Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System

Name

Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System

Legal name

Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System Regional Association (GCOOS-RA)

Website

https://gcoos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Observing Data Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Monitoring, Data & Reporting (Air/Water/Soil) (BPAIAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data Management, LIMS & Compliance Software (ELN, eDMS, reporting automation) (EUANAJAE), Climate & Emissions Data Management (Data Lake, Integration, APIs) (EUABAEAC)

Keywords

• Ocean observing systems
• Coastal data portal
• Marine data aggregation
• Harmful algal bloom monitoring
• Ocean monitoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

College Station

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Grants (U.S. IOOS/NOAA): The majority of GCOOS-RA funding is competitively awarded through the U.S. IOOS office under NOAA via multi-year grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts. This is the primary funding source supporting operations and sub-awards to Principal Investigators.
2. Agency and Foundation Grants: GCOOS actively seeks revenue sources that supplement federal IOOS funding to bolster ocean observing capabilities and develop tools and products needed by constituents. Includes grants from other federal agencies and private foundations.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations, including through the Matt Howard Scholarship Fund, to support fellowship programs and organizational activities.
4. Data Partner Contributions: Academic, governmental, and nonprofit entities contribute data to the GCOOS data portal with minimal funding support from the organization. Most observations are supported by government agencies or private sector to meet their own requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GCOOS operates the only NOAA-certified comprehensive data collection and dissemination system for the Gulf of America's coastal and ocean waters. The organization aggregates real-time oceanographic, meteorological, biogeochemical, biological, and bathymetric data from nearly 2,000 sensors deployed by federal, state, and private partners through the GCOOS Data Portal, making standardized, quality-assured data freely available to researchers, government agencies, industry, emergency responders, and the public.

Product overview

GCOOS is a comprehensive ocean observing system that operates as a platform-plus-network architecture for the Gulf of America. The core offering is the GCOOS Data Portal, which aggregates and disseminates data from nearly 2,000 sensors deployed by federal, state, and private partners. This platform is supported by specialized sub-products including the CETACEAN Data Portal for marine mammal data, the Sea Turtle Atlas for sea turtle tracking, the GANDALF Uncrewed Systems Portal for autonomous vehicle data, the HABscope Network for harmful algal bloom monitoring, and the Texas Automated Buoy System (TABS) for real-time ocean observations. Additional products include the GCAN (Gulf of America Coastal Acidification Network) for ocean acidification monitoring, the TOAST Network for harmful algal bloom prediction, and the Red Tide Respiratory Forecast for public health protection. Data access is provided through ERDDAP Service, HTTP Data Request, and Web-Accessible Folder systems. The organization focuses on five key areas: Marine Operations, Coastal Hazards, Healthy Ecosystems & Living Resources, Human Health & Safety, and Long-Term Environmental Variability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GCAN: Gulf of America Coastal Acidification Network - a network hosted by GCOOS that works with scientists, resource managers, stakeholders and educators to facilitate, synthesize and communicate the state of coastal and ocean acidification science in the Gulf region.

Products and services

• GCOOS Data Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinates information from nearly 2,000 sensors in coastal waters to deep ocean
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NOAA provides primary funding through IOOS, conducts joint recertification of GCOOS as a Regional Coastal Observing System, and integrates GCOOS data into national weather and ocean forecasting systems through NCEI and NDBC.
• U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCOOS is one of 11 regional associations that partner with U.S. IOOS, a federal, regional, private-sector partnership committed to tracking, predicting, managing, and adapting to changes in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes environments. The majority of GCOOS funding comes through U.S. IOOS via NOAA via multi-year grants and cooperative agreements.
• Texas A&M UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCOOS is hosted at TAMU Department of Oceanography. Multiple TAMU departments and institutes (Harte Research Institute, GERG, Geospatial Sciences) contribute PIs and data through the GCOOS portal.
• University of Southern MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSM directs the Central Gulf of Mexico Ocean Observing System and hosts HF Radar networks and glider operations contributing to GCOOS data infrastructure.
• Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLUMCON operates environmental monitoring stations collecting real-time meteorological and hydrographic data since 2000, providing critical data to the Gulf Coast community through GCOOS.
• Dauphin Island Sea LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Alabama's Real-Time Coastal Observing System (ARCOS) providing important meteorological and hydrographic data for Mobile Bay and surrounding Gulf waters.
• Mote Marine LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes to harmful algal bloom research, ocean acidification monitoring, and ocean technology development. Dr. Emily Hall serves on the GCOOS Board.
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSGS provides ocean acidification monitoring data, water quality data, and coastal science expertise. Dr. Kimberly Yates (USGS, retired) serves as GCOOS Board Chair.
• NOAA National Data Buoy CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationGCOOS and industry partners send real-time Gulf current data to NOAA-NDBC for integration into national ocean observation systems.
• Kongsberg DiscoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSales Manager Nick Gagliano serves on GCOOS Board; provides autonomous vehicle technology for ocean mapping and environmental observing.
• FugrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides HF radar maintenance and metocean data services. Ben Williams (Metocean Service Line Director) is a GCOOS PI.
• Woods Hole GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Rafael Ramos, Senior Oceanographer, serves on GCOOS Board and contributes metocean expertise and Loop Current monitoring.
• Shell Global SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Sergio Jaramillo (Senior Metocean Engineer) serves on GCOOS Board. Shell participates in Joint Industry Projects for Loop Current characterization.
• BPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Driver (retired BP) serves on GCOOS Board and has been active since 2012. BP and industry routinely send real-time GoM current data to NOAA-NDBC.
• University of Miami Rosenstiel SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Nick Shay directs Upper Ocean Dynamics Laboratory; developed ocean heat content monitoring for tropical cyclone intensity forecasting now operational at NOAA NESDIS.
• University of South FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple PIs contributing to harmful algal bloom monitoring, optical oceanography, satellite remote sensing, and maritime studies. Dr. Chuanmin Hu directs USF Optical Oceanography Lab.
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kate Hubbard leads harmful algal bloom monitoring and research program; directs FWC's Center for Red Tide Research. Serves on GCOOS Board.
• Gulf Reach InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Suraida Nañez-James serves on GCOOS Board as Vice Chair; focuses on youth education and underrepresented communities.
• Gulf of America AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCOOS and Gulf of America Alliance signed new collaboration agreement in May 2025 to advance shared objectives for the Gulf region.
• NOAA Ocean Acidification Program (OAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCAN (hosted by GCOOS) collaborates with NOAA OAP and other federal resource managers on ocean acidification monitoring and research.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GCOOS1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLIjMeR9opm2f6S7uAJWLlQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCOOS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gcoos
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcoos_1

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System