The Leatherback Project

What The Leatherback Project does

The Leatherback Project is a 501(c)(3) marine conservation nonprofit founded in 2019 by Dr. Callie Veelenturf and headquartered in Norfolk, Massachusetts, with field operations concentrated in Pacific Panama and Ecuador and a distributed team of 8 full-time staff across the United States, Panama, Ecuador, Canada, and Colombia. The organization's functional mission is protecting endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtles and the wider marine ecosystems they inhabit, primarily through community-based nesting-beach monitoring, bycatch reduction in artisanal fisheries, coral reef monitoring, and habitat-protection legal advocacy.

Its program surface is organized into four operational sub-brands — Iluminar El Mar (bycatch reduction), Proyecto Yaug Galu (Panama nesting), Proyecto CONAP (coral reef monitoring), and Rights for Nature (legal advocacy) — delivered through partnerships with indigenous communities (notably the Guna People), local fishing cooperatives, the Mare Nostrum Foundation, SafetyNet Technologies, Mission Blue, and Earth Law Center. Underlying technology is conventional field-conservation instrumentation: Wildlife Computers satellite tags (including a first-of-kind deployment on an Ecuadorian leatherback in 2025), photo-identification databases, Hobo temperature data loggers, and green-LED bycatch-deterrent lights.

The revenue model is a nonprofit mix of individual donations and restricted/unrestricted grants from institutional funders including UNDP, National Geographic, WildAid, Purpose Climate Lab, Seacology, and the Oak Foundation. Distribution and beneficiary reach extend across 3 Latin American countries and 880+ monitoring hours in the 2025 season alone, with 117 turtles satellite-tagged, 295 nests protected, and 3,577 hatchlings released.

Name

The Leatherback Project

Legal name

The Leatherback Project

Website

https://leatherbackproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Leatherback Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that protects endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback sea turtles and their habitat through community-based nesting monitoring, fisheries bycatch reduction, reef monitoring, and Rights of Nature legal advocacy in Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine conservation research
• Sea turtle protection
• Fisheries bycatch reduction
• Marine protected areas
• Rights of nature advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Leatherback Project operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and charitable contributions from supporters worldwide.
2. Grant Funding: Funding from organizations such as UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge, National Geographic Society, WildAid, and Alfred Kobacker & Elizabeth Trimbach Fund to support specific conservation projects and research initiatives.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Leatherback Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts interdisciplinary marine conservation research, community-driven fieldwork, and advocacy to protect leatherback sea turtles and other endangered marine species. Its work focuses on reducing fisheries bycatch (via green LED light technology on fishing gear), establishing marine protected areas such as the Saboga Wildlife Refuge, deploying satellite tags to track turtle migration, and advancing Rights of Nature legal frameworks in Panama and Ecuador.

Product overview

The Leatherback Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and does not offer a commercial product or software platform. Its organizational activities include interdisciplinary marine conservation research, advocacy for Rights of Nature legal frameworks, community-driven conservation programs, and science-driven storytelling. It does not maintain a product portfolio of branded goods, modules, or services sold to external customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iluminar El Mar: A community-driven initiative celebrating and protecting coastal ecosystems through storytelling, art, and cultural engagement, focusing on bycatch reduction with fishing communities.
• Proyecto Yaug Galu
• Proyecto CONAP
• Rights for Nature

Products and services

• Proyecto Yaug Galu A long-term leatherback sea turtle monitoring and conservation program in collaboration with the indigenous Guna People of Guna Yala, Panama. Involves nighttime beach monitoring, tagging nesting females, nest protection, hatchling release, and training community members in conservation science.
• Iluminar El Mar A community-driven bycatch reduction program in Ecuador that equips artisanal fishing gear with green LED lights to reduce incidental capture of sea turtles, sharks, rays, and cetaceans while maintaining target fish catch. Includes safe-handling training and fisher engagement.
• Proyecto CONAP A nature conservation project in Panama's Pearl Islands Archipelago that identifies sea turtle habitats, combats illegal wildlife trade, and supports marine protected area establishment.
• Rights for Nature Campaign An international advocacy campaign dedicated to the legal recognition of the intrinsic rights of nature, supporting the implementation of Panama's Law 287 (Rights of Nature) and related sea turtle legal protections.
• Leatherback Satellite Tagging Program Deployment of satellite tags on leatherback sea turtles to track migratory routes, identify habitat use areas, and inform conservation strategies. First satellite tag on a leatherback sea turtle in Ecuador deployed in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of fishers want to continue using LED lights and act as spokespeople for bycatch reduction technology
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mare Nostrum FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuador-based nonprofit co-leading Iluminar El Mar bycatch reduction initiative. Founded by Jeffrey LeBlanc, advancing marine conservation through community engagement, education, and sustainable fisheries programs.
• RESERVA: The Youth Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth land trust collaborating on sea turtle satellite tagging projects. Youth supporters raised funds for satellite tags to document migratory species connections to the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR).
• Fundación Tortugas del MarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian nonprofit founded by Karla Barrientos Muñoz, focused on sea turtle conservation in Colombia.
• SafetyNet TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge, providing bycatch reduction LED lighting technology used in Iluminar El Mar initiative.
• Reef Restoration PanamacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization led by JC Dive, providing coral reef restoration expertise for Saboga Reef Restoration Initiative and coral ecosystem research.
• MiAMBIENTE (Ministry of the Environment Panama)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry coordinating Panama's National Program for Protection, Conservation, and Research of Sea Turtles. Marino Abrego represents Panama in regional conservation initiatives.
• SENAN (National Air and Navy Service Panama)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment security liaison supporting marine conservation efforts and environmental protection operations.
• ARAP (Authority of Aquatic Resources Panama)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment aquatic resources authority. Research Associate Liaison Ramiselia Ramirez supports research coordination.
• University of Central FloridaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kate Mansfield, Davis-Shine Endowed Professor of Conservation Biology, serves as scientific advisor.
• Scripps Institution of OceanographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristina Langford completed Masters of Advanced Studies here in 2025, working with The Leatherback Project for her thesis on bycatch issues in Ecuador.
• New England AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kara Dodge, Research Scientist at Anderson Cabot Center, serves as scientific advisor.
• Mission BluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeclared Pearl Islands Archipelago a Hope Spot in 2023, recognizing critical importance to ocean health and biodiversity.
• Fundación Reina LaudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuadorian partner collaborating on first satellite tagging of leatherback sea turtle in Ecuador.
• Earth Law CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Rights of Nature advocacy and legal framework development for marine protection.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SEE Turtles: Conservation organization that connects ecotourism with sea turtle protection and runs the Million Turtle Beach program. Closely comparable in sea turtle-focused nonprofit programming and donor-driven model.
• Sea Turtle Conservancy: The oldest sea turtle conservation organization globally, focused on research, education, and advocacy for sea turtles including leatherbacks. Directly comparable in mission, species focus, and nonprofit funding model.
• SeaLegacy: Ocean conservation collective using storytelling and expeditions to drive marine protection. Closely comparable in story-led ocean conservation GTM and small-team operating model; former employer of a Leatherback Project team member.
• Mission Blue: Founded by Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue designates Hope Spots including the Pearl Islands recognized by The Leatherback Project. Comparable in marine protected area advocacy and donor-supported ocean conservation.
• Turtle Island Restoration Network: Sea turtle and marine conservation nonprofit operating programs across the Pacific and Caribbean. Comparable in species focus, field research, and advocacy-driven conservation model.

Broad incumbents

• The Ocean Conservancy: Major US-based marine conservation nonprofit focused on ocean health policy, plastics, and fisheries. Comparable in marine advocacy and donor-supported model but with much broader programmatic scope.
• Oceana: Largest international ocean-focused advocacy organization, running science-based campaigns for marine policy reform. Comparable in science-driven marine policy advocacy but at substantially larger scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with significant marine and coastal programs. Comparable in conservation science and protected area establishment but operates at vastly larger scale and scope.
• WildAid: Major wildlife conservation nonprofit and a current funder of The Leatherback Project. Comparable in marine species protection, donor-supported model, and media-driven campaigns against wildlife exploitation.

Emerging players

• SafetyNet Technologies: Technology partner on the UNDP Ocean Innovation Challenge and provider of LED bycatch reduction technology used in Iluminar El Mar. Comparable in bycatch reduction innovation and fisheries sustainability focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/leatherbackproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leatherbackproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/leatherbackproject
• TikToktiktok.com/@leatherbackproject

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 The Leatherback Project