Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium
Also known as Dauphin Island Sea Lab
Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium reported $33.6 million in revenue and $31.8 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $89.58 went to program services, $10.42 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 89.7% of the total. Government grants made up 48.6%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $252,274 (Executive Director). 10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 95% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $32MFor context, the median across 192 covered science & technology charities: $84.33 programs, $15.67 management, $0.00 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $34M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$41.03 $14M
- Government grants$48.52 $16M
- Program service revenue$8.83 $3.0M
- Investment income$1.62 $546K
Other revenue was negative: −$41,477. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 89.6% | 83.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 10.4% | 15.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 89.7% | 51.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 48.6% | 3.2% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 8.8% | 19.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $252,274 | $513,729 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.79% | 1.72% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 10 | 27 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 10.1 | 14.7 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 5 of 5 | 94.3% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseUniversity Programs-support both graduate and undergraduate degrees of the 22 member institutions. Students utilize resources at MESC as an integral part of their education (300 students per year)
Discovery Hall Program-Intended to increase understanding and appreciation for science and the marine environment by directly involving participants in the environment with dynamic, hands on activities, k-12 students, teacher training and enhancement programs (10,000 students per year)
Research-faculty conduct research in disciplines ranging from biochemistry to paleobiology. Mobile Bay is the overwhelmingly dominant natural feature of the Alabama coast and MESC has concentrated its efforts on the Bay - although research is carried out as far as Antarctica (100 projects)
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Director Officer, key employee, highest compensated employee, 40 hrs/week | $252,274 | $0 | $0 | $252,274 |
| Deputy Director Officer, key employee, 40 hrs/week | $200,704 | $0 | $0 | $200,704 |
| Chair, University Programs Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $171,663 | $0 | $0 | $171,663 |
| Sr. Marine Scientist III Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $149,713 | $0 | $0 | $149,713 |
| Sr Marine Scientist Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $136,595 | $0 | $0 | $136,595 |
| Director of MBNEP Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $135,673 | $0 | $0 | $135,673 |
| Data Manager Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $131,955 | $0 | $0 | $131,955 |
| Chair Discovery Hall Programs Key employee, 40 hrs/week | $123,751 | $0 | $0 | $123,751 |
10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.5M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b5 · 5 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5175
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium totaling $8,500 on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium spent in FY2025, $89.58 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Florida Institute for Human and Machine CognitionPensacola, FL · revenue $33M · programs 75.7% · FY2025
- Virginia Innovation Partnership CorporationHerndon, VA · revenue $34M · programs 78.3% · FY2025
- Ninetwelve InstituteZionsville, IN · revenue $33M · programs 98.8% · 2024
- Mozilla FoundationSan Francisco, CA · revenue $37M · programs 66.4% · 2024
- Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing InstitutePittsburgh, PA · revenue $32M · programs 84.1% · FY2025
All science & technology charities · Largest charities in Alabama
Questions people ask
How much of Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium reported that 89.6% of its $31.8 million in expenses went to program services, 10.4% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $252,274, for the role of Executive Director (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium get its money?
Of $33.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 89.7% came from contributions and grants (including 48.6% from government grants) and 8.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 63-0779657 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202622249349302672 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202502259349302965 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202442289349302339 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202342229349301744 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202242249349301774 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202122259349302607 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 63-0779657: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.