our services
who we serve
Our clients are researchers, nonprofits, agencies, community groups, and other coastal stewards who have meaningful work to do on the water but don't necessarily have the budget, vessel access, or boating experience to make it happen on a large scale.
They may be running a small monitoring project, testing an unconventional research idea, or simply need a reliable way to get themselves and their gear where they need to go.
They want to be taken seriously regardless of the size of their project or budget, and to work with a capable, supportive crew that understands fieldwork and puts safety first.
our services
Ecological Field Services
MendoNoma Marine provides science-driven consulting and ecological field support rooted in real coastal field experience. We specialize in adaptable, place-based fieldwork that requires practical problem solving, good judgment, scientific integrity, and people who actually like being outside in bad weather.
From long-term monitoring to scrappy research projects powered mostly by tide charts and optimism, we help partners collect meaningful, high-quality data safely and efficiently
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Our work can include demographic and population surveys for marine mammals and seabirds; shore-, vessel-, aerial-, and drone-supported wildlife monitoring; seabird, shorebird, and songbird surveys; herpetofauna surveys (including red-legged frog surveys in many coastal counties); habitat assessments; behavioral observations; GPS-based field mapping; wildlife cameras and acoustic detectors; avian point counts; small-mammal trapping and bird-banding support alongside appropriately permitted project leads; and customized monitoring protocols. Basically, if it involves wildlife, field gear, data sheets, and getting a little cold, sandy, muddy, or salty, there's a good chance we can help.
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Researchers, agencies, nonprofits, conservation organizations, community groups, graduate students, and other project leads who need experienced biological field support, especially projects that need flexibility, practical problem-solving, and a field crew willing to say, "Yeah, we can figure that out," instead of forcing an unusual project into a standard service package.
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Our biologists work as independent contractors and set their own rates based on their experience and the needs of the project. Most charge approximately $100–150/hour.
Our current network of contract biologists happens to be entirely women, and we're proud to work with a growing network of women doing excellent field science.
Nearshore Vessel Support
MendoNoma Marine offers a field-ready nearshore research vessel supported by a uniquely qualified team with backgrounds in both professional maritime operations and marine science. Our 14.5-foot Stabicraft 1450 Frontier is a compact but exceptionally capable aluminum-hull vessel designed for stability, safety, and flexibility in dynamic coastal environments.
Small enough to launch almost anywhere. Tough enough to do real work.
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Yes, it's a small boat. That's kind of the point. The Stabicraft is essentially a floating aluminum mountain goat: compact, tough, absurdly stable for its size, and built to work in the messy, dynamic places where a lot of real coastal fieldwork happens. Its shallow draft and maneuverability make it useful around rocky shorelines, estuaries, eelgrass beds, bays, and weird little coves where bringing a large research vessel may be unnecessary, impractical, or prohibitively expensive.
Projects can include nearshore research and wildlife surveys, plankton tows, photo documentation and at-sea observations, drone-based coastal monitoring, dive support, and transporting researchers, artists, engineers, field crews, equipment, and supplies to hard-to-reach places. We especially love graduate-student projects, scrappy research budgets, fast-moving fieldwork, collaborat
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Scientists, graduate students, nonprofits, agencies, divers, artists, engineers, photographers, conservation organizations, and field teams who need practical nearshore access without paying for far more boat than their project actually requires. No mariner experience required. We'll help you understand what to bring, what to expect, and how the day will work.
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Our standard vessel rate is $120/hour, which includes the boat, licensed captain, fuel, and vessel parking/launch fees. Need another biologist aboard to help collect data? Boat + captain + additional field biologist is $150/hour. We tow the vessel at no additional charge between Salt Point and Sausalito; beyond that service area, towing is $1.50/mile.
We encourage you to compare our rates. Keeping vessel access affordable is quite literally why MendoNoma exists. Our goal is to keep our rates roughly 25% below comparable options so getting on the water doesn't eat your entire project budget.
Education, Outreach & Volunteer Services
We believe good conservation work is built not only on strong science, but on meaningful connections between people and place. MendoNoma Marine offers educational programming, public engagement support, and volunteer coordination designed to make coastal science more approachable, collaborative, and community-centered.
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Our work can include coastal education from first grade through college field courses; marine biology, natural history, and nearshore ecology programming; tidepool walks and beach surveys; volunteer recruitment, training, and coordination; stewardship events; community and citizen-science programs; coastal access, conservation, and policy education; presentations; and support for schools, nonprofits, agencies, researchers, and field programs.
We love working with students, community groups, volunteers, and curious people who are excited to get outside, ask questions, and get a little sandy, salty, muddy, sunburned — or all of the above. Some of the best science and stewardship starts with somebody kneeling over a tidepool saying, "Wait… what is that thing?"
Projects can include nearshore research and wildlife surveys, plankton tows, photo documentation and at-sea observations, drone-based coastal monitoring, dive support, and transporting researchers, artists, engineers, field crews, equipment, and supplies to hard-to-reach places. We especially love graduate-student projects, scrappy research budgets, fast-moving fieldwork, collaborat
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Schools, colleges, nonprofits, agencies, researchers, stewardship organizations, community-science programs, and community groups that want thoughtful, scientifically grounded education or need help building and managing meaningful volunteer experiences.
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Education and outreach services generally range from $60–85/hour depending on scope, level of preparation, and coordination required. Larger programs, recurring volunteer management, and customized educational programming are quoted by project.
how to book
Tell us about your project, hop on a quick call, put down a refundable deposit, and get on the calendar.
See our full process on the How It Works page.
FAQs
Is my project a good fit for MendoNoma Marine?
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Probably! We work with scientists, graduate students, nonprofits, agencies, artists, educators, community groups, and other coastal folks doing meaningful work in the field. We especially love small, unusual, scrappy, or highly specific projects that might not make sense for a traditional research vessel or large consulting firm. Tell us what you're trying to accomplish, where you need to do it, and what you need to bring and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right crew for it.
Do I need boating or field experience?
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Nope. You bring the project; we'll help with the boat part. We'll walk you through what to bring, what to wear, where to meet us, what conditions to expect, and anything else you need to feel prepared. There's no secret boating vocabulary test required before you climb aboard.
How can I book a trip on the water?
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You can schedule a free orientation call first to see if we are a good fit. If so, we’ll send you a booking link to schedule a time. We’ll collect a deposit and lock it in!