CCI Welcomes Ocean Sonics to Our National Network of Innovators

The Council of Canadian Innovators is proud to welcome Ocean Sonics and Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Wood to our growing national network of Canadian technology companies.

Based in Truro Heights, Nova Scotia, Ocean Sonics develops technology that helps organizations listen to, measure, and better understand underwater environments. Its products are used globally across marine research, environmental monitoring, energy, defence, offshore construction, and regulatory applications. At the centre of its work is the icListen Smart Hydrophone, an underwater listening device that processes acoustic data where it is collected, allowing users to receive useful information in real time without transmitting the excessively large volumes of raw data produced by traditional hydrophones.

Founded in 2012 by Mark Wood and Desiree Stockermans, Ocean Sonics designs and manufactures its technology in Nova Scotia by combining hardware, software, and data processing capabilities. An early prototype, known as Big Ears, was used to help locate a leak on the Thunder Horse oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Since then, the company has grown into a global provider of underwater listening technology and expanded its headquarters and team in Truro Heights. The recent acquisition of a new facility to house all of their production team will more than triple their production capacity

Ocean Sonics has its flagship icListen Smart Hydrophone deployed in every ocean on the planet. Their global distributor network and in-house marketing and sales teams have been driving significant growth over the past few years.

Innovation has been a large part of the success of Ocean Sonics. Continuing to offer new, smarter, and more robust products to those studying and working in our oceans is a core value for the team. The next generation of Smart Hydrophones, the icListen Kayak, will be introduced to the market in the coming months.

Ocean Sonics is led by Wood, who has worked in marine acoustics since the early 1990s. His experience includes developing acoustic navigation systems for offshore operations, remotely operated vehicles, dynamic positioning, and diver tracking. Under his leadership, the company continues to develop new applications for underwater sound measurement and analysis.

“Canada’s ocean technology sector is producing solutions with important applications across research, environmental monitoring, defence, and maritime security,” said Patrick Searle, Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Canadian Innovators. “Ocean Sonics is a strong example of a Canadian company developing valuable technology at home and

bringing it to customers around the world. We are proud to welcome Mark and the Ocean Sonics team to CCI.”

Since 2015, the Council of Canadian Innovators has been dedicated to supporting Canada’s high-growth technology companies, working with government leaders to co-develop strategies that strengthen Canadian innovation, productivity, and long-term economic resilience.