Applied Ocean Sciences
Applied Ocean Sciences delivers oceanographic research, acoustic modeling, and environmental monitoring hardware (BOREALIS acoustic sensor and HUMPBAC microplastics detector) primarily to U.S. federal agencies, with secondary sales to research institutions and water utilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersFairfax Station, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Applied Ocean Sciences does
Applied Ocean Sciences (AOS), founded in 2019 by Dr. Kevin Heaney and Dr. Chris Verlinden and headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is an employee-owned oceanography firm that delivers scientific research, modeling, and tool development for ocean physics, with emphasis on underwater acoustics, physical oceanography, marine biology, and atmospheric science. The company's differentiating technological claim is its proprietary parabolic equation-based acoustic propagation modeling, described as among the fastest and highest-fidelity simulations in the world, supporting defense surveillance, environmental noise characterization, and marine mammal research. The team combines academic training from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, MIT/WHOI, and the U.S. Coast Guard with prior tenure at SAIC, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon BBN, and NATO research centers.
The company operates two commercial hardware products alongside its research services. BOREALIS (Bristlemouth Open Recorder and Edge-processor for Acoustic Low-power Information Systems) is a low-power (~40mW) passive acoustic monitoring and edge-processing device priced at $4,000 and compatible with the Bristlemouth open-standard marine ecosystem for marine mammal monitoring, wind farm assessment, fisheries management, and homeland security. HUMPBAC (Hyperspectral Ultrasonic MicroPlastic Bulk Acoustic Characterization) is a patent-pending ultrasonic flow-through microplastics sensor priced at $4,200 that detects particles down to 5 micrometers, reducing per-sample costs by roughly 90% and measurement times from hours or days to minutes versus FTIR/Raman methods.
AOS makes money primarily through U.S. federal government contracts and SBIR awards. Disclosed funding mix is 71% U.S. Navy, 24% other federal agencies, 3% NGOs, and 2% private industry, with 30+ SBIR and contract awards across acoustics (14 contracts), applied research and modeling (10), conservation and climate change (6), security (5), noise propagation (3), and microplastics (1). Primary agency partners include the Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory, NOAA, DARPA, and BOEM; academic partners include Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Southern California, and Georgia Tech. In January 2026, AOS merged with Entanglement, Inc. to form Maritech Intelligence Systems, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary, extending the business into AI-powered maritime intelligence products MIST and MADEN.
Applied Ocean Sciences firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Applied Ocean Sciences
- Legal name
- Applied Ocean Sciences
- Website
- https://appliedoceansciences.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Applied Ocean Sciences delivers oceanographic research, acoustic modeling, and environmental monitoring hardware (BOREALIS acoustic sensor and HUMPBAC microplastics detector) primarily to U.S. federal agencies, with secondary sales to research institutions and water utilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Applied Ocean Sciences industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oceanographic research and marine sensor development
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Engineering & Simulation (CFD/FEA, Digital Twins, Model-Based Engineering) (IMAJAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Automation, Controls & Instrumentation Engineering (IAS, PMS, Control Logic) (IMAJAGAG), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)
Keywords
Where Applied Ocean Sciences is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fairfax Station
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Applied Ocean Sciences business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Contracts: Primary revenue stream from federal government contracts including Navy, DARPA, Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory, and NOAA. Funding breakdown: 71% Navy, 24% Government Agencies.
- Product Sales: Direct sales of hardware products including BOREALIS at $4,000 and HUMPBAC at $4,200 through e-commerce platform
- Research and Development Services: Expert scientific research, support, and tool development services for ocean science applications in acoustics, physical oceanography, and marine biology
- Grants: Multiple SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants including Phase I and Phase II awards across various focus areas including Security, Acoustics, Applied Research and Modeling, Noise Propagation, Conservation and Climate Change, and Microplastics
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | BOREALIS passive acoustic monitoring system |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | HUMPBAC microplastics sensor |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Interior Design service |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Project Planning service |
| One time/ perpetual license | One time/ perpetual license | Project Management service |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Applied Ocean Sciences product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Applied Ocean Sciences provides expert scientific research, support, and tool development in ocean science, with an emphasis on acoustics, physical oceanography, and marine biology. The company sells two hardware products—BOREALIS, a low-power passive acoustic monitoring and edge processing device priced at $4,000, and HUMPBAC, the first real-time ultrasonic flow-through microplastics sensor priced at $4,200—and delivers consulting and research services to government, non-profit, and commercial customers using proprietary high-performance oceanographic computer models.
Product overview
Applied Ocean Sciences provides expert scientific research, support, and tool development in ocean science with an emphasis on acoustics, physical oceanography, and marine biology. The company operates two core commercial products: BOREALIS, a passive acoustic monitoring device for marine applications that integrates with the Bristlemouth ecosystem, and HUMPBAC, an ultrasonic microplastics sensor enabling real-time detection. Beyond products, AOS offers consulting and research services to government, non-profit, and for-profit customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- BOREALIS (Bristlemouth Open Recorder & Edge-processor for Acoustic Low-power Information Systems) Low-power passive acoustic monitoring device with onboard edge processing, designed for marine applications. Offers approximately 40mW power consumption, 100m depth rating, 24-bit digitization, 1TB storage, and plug-and-play integration with the Bristlemouth ecosystem. Targets researchers, environmental agencies, and homeland security customers conducting marine mammal, wind farm, fisheries, and environmental assessments.
- HUMPBAC (Hyperspectral Ultrasonic MicroPlastic Bulk Acoustic Characterization) Sensor First real-time, flow-through ultrasonic sensor for detecting and characterizing microplastics in water samples down to 5 micrometers. Reduces microplastics sampling time from hours or days to minutes and cuts cost by approximately 90% versus traditional FTIR/Raman methods. Available for $4,200 per unit, with applications in drinking water monitoring, catchment-to-outfall tracking, oceanographic research, human health impacts, and food/agricultural testing.
- Ocean Science Research and Tool Development Services Expert scientific research, consulting, and tool development in ocean acoustics, physical oceanography, and marine biology, delivered to government, non-profit, and for-profit customers. Includes tailored ocean acoustic modeling, environmental characterization, microplastics detection engineering, and atmospheric/maritime visibility analysis. Backed by 30+ successfully executed projects and 30+ SBIR and government contract awards.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% cost reduction for microplastics sampling compared to traditional FTIR/Raman methods ($1000-3000 per sample reduced significantly)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Applied Ocean Sciences
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Applied Ocean Sciences technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
Applied Ocean Sciences partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bristlemouth EcosystemcoreBOREALIS is fully compatible with the Bristlemouth ecosystem, an open standard delivering plug-and-play hardware interfaces for marine applications. This enables effortless upgrades, modular integrations, and future-proof scalability for evolving technologies.
- Scripps Institution of OceanographycoreAcademic research partner collaborating on ocean acoustics and microplastics research. Dr. Jennifer Brandon from Scripps is collaborating with AOS on ultrasonic plastics sensor development.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutioncoreTrusted academic partner for oceanographic research collaborations, contributing to the company's goal of making the ocean safer, cleaner, and more resilient.
- NOAAcoreGovernment agency partner for environmental science and conservation projects, including NOAA SBIR-TPO funded visibility risk assessment tool for maritime operations.
- Office of Naval ResearchcorePrimary research funding partner with 14 contracts and multiple SBIR Phase I/II awards for acoustics research.
- U.S. Naval Research LaboratorycoreDefense research laboratory partner for applied research and modeling projects.
- Walter Munk FoundationminorOcean science research foundation supporting oceanographic research initiatives.
- BOEMcoreBureau of Ocean Energy Management partner for noise propagation and environmental impact studies.
- EsricoreLeading GIS mapping software provider. AOS wrote a chapter on Ocean Acoustics in Volume 3 of the GIS for Science book from Esri titled 'Maps for Saving the Planet'.
- University of New HampshireminorAcademic research partner in ocean science and technology development.
- University of Southern CaliforniaminorAcademic partner for oceanographic research and development.
- Georgia TechminorAcademic research partner in engineering and ocean science.
- SCCWRPminorSouthern California Coastal Water Research Project - partner for microplastics sensor development and environmental monitoring research.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Applied Ocean Sciences competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- JASCO Applied Sciences: Mid-sized underwater acoustics and ocean science consulting firm doing exactly what AOS does - acoustic propagation modeling, marine mammal monitoring, and noise-impact studies for government and energy clients - making it the closest comparable in scale and offering.
- Greeneridge Sciences: Small ocean acoustic sensing and consulting firm with multi-channel acoustic recorders and navy/research customer base; structurally analogous to AOS in product (acoustic hardware) plus services mix for defense and environmental clients.
- Ocean Sonics: Specialist in passive acoustic monitoring hardware (icListen line) for marine mammal and environmental monitoring - a near-direct competitor to AOS' BOREALIS product targeting the same scientific and defense buyers.
- Marine Acoustics Inc. Underwater acoustics research and engineering services firm serving U.S. Navy and offshore energy clients with similar modeling and monitoring work to AOS, comparable in niche depth and customer overlap.
- Sound Metrics Corporation: Specialist in high-resolution underwater acoustic imaging sonar for defense, marine biology, and offshore inspection markets - overlapping core competency in applied underwater acoustics with AOS.
Broad incumbents
- Sonardyne: Established manufacturer of underwater acoustic positioning, navigation, and monitoring instruments serving defense, energy, and science markets; competes with BOREALIS at the upper end of the marine acoustic sensing market.
- Kongsberg Discovery: Large marine instrumentation division offering sonar, acoustic modems, and oceanographic sensors - a broad incumbent whose products overlap with BOREALIS and HUMPBAC across science, defense, and offshore applications.
- Teledyne Marine: Diversified oceanographic instrument portfolio (sonar, ADCPs, sensors) from a large parent serving the same scientific and defense customers, serving as a benchmark for how marine sensing businesses scale.
- Exail: Marine autonomy and oceanographic instrumentation company (formerly iXblue) producing acoustic positioning, INS, and ocean sensors used by defense and research clients adjacent to AOS' markets.
Emerging players
- Saildrone: Autonomous unmanned surface vehicle operator collecting ocean and atmospheric data for science and defense customers - adjacent peer pursuing AI-enabled maritime intelligence through a different platform model than AOS' sensor-and-model approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Applied Ocean Sciences social profiles
Digital presenceApplied Ocean Sciences financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Applied Ocean Sciences leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Applied Ocean Sciences subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Applied Ocean Sciences funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Applied Ocean Sciences M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Applied Ocean Sciences
What does Applied Ocean Sciences do?
Applied Ocean Sciences provides expert scientific research, support, and tool development in ocean science, with an emphasis on acoustics, physical oceanography, and marine biology. The company sells two hardware products—BOREALIS, a low-power passive acoustic monitoring and edge processing device priced at $4,000, and HUMPBAC, the first real-time ultrasonic flow-through microplastics sensor priced at $4,200—and delivers consulting and research services to government, non-profit, and commercial customers using proprietary high-performance oceanographic computer models.
Is Applied Ocean Sciences a public or private company?
Applied Ocean Sciences is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Applied Ocean Sciences founded?
Applied Ocean Sciences was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Applied Ocean Sciences based?
Applied Ocean Sciences is headquartered in Fairfax Station, United States, in the North America region.
How does Applied Ocean Sciences make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are product Sales, research and Development Services and grants.
Who are Applied Ocean Sciences's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are JASCO Applied Sciences, Greeneridge Sciences, Ocean Sonics, Marine Acoustics Inc. and Sound Metrics Corporation. Broad incumbents are Sonardyne, Kongsberg Discovery, Teledyne Marine and Exail. Saildrone is listed as an emerging player.
Does Applied Ocean Sciences have an API?
No public API is recorded for Applied Ocean Sciences.
What industry is Applied Ocean Sciences in?
Applied Ocean Sciences's product category is Oceanographic research and marine sensor development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAGAL, Digital Engineering & Simulation (CFD/FEA, Digital Twins, Model-Based Engineering), with a secondary code of IMAJAGAG, Automation, Controls & Instrumentation Engineering (IAS, PMS, Control Logic). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 8731.