Sea Technology

What Sea Technology does

Sea Technology was a monthly B2B trade magazine covering marine and ocean technology, founded in 1963 and published by Compass Publications, Inc. Its core product was a monthly print and digital magazine distributed to marine industry professionals (scientists, engineers, executives, and technical personnel in government, industry, and academia) across 110+ countries, supplemented by a Buyers Guide directory, blog, online features, digital archives (2018-2025), and a bi-weekly Sea Tech e-News newsletter.

The publication's technology stack was a conventional digital publishing platform: a WordPress-based website (sea-technology.com), online article archives organized by year, and a third-party digital edition viewer (mydigitalpublication.com). Editorial departments covered ocean research, offshore oil and ocean engineering, marine electronics, marine renewables, undersea defense (Navy Currents), environmental monitoring, and international marine activity. The publication won the Jesse H. Neal Award for Editorial Excellence, the only marine industry magazine to receive this recognition.

Revenue was generated through two streams: recurring magazine subscriptions (print and digital access) and advertising sold to marine equipment and service providers. GTM was sales-led with a subscription-based B2B model, supplemented by editorial awards and brand authority as primary differentiators. The company was family-owned (publishers Charles H. and C. Amos Bussmann) with 11-50 employees. On October 10, 2025, the publishers announced permanent cessation of publication effective October 15, 2025, after 62+ years; the website is scheduled to remain live for archive access until October 2026.

Name

Sea Technology

Legal name

Sea Technology magazine

Website

https://sea-technology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sea Technology was a monthly B2B trade magazine serving marine and ocean industry professionals across 110+ countries, published by Compass Publications, Inc. from 1963 until ceasing publication on October 15, 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Monthly magazine subscription model serving the marine industry's decision-makers, scientists, engineers, and technical personnel. Subscriptions provide access to print and digital editions.
2. Advertising: The magazine serves as an advertising platform for marine equipment and service providers, offering visibility to a targeted global audience of industry professionals in 110+ countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sea Technology publishes a monthly B2B trade magazine covering ocean design, engineering, and application of equipment and services for the global marine/ocean industry. The publication is distributed in print and digital editions to more than 110 countries, supplemented by a Buyers Guide directory, online features, digital archives, and a bi-weekly e-News newsletter. The Compass Publications Fisheries Division extends coverage to commercial fisheries and aquaculture.

Product overview

Sea Technology operates primarily as a monthly magazine and online publication serving the global ocean/marine industry since 1963. The core product is Sea Technology Magazine, supplemented by a Buyers Guide directory, a Blog section for industry news, and Online Features with extended editorial content. The publication maintains Digital Archives accessible via the website and offers a bi-weekly newsletter (Sea Technology e-News). The company is operated by Compass Publications, Inc., which also maintains a Fisheries Division covering Commercial Fisheries News, Fish Farming News, and the Commercial Marine Directory. The company announced it will cease publication permanently on October 15, 2025, with the website remaining live until October 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Technology Magazine Monthly B2B trade magazine covering ocean design, engineering, and application of equipment and services for the global marine/ocean industry; distributed in print and digital editions to subscribers in more than 110 countries.
• Sea Technology Buyers Guide Online directory listing marine technology products and services, allowing buyers in the marine industry to find suppliers across multiple categories.
• Sea Technology e-News Bi-weekly email newsletter delivering marine technology news and industry updates to subscribers.
• Compass Publications Fisheries Division Division of Compass Publications covering commercial fisheries and aquaculture, including Commercial Fisheries News, Fish Farming News, and the Commercial Marine Directory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Distributed in 110+ countries with monthly publication frequency

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Ocean News & Technology: Trade publication covering ocean science, subsea technology and marine operations, with overlapping editorial scope and B2B advertising model.
• Maritime Reporter & Engineering News: Long-running monthly B2B trade magazine covering the global maritime and marine engineering industry with subscription and advertising revenue models closely aligned to Sea Technology.
• Marine Technology Magazine: Trade publication covering ocean technology, marine electronics, subsea engineering and offshore operations, serving a substantially overlapping audience with Sea Technology.
• MarineLog: B2B magazine and digital platform covering commercial marine, shipbuilding and vessel operations, competing for similar advertising dollars from marine industry vendors.
• WorkBoat Magazine: Trade publication focused on commercial workboats, inland and coastal marine operations, with subscription and advertising economics comparable to Sea Technology.
• Hydro International: Trade magazine covering hydrography, ocean surveying and marine measurement technology, with overlapping editorial focus on marine instrumentation and subsea technology.
• Offshore Engineer: B2B publication covering offshore oil & gas, offshore wind and ocean engineering, targeting a substantially overlapping advertiser base in marine equipment and services.

Emerging players

• The Maritime Executive: Digital-first marine industry news platform competing for the same reader and advertiser audience but with a primarily online distribution model rather than monthly print.

Regional players

• Maritime Journal (UK): UK-based B2B marine trade magazine serving the European maritime market with comparable subscription and advertising economics but primarily regional geographic scope.

Others

• National Fisherman: Trade publication serving the U.S. commercial fishing industry, owned by the same parent entity (Compass Publications / Active Interest Media) as Sea Technology, sharing editorial infrastructure and revenue model.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seatechnology
• Facebookfacebook.com/seatechnologymag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sea-technology-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sea Technology