FACT Network

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.

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

Product category

Marine Research Data Infrastructure

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Acoustic telemetry network
• Marine animal tracking
• Ocean observation infrastructure
• Biodiversity monitoring
• Species migration research

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core 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

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAU 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationFACT 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioTrack 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported 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 PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationNetwork 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 WavesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit 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 FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed 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 LaboratoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with FAU Harbor Branch to modify CATS Cam biologging packages for specific species like whitespotted eagle rays.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with FAU Harbor Branch on developing customized biologging equipment for marine species tracking.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/FACT_Network
• Facebookfacebook.com/FACTNetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 FACT Network