Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is a non-profit research lab at UC Santa Barbara that builds AI/ML systems — including whale detection, shark monitoring, river plastic classification, and plastic pollution modeling — to inform ocean conservation. It is funded by philanthropic grants and donations and distributes its tools freely.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSanta Barbara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory does
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory (BOSL) is a non-profit research laboratory within the University of California, Santa Barbara that develops AI and machine learning systems to monitor and protect ocean health. The lab was established in 2018 with funding from the Benioff Family and The Coca-Cola Foundation, and operates with approximately 20 employees from its headquarters on the UCSB campus in Santa Barbara, California. Its mission is to develop replicable and scalable solutions to ocean health threats through the combination of science, technology, and collaboration.
BOSL's product portfolio is organized around two flagship initiatives and an underlying AI capability stack. The flagship "Whale Safe" system is an AI-powered whale detection platform that integrates acoustic baleen whale call detection (developed with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), visual detections, and habitat modeling to deliver near real-time whale and ship data to mariners; it launched as a Santa Barbara pilot in 2020 and expanded to San Francisco Bay in 2022 with a new AI thermal imaging alerting system. The second flagship, the Clean Currents Coalition, is a global network of eight partner organizations in eight countries piloting plastic capture technologies in highly-polluted rivers, supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup, TerraCycle, Ocean Conservancy, and others. Underpinning these is the "AI for Ocean" initiative, which unifies a suite of proprietary models: SharkEye (computer vision on drone video for great white shark detection), River Vision (computer vision for trash categorization on river collection devices), the Global Plastics Policy Tool (predictive modeling of plastic pollution to 2050 to inform treaty negotiations), and Spotting Giant Sea Bass (pattern-recognition on citizen-submitted diver photos).
The lab does not generate commercial revenue. Its business model is philanthropic and grant-based, with operating funding drawn from the Benioff Family, The Coca-Cola Foundation, university research infrastructure, and government partnerships with NOAA, the US Coast Guard, and the EPA. All tools are distributed as free, open-access platforms to researchers, mariners, policymakers, and the public, and the organization reaches its audiences through peer-reviewed publications, earned media coverage, and a coalition distribution model rather than traditional go-to-market sales.
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
- Legal name
- The Regents of the University of California
- Website
- https://bosl.ucsb.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is a non-profit research lab at UC Santa Barbara that builds AI/ML systems — including whale detection, shark monitoring, river plastic classification, and plastic pollution modeling — to inform ocean conservation. It is funded by philanthropic grants and donations and distributes its tools freely.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ocean Conservation Research
- NAICS
- Navigational Services to Shipping (48833)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI), Nautical Safety, Navigation Aids & Hydrographic Services (TLAHAFAE)
Keywords
Where Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Barbara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory develops AI and machine learning tools for ocean conservation, including Whale Safe (an AI-powered whale detection system combining acoustic monitoring, thermal imaging, and ship tracking to prevent ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel and San Francisco Bay), the Clean Currents Coalition (a network piloting plastic capture technologies in rivers across 8 countries), and an AI for Ocean initiative that includes SharkEye (drone-based shark detection), River Vision (computer vision for river waste), the Global Plastics Policy Tool (predictive policy modeling), and Spotting Giant Sea Bass (citizen-science pattern recognition for fish tracking).
Product overview
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is a research laboratory focused on ocean conservation using science, technology, and collaboration. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather develops individual products and initiatives addressing ocean health threats. Key offerings include Whale Safe (AI-powered whale detection system using thermal imaging and hydrophones to prevent ship strikes), Clean Currents Coalition (global network of river plastic capture interventions across eight countries), and the AI for Ocean initiative (encompassing SharkEye for shark detection, River Vision for river plastic characterization, Global Plastics Policy Tool for policy modeling, Spotting Giant Sea Bass for population tracking, and Whale Safe's detection algorithms). These products are distinct tools addressing species conservation and plastic pollution rather than a modular platform architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Whale Safe: AI-powered whale detection system that displays near real-time whale and ship data for the Santa Barbara Channel and San Francisco regions to reduce ship strike risk.
- Clean Currents Coalition
- SharkEye
- River Vision
- Global Plastics Policy Tool
- Spotting Giant Sea Bass
Products and services
- Whale Safe An AI-powered whale detection system that displays near real-time whale and ship data for the Santa Barbara Channel and San Francisco regions, integrating acoustic detections, thermal imaging, habitat model predictions, and ship tracking to give mariners and resource managers situational awareness of whale presence in busy shipping areas.
- Clean Currents Coalition A global network of eight teams in eight countries piloting plastic capture technologies in highly-polluted rivers and working to catalyze upstream changes in public policy, behavior, and waste management to prevent plastic from reaching the ocean.
- SharkEye Uses AI and drones to detect great white sharks near Carpinteria, California, identifying sharks in drone video footage and sharing detection data with community members via text alerts for research, conservation, and safe human interactions with marine life.
- River Vision Uses computer vision models to autonomously characterize and quantify plastic and other waste removed from rivers. Identifies trash items such as plastic bottles, bags, food wrappers, expanded polystyrene, and aluminum cans from cameras mounted on trash wheel collection technologies in Baltimore, Maryland, and San Diego Creek in Newport Beach, California.
- Global Plastics Policy Tool A machine learning tool that projects trends in plastic production, use, and waste to 2050 based on historic plastic flow and socioeconomic data, and tests the impact of different potential policy interventions under the global plastics treaty. Research found that four policies could cut plastic pollution by 91% and greenhouse gas emissions by one-third.
- Spotting Giant Sea Bass A pattern-recognition algorithm that recognizes unique spot patterns of giant sea bass in photos submitted by community scuba divers to identify and track individual fish over space and time in Southern California for population research.
- AI for Ocean An initiative that leverages AI tools including machine learning, computer vision, and big data to deepen understanding of the ocean and guide solutions to restore ocean health, encompassing SharkEye, River Vision, the Global Plastics Policy Tool, Spotting Giant Sea Bass, and Whale Safe.
Companies that use Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CascadiacorePartner in the Whale Safe project, contributing to whale detection and ship strike prevention efforts.
- EcoQuantscorePartner providing analytical expertise for the Whale Safe AI-powered whale detection system.
- Global Fishing WatchcorePartner providing ship tracking data and analytics for the Whale Safe system monitoring vessel speeds and cooperation.
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)coreAcademic partner contributing research expertise to the Whale Safe whale detection system development.
- Point Blue Conservation SciencecoreConservation science partner providing expertise for whale population and habitat analysis.
- University of WashingtoncoreAcademic partner contributing to whale detection research and system development.
- UC Santa CruzcoreUniversity of California partner contributing marine science expertise to whale conservation efforts.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutioncoreDeveloped the automated algorithm for baleen whale call detection used in the Whale Safe system.
- Coca-ColacoreCorporate partner supporting the Clean Currents Coalition river plastic intervention program.
- The Ocean CleanupcoreCoalition partner working on ocean plastic cleanup technologies.
- TerraCyclecoreCoalition partner focused on recycling and repurposing plastic waste collected from rivers.
- Ocean ConservancycoreCoalition partner contributing to ocean conservation and policy efforts.
- WildcoastcoreCoalition partner implementing river plastic interventions in coastal regions.
- IchthioncoreTechnology partner providing plastic capture technology for river interventions.
- Smart VillagescoreCoalition partner focused on community empowerment in underserved areas.
- ChemolexcoreCoalition partner supporting waste management infrastructure improvements.
- GFcoreCoalition partner contributing to river plastic intervention efforts.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ocean Conservancy: Coalition partner contributing to ocean conservation and policy. Ocean Conservancy is a leading marine conservation NGO that pairs scientific data with policy advocacy around plastic pollution, marine protected species, and shipping — closely aligned with BOSL's species conservation and plastics policy work.
- Global Fishing Watch: BOSL's named partner providing ship tracking data for the Whale Safe system. Global Fishing Watch applies machine learning and satellite data to ocean monitoring, marine policy, and transparent vessel tracking — overlapping substantively with BOSL's whale-collision and marine data platforms.
- Wildcoast: Coalition partner implementing river plastic interventions in coastal regions. Wildcoast is a non-profit focused on coastal conservation and marine protected areas, with overlapping work on plastic pollution reduction in coastal ecosystems — particularly relevant to BOSL's Clean Currents Coalition deployment model.
- Cascadia Research Collective: Named partner in the Whale Safe project. Cascadia Research is a non-profit marine research organization focused on whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals in the Pacific Northwest — directly comparable to BOSL's whale species conservation work and particularly relevant to West Coast whale population data.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Premier ocean research institution that is itself a BOSL partner — it developed the automated baleen whale call detection algorithm used in Whale Safe. WHOI is a direct scientific peer in marine mammal acoustics, ocean instrumentation, and AI/ML applied to ocean data.
- The Ocean Cleanup: Coalition partner in the Clean Currents Coalition working on ocean and river plastic cleanup. Directly comparable technology and mission overlap on plastic pollution remediation, with both organizations deploying data-driven riverine and ocean plastic interventions.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI): Leading California-based ocean research institute applying AI, computer vision, and autonomous platforms to ocean monitoring — including deep-learning species detection and ocean sensor networks. Directly comparable to BOSL's AI-for-ocean mission and California coastal focus.
- Point Blue Conservation Science: Named conservation science partner contributing whale population and habitat analysis to Whale Safe. Point Blue applies data science to conservation decisions across marine and terrestrial ecosystems, overlapping with BOSL's data-driven marine conservation methodology.
Broad incumbents
- NOAA Fisheries (NMFS): US federal agency that has worked with BOSL on whale-ship collision solutions and protected species management. NOAA Fisheries is the broad incumbent responsible for marine mammal protection, vessel strike mitigation, and fishery data — providing the regulatory framework Whale Safe operates within.
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography: One of the world's largest and oldest ocean research institutions, also part of the University of California system. Scripps is a broad incumbent in ocean science with deep capabilities in marine biology, climate, and ocean engineering — substantially larger than BOSL but operating in the same marine science ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory social profiles
Digital presenceBenioff Ocean Science Laboratory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory 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 Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
What does Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory do?
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory develops AI and machine learning tools for ocean conservation, including Whale Safe (an AI-powered whale detection system combining acoustic monitoring, thermal imaging, and ship tracking to prevent ship strikes in the Santa Barbara Channel and San Francisco Bay), the Clean Currents Coalition (a network piloting plastic capture technologies in rivers across 8 countries), and an AI for Ocean initiative that includes SharkEye (drone-based shark detection), River Vision (computer vision for river waste), the Global Plastics Policy Tool (predictive policy modeling), and Spotting Giant Sea Bass (citizen-science pattern recognition for fish tracking).
Is Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory a public or private company?
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory founded?
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory based?
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory is headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ocean Conservancy, Global Fishing Watch, Wildcoast, Cascadia Research Collective, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Ocean Cleanup, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Point Blue Conservation Science. Broad incumbents are NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Does Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory.
What industry is Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory in?
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory's product category is Ocean Conservation Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAH, Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks), with a secondary code of IMAJAJAI, Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring). Its NAICS code is 48833 and its SIC code is 4400.