Seagrass Restoration Scotland

What Seagrass Restoration Scotland does

Seagrass Restoration Institute is a private non-profit corporation, founded in 2023 and domiciled in Florida, that restores marine ecosystems through land-based aquaculture nurseries rather than in-ocean planting alone. Its two operational programs are a Seagrass Nursery, which cultivates seagrass and mangroves for deployment across Florida coastal sites, and a Coral Nursery in Ruskin operated in partnership with Reef Renewal USA, where corals are grown in controlled conditions to enable gene banking and genotype resilience testing that field programs cannot replicate. The organization applies the founder's 35+ years of commercial aquaculture experience — previously running one of the largest ornamental fish hatcheries in the U.S. across four sites in Polk and Hillsborough Counties — to a restoration mandate.

The business model is a donation- and grant-driven non-profit: revenue streams consist of charitable contributions, event-based fundraising (e.g., the Renew Our Reefs concert in January 2025), and outreach/education programming. The customer base is not commercial — the "customers" are marine ecosystems, Florida coastal communities, schools, and partner organizations that receive restoration outputs, outreach, and education services. Distribution is regional (Florida / Southeast Florida) via direct restoration deployment and a strategic co-development partnership with Reef Renewal USA for coral operations.

The organization is founder-led by JM "Marty" Tanner (Board President), supported by a small board (Craig Watson as Technical Advisor, David Boozer as Business Development lead) and a Scientific Advisory Board (David Hoy, Alexandra Rodriguez Ayala, Travis Knorr), with Martha E. Campbell serving as Director of Operations. It has received the State of Florida Environmental Leadership Award and the Florida Farm Bureau's CARES Award. There is no disclosed headcount, no funding rounds, no patents, no app or API product, no paid commercial pricing, and no AI/ML components in the technology stack.

Name

Seagrass Restoration Scotland

Legal name

Seagrass Restoration Institute, INC.

Website

https://seagrassrestoration.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Seagrass Restoration Institute is a Florida-based non-profit that restores marine ecosystems through land-based seagrass, mangrove, and coral nurseries, serving Florida coastal communities, schools, and conservation partners via charitable donations, events, and outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Habitat Restoration Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125), Other Aquaculture (112519)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Stock Enhancement & Restocking / Conservation Aquaculture (AFAEAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Marine habitat restoration
• Seagrass cultivation
• Coral reef restoration
• Aquaculture nursery operations
• Marine conservation programs

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Non-profit organization relying on public donations and charitable contributions to fund restoration operations and programs.
2. Event-based Fundraising: Hosting events like the Renew Our Reefs concert to raise funds for coral reef restoration efforts.
3. Educational and Outreach Programs: Community education initiatives that may generate revenue through partnerships with schools and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Seagrass Restoration Scotland operates land-based aquaculture nurseries that cultivate seagrass, mangroves, and coral for restoration of marine habitats. The organization deploys cultivated plants and corals to degraded coastal ecosystems in support of ecosystem recovery and biodiversity.

Product overview

Seagrass Restoration Institute operates as a non-profit focused on sustainable restoration and conservation of marine ecosystems through two primary land-based nursery programs: a Seagrass Nursery for cultivating seagrass and mangroves, and a Coral Nursery (the Ruskin Land-Based Aquaculture Coral Nursery) developed in partnership with Reef Renewal USA for coral reef restoration. These nurseries work in concert to advance recovery of vital marine habitats and protect biodiversity in Florida coastal regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land-Based Seagrass Nursery
• Ruskin Land-Based Aquaculture Coral Nursery

Quantifiable outcome

• Seagrass beds provide shelter for juvenile fish, invertebrates, and endangered species
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Reef Renewal USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024In March 2024, Seagrass Restoration Institute formed a strategic partnership with Reef Renewal USA to develop a land-based aquaculture coral nursery in Ruskin, Florida. The partnership enables utilization of a state-of-the-art facility for coral reef restoration, with advanced systems to cultivate corals in controlled conditions, safeguard gene banks, and test genotype resilience.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: National ocean-focused environmental NGO with donor engagement, policy advocacy, and marine habitat programs. Comparable non-profit marine conservation donor model at much greater scale.
• The Nature Conservancy (Florida Chapter): Large environmental NGO with active seagrass, oyster, and coastal habitat restoration projects in Florida. Comparable donor base, volunteer engagement model, and restoration outcomes focus.
• Mote Marine Laboratory: Established marine research institution operating the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration. Several SRI advisory board members (Travis Knorr) are former/current Mote staff, and Mote is a much larger incumbent in Florida coral restoration.
• The Florida Aquarium: Major Florida aquarium with active coral and aquatic species conservation programs; former SRI-affiliated board member (Craig Watson) previously served on its board. Comparable donor base and conservation mission.
• NOAA Restoration Center: Federal program funding and implementing habitat restoration including coral and seagrass. Represents a major source of restoration grant funding that SRI competes for as a Florida restoration operator.

Direct peers

• Coral Restoration Foundation: Florida-based nonprofit operating large-scale offshore coral nurseries and outplanting programs in the Florida Keys. Directly comparable in mission, customer base (donors, volunteers, partner agencies), and restoration output to SRI.
• Reef Renewal USA: Coral reef restoration organization and SRI's direct strategic partner. Operates coral nurseries and outplanting in the Florida Keys, sharing mission alignment, donor base, and restoration methodology with SRI.
• Rising Tide Conservation: Public-private partnership focused on captive breeding of marine ornamental fish; SRI board member Craig Watson serves on its board. Comparable mission around sustainable aquaculture and conservation outcomes.

Regional players

• Coastal Conservation Association Florida: Florida-focused marine habitat and fisheries conservation nonprofit. Comparable donor base and Florida-coastal restoration mission, though focused more on policy and recreational fisheries than aquaculture nurseries.

Others

• University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory: Applied aquaculture research and extension lab that SRI's technical advisor Craig Watson formerly directed. Operates extension programs and applied research into aquatic species cultivation relevant to SRI's nursery operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Seagrass Restoration Scotland