Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)

What Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) does

Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) is a regional nonprofit partnership that coordinates science-based aquatic habitat conservation across 14 southeastern U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It operates as a portfolio of conservation programs rather than a commercial product company: the Aquatic Connectivity Program (ACT) and its web-based Aquatic Barrier Prioritization Tool handle barrier inventory and prioritization; the Southern Instream Flow Network (SIFN) advances instream flow science and policy; the Native Black Bass Initiative, Native Fish Conservation Areas, Coastal Program, and Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan (SAHP) round out the programming. SARP's audience is institutional — state wildlife and natural resource agencies, federal environmental agencies (USFWS, NOAA, EPA, USGS, US Army Corps of Engineers), landscape conservation cooperatives, and major conservation NGOs including American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Its underlying technology stack comprises GIS-based watershed and habitat assessment tooling, regional databases with 40+ years of integrated USGS water-quality data, the Barrier Prioritization Tool (built with Conservation Biology Institute), and an ESRI Story Map framework for watershed decision support, delivered via a web portal at southeastaquatics.net. SARP has no traditional intellectual property moats (no patents, no proprietary AI models) and no commercial pricing — its value is generated through partner coordination, grant administration, and convening rather than licensed software revenue.

SARP's revenue model is grant-funded, not commercial: federal awards (USFWS via the National Fish Habitat Partnership, NOAA Community-based Restoration Program, US Army Corps of Engineers), foundation grants (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), and state agency cooperative agreements support both operations and pass-through funding for on-the-ground restoration projects. The organization has administered 53 projects through the SARP-USFWS-NFHP Aquatic Habitat Restoration Program to date, and its GTM motion is community-led — SARP does not sell; it recruits and convenes partners, then administers funding and technical assistance through 15+ state-level Aquatic Connectivity Teams and six thematic workgroups aligned to SAHP objectives. Operational scale is small: a core staff of approximately six people (Coordinator, GIS Coordinator, ACT Coordinator, Financial Administrative Manager, Program Director, and NBBI Coordinator) supported by a broader steering committee and partner network.

Name

Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)

Legal name

Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership

Website

https://southeastaquatics.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SARP is a regional nonprofit partnership coordinating science-based aquatic habitat conservation across 14 southeastern U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It serves state wildlife agencies, federal environmental agencies (USFWS, NOAA), and conservation NGOs through barrier prioritization tools, instream flow science, and grant-funded restoration programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquatic Habitat Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Reporting, Dashboards & Regulatory Submittals (Automated Reports, e-Reporting) (EUAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Aquatic habitat restoration
• Watershed conservation
• Fish habitat partnership
• Dam removal coordination
• Aquatic connectivity

Headquarters

HQ city

Social Circle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Cooperative Agreements: SARP receives funding through federal grants (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA), foundation grants (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation), and state agency contributions. They administer funding programs like the SARP-USFWS-NFHP Aquatic Habitat Restoration Program.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SARP is a regional partnership that coordinates science-based conservation programs to conserve and restore aquatic habitats across 14 southeastern states and Puerto Rico. It administers grant funding, maintains regional databases and GIS tools for barrier prioritization, and convenes state and federal agencies, NGOs, and private partners to deliver on-the-ground habitat restoration, watershed connectivity, and instream flow science projects.

Product overview

Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) is a regional collaboration that operates as a program-based organization rather than a unified software platform. SARP offers a portfolio of conservation programs including the Aquatic Connectivity Program (ACT) with its Aquatic Barrier Prioritization Tool, the Southern Instream Flow Network (SIFN), the Native Black Bass Initiative, Coastal Program, and Native Fish Conservation Areas (NFCAs). These programs are complemented by the SARP-USFWS-NFHP Aquatic Habitat Restoration Program and the NOAA Community-based Restoration Program. The core offerings center on science-based watershed and habitat assessments, conservation planning tools, and on-the-ground restoration projects across 14 southeastern states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACT (Aquatic Connectivity Program): Program focused on aquatic barrier removal, restoration, and mitigation; includes state-level teams for dam and road-stream crossing prioritization across 14 states and Puerto Rico.
• SIFN (Southern Instream Flow Network)
• SEACAP (Southeast Aquatic Connectivity Assessment Project)
• NFHP (National Fish Habitat Partnership)

Products and services

• Aquatic Connectivity Program (ACT)

Named customers6 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal partner providing funding guidance and support. Administers NFHP funding through grant agreements. Provides technical guidance through regional offices and Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices.
• National Fish and Wildlife FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey funding partner, particularly for the Southeast Native Black Bass Initiative. Provides grant funding and strategic direction for fish habitat conservation.
• NOAA Fisheries Restoration CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners through NOAA Community-based Restoration Program (CRP) to identify projects and facilitate local partnerships for coastal restoration.
• South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SALCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides vision and funding for instream flow resources and advancing instream flow science in the southern US through the Southern Instream Flow Network.
• Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozark Landscape Conservation Cooperative (GCPO LCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in providing vision and funding for developing instream flow resources and advancing instream flow science. Collaboration on protecting high quality rivers in the 180-million-acre GCPO region.
• Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation CooperativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding and vision that enabled SIFN to develop the instream flow resources outlined in the Southern Instream Flow Research Agenda.
• Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSARP works with SEAFWA state agencies across 15 states for regional coordination on fish and wildlife management.
• American RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy. Partner in dam removal workshops and aquatic connectivity initiatives including Arkansas Stream Heritage Partnership formation.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading conservation organization active in West Virginia instream flow projects and other regional conservation efforts.
• Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates through the Whitewater to Bluewater Initiative to advance habitat assessments and coordinate outreach activities.
• Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners through Whitewater to Bluewater Initiative for fish habitat information sharing and coordinated conservation delivery.
• Conservation Biology InstitutesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner that helped create the Aquatic Barrier Prioritization Tool for prioritizing dams and road-stream crossings across the SARP region.
• Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner with divisions covering Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Marine Resources, State Lands, and State Parks for comprehensive aquatic resource management.
• Georgia Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner; hosts Georgia ACT and White Dam removal project through University of Georgia partnerships.
• Southern CompanysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor utility company serving 4.4 million customers; corporate partner supporting aquatic conservation in the Southeast.
• University of Georgia Marine Extension ServicesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner conducting outreach, education and research to enhance coastal environmental sustainability in Georgia.
• Tennessee Valley AuthoritysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency with mission focused on affordable electricity, economic development, environmental stewardship, and integrated river system management.
• USGSsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationScience organization providing impartial information on ecosystem health, natural hazards, and natural resources including 40 years of water-quality data integrated into SARP tools.
• US Army Corps of EngineerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on river management including collaborations on Savannah River and Green River to improve dam management for ecological health while maintaining flood control and power generation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership: A Fish Habitat Partnership operating across Midwestern states with a near-identical model of state-based teams, science-based assessments, and aquatic habitat restoration coordination. SARP and MGLP function as sister regional partnerships under NFHP.
• Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP): ACFHP is a fellow Fish Habitat Partnership under the National Fish Habitat Partnership that SARP explicitly collaborates with via the Whitewater to Bluewater Initiative. It operates a similar model of regional coordination, barrier prioritization, and on-the-ground restoration along the U.S. Atlantic coast.
• Western Native Trout Initiative: WNTI is a Fish Habitat Partnership focused on native trout conservation across the western U.S., structured similarly to SARP with partner-based coordination, science-driven prioritization, and grant-funded restoration projects.
• Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV): EBTJV is another NFHP- recognized partnership that SARP partners with through the Whitewater to Bluewater Initiative. It coordinates habitat conservation for native brook trout across eastern states with comparable science-based planning and partner-coordination workflows.
• Great Lakes Fishery Commission: A binational fisheries management body coordinating fishery science and habitat restoration across the Great Lakes basin. It overlaps with SARP in regional-scale aquatic habitat coordination, scientific assessment, and inter-jurisdictional partnership facilitation.
• Pacific Marine & Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership: A Fish Habitat Partnership for Pacific coast marine and estuarine systems that mirrors SARP's regional coordination model for conservation planning, partner facilitation, and habitat restoration delivery under NFHP.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Ducks Unlimited is a large habitat conservation NGO focused on wetlands and waterfowl habitat with significant southeastern program operations. Its wetland and bottomland restoration work intersects with SARP's aquatic habitat and riparian zone priorities.
• American Rivers: American Rivers is a national nonprofit that partners with SARP on dam-removal workshops and aquatic connectivity initiatives (e.g., Arkansas Stream Heritage Partnership). It operates a parallel national dam-removal agenda that overlaps directly with SARP's ACT work.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a global conservation NGO that operates as a core SARP partner (with staff serving in state-level ACT roles). It is comparable as a much larger incumbent that conducts aquatic habitat protection, dam removal advocacy, and instream flow work overlapping with SARP's programs.
• Trout Unlimited: Trout Unlimited is a national coldwater fisheries conservation organization that works on stream restoration, fish passage, and aquatic habitat protection across overlapping southeastern geographies. It is comparable through its similar grass-roots-led, science-driven restoration model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SEAquaticResources
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southeast-aquatic-resources-partnership-sarp-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)