FACT Network
FACT Network is an acoustic telemetry network operated under SECOORA, the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. It provides collaborative marine animal tracking infrastructure using 2,600+ underwater acoustic receivers across the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas, serving academic researchers and conservation organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersCharleston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FACT Network does
FACT Network is a regional acoustic telemetry network operated under SECOORA (Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, that was established in 2011 as part of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). The network uses underwater acoustic receivers deployed as listening stations along the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas, logging tag ID, date, and time when tagged marine animals swim within roughly 100 to 200 meters of a station. With more than 2,600 receiver stations operated across partner institutions, FACT serves as the regional gateway for the national Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) and contributes data to the BioTrack initiative, which aggregates acoustic and satellite telemetry from more than 3,000 tagged animals representing over 60 species to map marine biodiversity hotspots.
The underlying platform is built around acoustic telemetry integrated with satellite telemetry and satellite-derived environmental data (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll-a, sea surface height, salinity). Each acoustic tag supports movement studies of up to approximately four years per deployment, and tagged animals can be tracked continuously as they move across institutional boundaries through the collaborative receiver array. Beyond the FACT Network, SECOORA operates complementary observation systems including the High Frequency Radar Network (16 units), a regional glider fleet, in-situ buoys and coastal stations, the Southeast Water Level Network (more than 200 sensors), and the WebCOOS webcam network, all feeding into the SECOORA Data Portal and downstream products such as the Eyes on the Storm hurricane tracker and Marine Weather Portal.
SECOORA's business model is nonprofit grant-funded rather than commercial; no pricing is disclosed, and the organization coordinates with more than 22 partner institutions from academia, federal and state government, and the private sector. The primary funding source is a five-year cooperative agreement with U.S. IOOS through NOAA, with the first-year award of $4.55 million executed in October 2021, supplemented by additional targeted grants such as the $1.1 million WebCOOS award in August 2020 and partner pass-through funding. Customers are marine research institutions, universities, and wildlife conservation organizations that participate in the network as data contributors and infrastructure operators rather than as paying end users, with FAU Harbor Branch's Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab serving as a core contributor managing 19 receiver stations in the Indian River Lagoon.
FACT Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FACT Network
- Legal name
- Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association
- Website
- https://secoora.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- FACT Network is an acoustic telemetry network operated under SECOORA, the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association. It provides collaborative marine animal tracking infrastructure using 2,600+ underwater acoustic receivers across the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas, serving academic researchers and conservation organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FACT Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Research Data Infrastructure
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)
Keywords
Where FACT Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charleston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
FACT Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
FACT Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry (FACT) Network is a collaborative acoustic telemetry network of underwater acoustic receivers used as 'listening stations' to detect tagged marine animals swimming within approximately 330 to 650 feet (100 to 200 meters). The network spans the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas with more than 2,600 receiver stations, enabling cross-institutional tracking of species such as bull sharks, sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, and whitespotted eagle rays. It serves as the regional gateway for the national Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) and contributes data to the BioTrack initiative that maps and predicts marine biodiversity hotspots.
Product overview
SECOORA operates as the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association, providing a unified coastal ocean observing platform that integrates multiple observation systems and data products. The core Data Portal aggregates data from observation systems including the WebCOOS webcam network, High Frequency Radar, Glider Observatory, Buoys and Coastal Stations, Southeast Water Level Network, and the FACT Network acoustic telemetry system. These observation systems feed into products like the Eyes on the Storm hurricane tracking portal and Marine Weather Portal. SECOORA also supports the ocean science community through programs like the Data Challenge and Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholars Award. The organization functions as part of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WebCOOS: Webcam Coastal Observation System - a network of low-cost webcams for coastal monitoring, beach safety, flood monitoring, and environmental research.
- Southeast Water Level Network
Products and services
- FACT Network (Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry Network)
Quantifiable outcome
- Animals tagged in local areas can still be tracked as they migrate through collaborative acoustic receiver network across Atlantic coast
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use FACT Network
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FACT Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature4 records
FACT Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic InstitutecoreFAU Harbor Branch's Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab contributes tracking data to FACT Network. Dr. Matt Ajemian's lab has tagged hundreds of marine animals in Florida's Indian River Lagoon and shares data through the network. The lab manages 19 acoustic receiver stations in the region.
- Animal Telemetry Network (ATN)coreFACT Network serves as the regional gateway for the national Animal Telemetry Network, integrating regional acoustic tracking data into the national ocean observation system coordinated by NOAA.
- BioTrack Initiative / Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON)coreBioTrack is a multi-year collaborative initiative supported by US MBON and ATN that uses acoustic and satellite tracking data to map marine biodiversity hotspots. FACT Network contributes data to this initiative which already includes data from more than 3,000 tagged animals representing over 60 species.
- USF Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON)coreSupported by MBON co-organized by NOAA, NASA, BOEM, and ONR through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). MBON supports multidisciplinary approaches to studying marine biodiversity including the BioTrack initiative.
- Underwater Acoustic Receiver Network PartnerscoreNetwork of acoustic receivers distributed along the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas. Partners include multiple institutions that deploy and maintain receiver stations, enabling cross-regional tracking of tagged marine animals.
- Beneath the WavesminorNonprofit marine research organization contributing satellite and acoustic tracking data to BioTrack, including tagging projects like ocean sunfish (Mola mola) studies off Cape Cod.
- Shark Research FoundationminorLed by Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, this foundation contributes shark tracking data to BioTrack and the broader ATN network, including great white shark tagging projects.
- Mote Marine LaboratoryminorPartnered with FAU Harbor Branch to modify CATS Cam biologging packages for specific species like whitespotted eagle rays.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionminorCollaborated with FAU Harbor Branch on developing customized biologging equipment for marine species tracking.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FACT Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Northeast Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS): One of the 11 U.S. IOOS regional associations, serving the Northeast U.S. with comparable coastal observing infrastructure (buoys, gliders, HF radar, water level). NERACOOS operates under the same federal IOOS funding structure and governance model as SECOORA/FACT, making it a direct structural peer.
- Animal Telemetry Network (ATN): NOAA-coordinated national network of acoustic telemetry infrastructure of which FACT is the Southeast regional gateway. ATN is the umbrella peer: same technology (acoustic receivers), same federal parent (NOAA), and overlapping partner institutions.
- Ocean Tracking Network (OTN): Global acoustic telemetry network deploying acoustic receivers worldwide to track tagged marine animals. OTN is the closest functional analog to FACT: similar technology stack (acoustic receivers listening for tagged species), comparable mission (multi-species marine animal tracking), and similar academic/government partnership model.
- Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS): Another IOOS regional association providing coastal ocean observations in Alaska. AOOS shares the same 501(c)(3) nonprofit model, IOOS funding mechanism, and multi-institutional coordination structure as SECOORA, differing mainly by geography.
- Pacific Northwest IOOS (NANOOS): IOOS regional association for the Pacific Northwest, with comparable observing infrastructure and the same federal IOOS cooperative-agreement model. Operates the same nonprofit, multi-partner structure as SECOORA.
- Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS): IOOS regional association serving the Caribbean/Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands, including portions that overlap with FACT's Bahamas-to-Carolinas coverage. Shares IOOS funding model and multi-institution observing platform structure.
Broad incumbents
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): NOAA is FACT's principal funder and the parent agency of the IOOS/ATN/MBON programs FACT participates in. While not a direct competitor, NOAA's strategic priorities set the demand curve for acoustic telemetry, ocean biodiversity observation, and coastal resilience infrastructure that defines FACT's addressable funding.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI): Major ocean research institution that has collaborated with FAU Harbor Branch on biologging equipment development and contributes biological tracking data through FACT/BioTrack. WHOI is a broad incumbent in marine science that overlaps with FACT's animal-tracking domain while operating a much larger research portfolio.
Emerging players
- Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON): U.S. MBON is a strategic partner that aggregates biodiversity data including through the BioTrack initiative, which FACT feeds into. While MBON is more thematic/programmatic than infrastructure-owning, it competes for the same federal biodiversity-observing dollars and has substantial mission overlap.
Regional players
- Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, Australia): Australia's national ocean observing program, which includes an animal tracking facility with acoustic telemetry infrastructure analogous to FACT. Highly comparable technology and mission, but operates in a different geography and under different funding arrangements.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FACT Network social profiles
Digital presenceFACT Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FACT Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
FACT Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FACT Network 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 FACT Network
What does FACT Network do?
The Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry (FACT) Network is a collaborative acoustic telemetry network of underwater acoustic receivers used as 'listening stations' to detect tagged marine animals swimming within approximately 330 to 650 feet (100 to 200 meters). The network spans the Atlantic coast from the Bahamas to the Carolinas with more than 2,600 receiver stations, enabling cross-institutional tracking of species such as bull sharks, sea turtles, smalltooth sawfish, and whitespotted eagle rays. It serves as the regional gateway for the national Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) and contributes data to the BioTrack initiative that maps and predicts marine biodiversity hotspots.
Is FACT Network a public or private company?
FACT Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FACT Network founded?
FACT Network was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is FACT Network based?
FACT Network is headquartered in Charleston, United States, in the North America region.
Who are FACT Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Northeast Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), Animal Telemetry Network (ATN), Ocean Tracking Network (OTN), Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), Pacific Northwest IOOS (NANOOS) and Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS). Broad incumbents are National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) is listed as an emerging player. Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, Australia) is listed as a regional player.
Does FACT Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for FACT Network.
What industry is FACT Network in?
FACT Network's product category is Marine Research Data Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAH, Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks).