restoration initiative led by The Nature Conservancy and partners. Directly comparable as a multi-site native oyster restoration effort with similar goals of recovering Ostrea edulis reef habitat, though operating at national rather than community level.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK charity dedicated to protecting marine environments, seas, and wildlife. Comparable as a UK-based marine conservation charity working on biodiversity recovery, though broader in scope (including fisheries, litter, and policy) than Seawilding's restoration focus.
• Project Seagrass: UK-based charity focused on seagrass restoration, research, and conservation. Directly comparable to Seawilding as a community- and science-driven seagrass restoration organization operating in the UK, with overlapping methods, donor bases, and policy advocacy goals.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) — re-listed as macro context: (duplicate avoided)
• Zoological Society of London (ZSL): International conservation charity with marine and freshwater programmes. Comparable as a UK-headquartered conservation organization with scientific credibility and large donor base, though Seawilding is more specialized and community-led.
• RSPB: Largest UK nature conservation charity, primarily bird-focused but engaged in broader habitat and marine advocacy. Comparable as a UK-scale conservation charity with significant fundraising capacity and policy influence, though marine restoration is a smaller part of its portfolio.

Regional players

• Scottish Wildlife Trust: Scotland's leading nature conservation charity, managing marine protected areas and coastal reserves. Comparable as a Scotland-based conservation organization engaged in marine habitat recovery, but with much broader remit including land, freshwater, and policy.

Others

• Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS): Scotland's leading marine science research organisation, based in Oban. Comparable as a Scottish marine science partner/advisor with overlapping research on sea loch ecosystems, though SAMS is a research institute rather than a restoration practitioner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfqmYuyK1sZ_udFuu12PYdQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/seawilding/?hl=en-gb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seawilding

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 Seawilding