What Cairns Marine does

Cairns Marine is an Australian privately held marine life supplier headquartered in Stratford, Queensland, with operational bases across Cairns, Mackay, and Darwin providing coverage of the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and Gulf of Carpentaria. The company collects and distributes sustainably and chemical-free hand-caught marine specimens, offering more than 500 fish species, approximately 150 coral species, and around 100 invertebrate species, alongside a Live Rock product line (Original Reef Rock, Coral Sea Pink Rock, and Christmas Live Rock) used as natural biological filtration media. Cairns Marine also distributes the TRITON and TRITON PRO chemical analysis and reagent product lines, which target home hobbyists and water quality professionals in public aquaria, research facilities, city councils, environmental agencies, and consulting firms respectively.

The business operates under permits from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and holds Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) certification and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) membership, providing a verified ethical chain of custody that differentiates it from competitors using cyanide or destructive collection practices. Its core operational technology is centered on proprietary shipping techniques, a science-based post-collection care regimen developed across three generations, professional diver-led collection of large animals including sharks and rays, and a central inventory control system with real-time information distribution between land and offshore facilities.

Cairns Marine generates revenue through direct and channel-based sales across three primary customer segments: domestic Australian retail aquarium outlets, international wholesale customers, and enterprise public aquaria, the last of which it services with complete initial stocking capabilities including exclusively chartered Boeing 747 freight for major installations. Go-to-market is sales-led with field sales presence, industry conference activity (notably MACNA and RAW), distributor relationships, and the registered 'Aussie Hand Caught' consumer-facing trademark. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed across wholesale, public aquaria, and TRITON professional channels.

Name

Cairns Marine

Legal name

Cairns Marine

Website

https://cairnsmarine.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cairns Marine is an Australian private marine life supplier that sustainably collects and distributes hand-caught fishes, corals, invertebrates, live rock, and TRITON water quality products to domestic retailers, international wholesalers, and public aquaria globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Aquarium Livestock Supply

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Offshore & Open-Ocean Aquaculture (AFAEAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquaculture Health, Biosecurity & Veterinary Services (AFAEAAAK), Aquarium & Fish Supplies Retail (CRALAHAI)

Keywords

• Sustainable marine livestock
• Aquarium wholesale supply
• Coral reef collection
• Public aquarium stocking
• Seawater water quality testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stratford

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. International Wholesale: Sale of premium corals, fishes, invertebrates, sharks, and rays to international wholesale customers. The company provides comprehensive stocking solutions with over 500 fish species, 150 coral species, and 100 invertebrate species available.
2. Domestic Retail: Supply of marine wildlife to domestic retail aquarium outlets across Australia, providing a one-stop-shop complementary stocking solution.
3. Public Aquaria Stocking: Complete initial stocking of large public aquaria including corals, invertebrates, small and large fish, sharks, rays and substrates. Large-scale shipments often involve exclusively chartered Boeing 747 aircraft.
4. TRITON Water Quality Products (Hobbyist): TRITON products for home hobbyists include seawater analysis tests, CoreChem products, supplements (trace and macro elements) and treatments for seawater. Sold with a downloadable guide to the TRITON Method.
5. TRITON PRO (Professional): TRITON PRO chemical analysis and reagents for water quality professionals including Public Aquaria, Research Facilities, City Councils, Environmental Agencies, and Consulting Firms requiring batch/frequent testing and reagents in large quantities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cairns Marine sustainably collects, handles, and supplies marine aquarium livestock — fishes, corals, invertebrates, and live rock — sourced from the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and Gulf of Carpentaria under regulatory permits. The company also distributes TRITON and TRITON PRO seawater analysis, supplement, and reagent products for home hobbyists and professional water quality laboratories. Complete initial stocking solutions for large public aquaria, including sharks, rays, and substrates, are delivered using proprietary live-animal shipping techniques.

Product overview

Cairns Marine operates as a sustainable marine life supplier with a portfolio of products centered on aquarium and reef ecosystem solutions. The core offering includes TRITON (chemical analysis and reagents for hobbyists) and TRITON PRO (for water quality professionals), which together form a comprehensive water testing and treatment system. The Live Rock product line provides 100% natural reef rock in three variants (Original Reef Rock, Coral Sea Pink Rock, and Christmas Live Rock) for biological filtration. Beyond these, Cairns Marine supplies over 500 fish species, approximately 150 coral species, and 100 invertebrate species sourced from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. For public aquaria, they offer complete stocking solutions including large animals like sharks and rays, supported by specialized shipping expertise. The company serves domestic retail, international wholesale, and public aquarium customers through a vertically integrated, sustainable supply chain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aussie Hand Caught: Trademark brand for chemical-free, sustainably hand-caught marine life products.

Products and services

• Marine Fishes Over 500 species of sustainably collected marine fish sourced from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea under Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority permits. Supplied to domestic retail outlets, international wholesalers, and public aquaria.
• Corals Approximately 150 species of coral including soft corals, hard corals, corallimorphs, anemones, and unusual inter-reef species, sustainably harvested and supplied as premium market-ready specimens.
• Invertebrates Approximately 100 species of marine invertebrates including crabs, shrimps, snails, sea stars, nudibranchs, brittle stars, sea slugs, sponges, and urchins, sustainably collected for the aquarium trade.
• Live Rock (Original Reef Rock, Coral Sea Pink Rock, Christmas Live Rock) 100% natural, chemical-free live rock harvested from sustainable Australian fisheries in three variants (all-purpose Original Reef Rock, premium Coral Sea Pink Rock, and Christmas Live Rock), supplied for biological filtration of reef aquariums without the need for curing.
• TRITON (Hobbyist Water Quality System) Chemical analysis and reagent products for home aquarium hobbyists, including seawater analysis tests, CoreChem products, trace and macro element supplements, and treatments for seawater, accompanied by a downloadable Guide to the TRITON Method.
• TRITON PRO (Professional Water Quality System) Professional-grade chemical analysis and reagents for water quality professionals at public aquaria, research facilities, city councils, environmental agencies, and consulting firms requiring batch/frequent testing and reagents in large quantities.
• Public Aquaria Stocking Solutions Complete initial stocking service for large public aquaria, providing corals, invertebrates, small and large fish, sharks, rays, and substrates with large-scale shipment capabilities including exclusively chartered Boeing 747 aircraft, accompanied by comprehensive after-sales support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three generations of experience in marine animal husbandry ensures well-fed, healthy specimens
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)coreOthersCairns Marine operates under permits from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and relevant government agencies. This regulatory relationship ensures all collection activities are conducted within managed, sustainable guidelines of the world's most managed reef system.
• World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWAZA membership provides Cairns Marine with international recognition and alignment with global aquarium conservation standards. The relationship supports public aquarium customers in meeting their conservation and education objectives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• LiveAquaria: US-based online retailer of marine and freshwater livestock and aquarium supplies, sourcing from multiple wholesalers including international suppliers. A downstream customer/competitor to Cairns Marine in the hobbyist channel.
• Oceans, Reefs and Aquariums (ORA): Leading US-based captive breeder of marine ornamentals including clownfish, gobies and corals. Competes in the same end markets (retail and public aquaria) but via aquaculture rather than wild collection, increasingly substituting for wild-caught species.
• Sustainable Aquatics: US captive-bred marine fish producer (notably clownfish and dottybacks) supplying retailers and wholesalers. Represents the captive-breeding alternative to wild-collected stock that Cairns Marine competes against on commoditised species.

Direct peers

• Quality Marine: One of the largest US-based wholesale suppliers of marine aquarium livestock to retailers and public aquaria. Direct competitor in the international wholesale marine livestock channel with overlapping customer base in public aquariums.
• Blue Zoo Aquatics: US marine livestock wholesaler distributing sustainably collected and captive-bred fish, corals and invertebrates to retailers and public aquaria. Closely overlaps Cairns Marine on species catalog and wholesale distribution model.

Regional players

• Aquarium Glaser: German wholesaler specialising in rare and wild-collected freshwater and marine species, exporting globally to retailers and public aquaria. Comparable in species variety and wholesale channel but primarily serves the European market.
• Tropical Marine Centre: UK-based wholesaler and retailer of marine and tropical livestock, with strong institutional and hobbyist channels in Europe. Overlaps with Cairns Marine on international wholesale of marine livestock but is regionally focused on Europe.
• DeJong Marinelife: Major European marine livestock wholesaler serving retailers and public aquaria across the EU. Comparable in species breadth and B2B focus, but operates in a different geography from Cairns Marine's Indo-Pacific sourcing base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cairnsmarine
• Facebookfacebook.com/cairnsmarine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cairns-marine-pty-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cairns Marine