Septentrion Environnement

What Septentrion Environnement does

Septentrion Environnement is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Marseille, operating a marine ecology research institute, a certified training organization, and a technical and participatory platform. Its research institute conducts scientific programs on Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, including management efficacy assessment, climate change impact studies, and experimental restoration, supported by a network of partnerships with marine protected areas (Parc National des Calanques, Scandola, Cerbère-Banyuls, Golfe du Lion), national research bodies (CNRS LIS/IMBE, MIO, IFREMER, IRD, MNHN), and foundations (OFB, Pew Bertarelli, CMA-CGM, Crédit Mutuel). The training organization delivers academic programs from Bac Pro to Master level in partnership with Campus Nature Provence/CFPPA and Aix-Marseille Université, alongside the Certificat d'Aptitude à l'Hyperbarie (CAH) Mention B after obtaining official Hyperbaric Certification Organization status in November 2025.

Its technical platform leverages a proprietary stereo-photogrammetry system (KarKam) co-developed with CNRS LIS, combining dual full-frame DSLR cameras on a Suex xj37 underwater scooter with automated image processing, plus immersive VR experiences (Explor'Hab), live underwater broadcasting (Septentrion Live), and the POLARIS citizen science platform integrating CIGESMED, Coral Alert, and Fish Visual Census protocols. Products span research deliverables (long-term monitoring reports, restoration experiments), educational diplomas (Bachelor GPMML, Master OBEM, CAH Class 0–3), and participatory science services (~150 volunteer observations in CIGESMED alone).

The organization employs approximately 10 permanent staff supported by a board of directors. Revenue is sourced from tax-deductible donations (66% income tax / 75% IFI deductions via HelloAsso), membership fees, institutional research grants (OFB, EU LIFE/MARHA/MPA Engage), corporate foundation funding, and professional training fees. Geographic operations span the French Mediterranean coast with extensions to Spain, the Balkans (Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia), Turkey, and Cameroon, focused on Mediterranean marine protected areas.

Name

Septentrion Environnement

Legal name

Association Septentrion Environnement

Website

https://septentrion-env.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Septentrion Environnement is a French non-profit marine ecology research institute and certified training organization founded in 2007 in Marseille, serving Mediterranean marine protected area managers, students, professional divers, and citizen scientists through scientific research, CAH hyperbaric certifications, and participatory science platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Ecology Research and Training

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Diving Experiences (Scuba Dives, Dive Trips, PADI/SSI Courses) (THAJAJAD), Dive & Snorkel Guides / Dive Masters (Boat-Based & Shore-Based) (THAAALAC)

Keywords

• Marine ecology research
• Scientific diving training
• Underwater photogrammetry
• Hyperbaric certification
• Citizen science platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Marseille-en-beauvaisis

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees for association supporters, with benefits including tax deductions (66% for income tax, 75% for IFI under French law).
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations collected through HelloAsso platform, email, and postal mail. 66% deductible from income tax (up to 20% of taxable income), 75% deductible from IFI (up to €50,000).
3. Professional Training (CAH): Revenue from Certificat d'Aptitude à l'Hyperbarie (CAH) Mention B training programs ranging from Class 0 to Class 3 certifications and recycling courses.
4. Institutional Research Grants: Funding from public institutions including OFB (Office Français de la Biodiversité), European projects (MPA Engage, MARHA, LIFE programs), regional councils, and foundations for research and conservation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Septentrion Environnement is a French non-profit marine ecology research institute and training organization operating three interconnected poles: a Research Institute conducting scientific studies on Mediterranean coastal ecosystems (management efficacy, climate change impacts, experimental restoration); a Training Organization delivering professional education from Bac Pro to Master levels and hyperbaric diving certifications (CAH Mention B); and a Technical/Participative Platform offering citizen science tools (POLARIS), underwater 3D photogrammetry services, live underwater broadcasts (Septentrion Live), and immersive VR experiences (Explor'Hab) for marine conservation awareness.

Product overview

Septentrion Environnement is a marine ecology research institute and training organization structured around three interconnected poles: the Research Institute conducts scientific studies on Mediterranean coastal ecosystems including management efficacy assessment, global change effects, and experimental restoration; the Training Organization delivers professional education from Bac Pro to Master levels plus hyperbaric diving certifications (CAH), and the Technical Platform provides citizen science tools (POLARIS), photogrammetry services, and immersive experiences (Explor'Hab VR, Septentrion Live). The organization also operates an environmental dive school. Products include research programs, educational diplomas, scientific monitoring tools, and public engagement offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institut de Recherche (Research Institute) Marine ecology research institute contributing to understanding of Mediterranean coastal ecosystem functioning and conservation. Conducts scientific programs on management measure efficacy, global change effects, and experimental restoration for public institutions and protected area managers.
• Organisme de Formation (Training Organization) Professional training organization delivering initial education (Bac Pro to Master level), continuing education modules, and CAH hyperbaric certification for diving professionals, marine conservation students, and educational institutions.
• Plateforme Technique et Participative (Technical and Participative Platform) Participatory science platform offering underwater photogrammetry services, citizen science programs (POLARIS), immersive VR animations (Explor'Hab), and live underwater broadcasts (Septentrion Live) for marine environment awareness and education.
• POLARIS Citizen Science Platform Technical and pedagogical platform enabling recreational divers to participate in marine monitoring through standardized observation protocols including CIGESMED for divers, Coral Alert, and Fish Visual Census for coralligenous habitats and marine species.
• Certificat d'Aptitude à l'Hyperbarie (CAH) Mention B Professional hyperbaric diving certification program with classes from 0 (up to -12m) to 3 (up to -90m open circuit / -100m rebreather), including 5-year recycling courses for certified professional divers and hyperbaric workers.
• Bachelor GPMML (Gestion et Protection des Milieux Marins et Littoraux) Professional bachelor degree program in marine and coastal environment management and protection, conducted in partnership with Campus Nature Provence for students pursuing careers in marine conservation.
• École de Plongée Environnementale (Environmental Dive School) Environmental dive school offering recreational dives, weekend outings, and participation in POLARIS citizen science program for marine conservation awareness, located at INPP facilities in Marseille.
• Underwater Photogrammetry Services Underwater 3D photogrammetry modeling services using the proprietary KarKam stereo-photogrammetry system for scientific monitoring, coral reef studies, shipwreck documentation, and public heritage restoration projects for Mediterranean institutions and researchers.
• Septentrion Live Live underwater broadcast experience allowing remote audiences to discover marine environments in real-time via duplex submarine broadcasts for immersive experiences and remote scientific observation.
• Explor'Hab Immersive virtual reality exhibition allowing viewers to discover the ecology of Marseille's underwater landscapes through VR technology using 3D photogrammetry models.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 populations of Paramuricea clavata monitored in mesophotic zone study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• WWF-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinated the MPA Odyssey expedition program, with Septentrion Environnement providing scientific diving operations, protocols, and data analysis for marine protected area assessments across the Mediterranean.
• CNRS (LIS, IMBE)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborative research partnership including joint development of KarKam underwater photogrammetry system with LIS laboratory. Co-supervision of doctoral theses and joint publications.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public funding source for long-term gorgonian monitoring and conservation projects, providing institutional support for research activities.
• MIO (Aix-Marseille Université)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for Master 2 OBEM program co-delivery and joint research in biological oceanography and marine ecology.
• Parc National des CalanquescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term research partnership for monitoring coral and gorgonian populations, restoration experiments, and photogrammetry surveys within the national park.
• Campus Nature Provence / CFPPA MarseillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for co-delivering BTS Gestion et Protection de la Nature and Bachelor GPMML programs for marine professionals.
• Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network (MedPAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of MedPAN network, participating in Regular Training Program for Mediterranean MPA managers and staff.
• Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific collaboration with France's national natural history museum for marine biodiversity research and conservation.
• IFREMERmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational marine research institute partnership for oceanographic research and marine ecosystem studies.
• IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development research partnership contributing to marine conservation projects in Mediterranean and beyond.
• INPP (Institut National de la Plongée Professionnelle)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting partner for Septentrion Environnement's diving school at INPP facilities in Marseille.
• Planète MermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench marine conservation NGO partner for citizen science programs including CIGESMED for divers.
• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in IUCN World Conservation Congress activities and contribution to IUCN scientific committees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Andromède Océanologie: French marine research NGO also based in the Marseille region that combines underwater photogrammetry, ecological monitoring of Mediterranean coastal ecosystems, scientific diving, and citizen-science engagement — directly comparable three-pole model (research, training, public engagement) anchored in the same French Mediterranean institutional ecosystem.
• GIS Posidonie: French scientific interest group coordinating Mediterranean seagrass and benthic ecosystem research across academic and conservation actors; comparable structure as a coordinating body delivering scientific synthesis for MPA management.
• Reef Life Survey: Global citizen-science program that trains recreational divers in standardized underwater visual census methods and aggregates biodiversity data — directly comparable to POLARIS/CIGESMED as a dive-based citizen-science platform for marine monitoring.
• Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer: Sorbonne Université/CNRS Mediterranean marine lab with long-term benthic monitoring programs, scientific diving capability, and graduate training — directly comparable research infrastructure serving French Mediterranean MPA managers.
• Observatoire Océanologique de Villefranche-sur-Mer: CNRS/UPMC marine research observatory on the French Mediterranean coast running long-term ecological monitoring, scientific diving, and graduate training — overlapping on research/training mandates and partner institutions (CNRS, Sorbonne University).
• STARESO (Station de Recherches Sous-marines et Océanographiques): Calvi (Corsica) marine research station conducting Mediterranean benthic and reef monitoring with scientific diving operations and long-term ecological datasets — strongly comparable in geographic scope, scientific diving focus, and Mediterranean ecological mandate.
• Planète Mer: French marine conservation NGO running citizen-science programs (notably CIGESMED for divers, which Septentrion already helps deliver); highly comparable NGO structure, funding base, and Mediterranean/MPA focus, and explicitly listed as a Septentrion partner.

Broad incumbents

• WWF-France: Large established conservation NGO with active Mediterranean MPA programs (including MPA Odyssey, which Septentrion provides scientific diving services for) — broader scope, larger budget, but overlapping donor pool and policy agenda.
• Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy: International ocean-conservation initiative funding Mediterranean MPA campaigns (including co-funding MPA Odyssey with Septentrion) — larger funder/advocate, comparable on mission but operates at a much larger scale through grantmaking rather than field operations.

Others

• MedPAN: Network of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas that runs the Regular Training Program for MPA managers and staff (which Septentrion contributes to); not a competitor but a closely connected ecosystem player in Mediterranean MPA capacity-building.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/septentrionmarseille
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/septentrion-environnement
• Instagraminstagram.com/septentrion.environnement/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Septentrion Environnement