The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services

What The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services does

The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services (ACES) is a UK-registered charity headquartered in London that partners with coastal communities in East Africa (Kenya) and West Africa (The Gambia) to restore and protect mangroves and seagrass while generating certified blue carbon and biodiversity credits. ACES was founded in 2013 and grew out of academic research at Gazi Bay, Kenya, where community members asked how they could benefit from the science, leading to Mikoko Pamoja, the world's first community-led blue carbon project. The organisation's portfolio now spans four named projects: Mikoko Pamoja, Vanga Blue Forest (460 hectares of mangroves), Vanga Seagrass Project (225 hectares, one of the world's first PV Nature-certified marine biodiversity credit projects), and Nnaa Saama Mankolou in The Gambia.

ACES' technical platform is grounded in long-term ecological research combined with local knowledge: Gazi Bay has become one of the most studied mangrove forests in the world, and ACES has developed a Plan Vivo Approved Approach for community-led seagrass habitat monitoring. All credits are certified under the Plan Vivo Climate Standard, with biodiversity credits issued under Plan Vivo's PV Nature standard, validated by independent assessors and subject to 5-yearly verification. Communities own and lead the work via elected committees under Free, Prior and Informed Consent, with at least 60% of project income returned to community groups (ACES' share is roughly 15% of credit income, plus donations and grant funding).

Commercially, ACES operates a hybrid non-profit model with three revenue streams: sale of high-integrity blue carbon credits, sale of marine biodiversity credits, and donations. Pricing is quote-based and relationship-led rather than transacted through any online marketplace, reflecting ACES' stated intent to avoid greenwashing and prioritise ethical buyers (charities, small businesses, individuals). Distribution is direct via email and personal engagement, supported by a content-led marketing approach (website, blog, social channels, published best-practice guides) and engagement with institutional funders such as ORRAA, Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, the UK Government, and academic partners including Edinburgh Napier University and the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.

Name

The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services

Legal name

The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services

Website

https://aces-org.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACES is a UK-registered charity that partners with coastal communities in Kenya and The Gambia to restore mangroves and seagrass and sell Plan Vivo-certified blue carbon and biodiversity credits, returning at least 60% of project income to the communities that own and lead the work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blue Carbon & Biodiversity Credits

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Avoided Conversion & Ecosystem Protection (REDD+, Blue Carbon Conservation) (EUABABAC), Nature-Based Credits Trading (Forestry/REDD+, Soil Carbon, Blue Carbon) (EUAGAIAK), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Blue carbon credits
• Mangrove restoration
• Seagrass conservation
• Marine biodiversity credits
• Coastal ecosystem services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Blue Carbon Credits Sales: Sale of certified blue carbon credits from mangrove and seagrass restoration projects. Credits are certified under Plan Vivo Standard. Reforestation activities remove carbon as trees grow; avoided deforestation reduces emissions and removes carbon as protected trees grow beyond what they would have without protection.
2. Marine Biodiversity Credits: Development of pilot community-led marine biodiversity credit projects certified under Plan Vivo's Biodiversity Standard, PV Nature. These are designed for biodiversity conservation and gain, not offsets.
3. Donations: Charitable donations that support ACES work as a charity, allowing technical and advisory support to non-accredited projects and sending maximum carbon income to community groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACES partners with coastal communities in Kenya and The Gambia to protect and restore mangroves and seagrass, generating high-integrity blue carbon credits (Plan Vivo Climate Standard) and marine biodiversity credits (Plan Vivo PV Nature Standard). The organisation co-creates projects based on Free, Prior and Informed Consent, returning at least 60% of project income to community groups, and provides ongoing training, governance support, monitoring and transparent reporting to enable long-term stewardship of coastal ecosystems.

Product overview

ACES (The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services) operates a portfolio of community-led conservation projects rather than a unified software product. The core offerings consist of four named projects: Mikoko Pamoja (Kenya), Vanga Blue Forest (Kenya), Vanga Seagrass Project (Kenya), and Nnaa Saama Mankolou (The Gambia). These projects generate two types of credits — high-integrity blue carbon credits certified under the Plan Vivo Climate Standard, and marine biodiversity credits under Plan Vivo's PV Nature standard. All projects are co-created with coastal communities, which own and govern the work, with at least 60% of project income returned to community development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mikoko Pamoja The world's first community-led blue carbon project in Kenya, an internationally recognised mangrove conservation initiative that has more than doubled forest biomass over approximately 12 years and generates high-integrity blue carbon credits for coastal communities.
• Vanga Blue Forest A community-owned mangrove protection and restoration project along the Kenyan coast that protects and restores 460 hectares of mangroves around Vanga Bay, including Sii Island.
• Vanga Seagrass Project One of the world's first certified marine biodiversity projects, protecting 225 hectares of seagrass meadows through a Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) and set to generate biodiversity credits under Plan Vivo's PV Nature standard.
• Nnaa Saama Mankolou A mangrove protection and restoration project in The Gambia embedded in local context and governance frameworks, and a potential first Plan Vivo certified project in the country.
• High-Integrity Blue Carbon Credits Certified carbon credits from mangrove and seagrass protection projects that provide measurable, verifiable funding for coastal conservation, ensuring at least 60% of project income returns to participating communities.
• Marine Biodiversity Credits Community-led marine biodiversity credit projects enabling businesses and funders to invest directly in healthier marine ecosystems, certified under Plan Vivo's Biodiversity Standard (PV Nature) and designed for biodiversity conservation and gain, not offsets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forest biomass more than doubled in ~12 years for Mikoko Pamoja project
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Plan VivocoreTechnology or IntegrationCertification standard partner for blue carbon and biodiversity credits. Plan Vivo is described as a leading certification system for high-integrity nature-based projects with the most robust environmental and social safeguards. ACES projects are certified to the Plan Vivo Standard, with validation by independent assessors before launch and 5-yearly verification assessments.
• Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for Vanga Seagrass Project, collaborating on marine ecosystem research and monitoring.
• Edinburgh Napier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose research partnership with multiple PhD students having visited projects or worked with ACES. Collaborations generate new evidence on ecosystem recovery and livelihoods, improve methods for community-led monitoring and reporting.
• Kenya Fisheries ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Vanga Seagrass Project supporting marine conservation governance.
• Vanga Beach Management Unit (BMU) and Jimbo BMUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community governance structures for Vanga Seagrass Project, led by fishers and communities designated areas for protection.
• International Advisory Panel for Biodiversity CreditssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerVanga Seagrass Project selected as an IAPB pilot project, helping shape emerging standards for biodiversity credits.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/acesenvironment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-association-for-coastal-ecosystem-services
• Facebookfacebook.com/acesenvironment

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services