Applied Ocean Sciences, LLC

Applied Ocean Sciences, LLC is a for-profit limited liability company based in Fairfax Station, Virginia, that specializes in marine research, engineering, and consulting services for federal government agencies, particularly the Department of Defense. The company maintains a SAM.gov registration expiring May 1, 2026, and demonstrates significant expertise in underwater acoustics, ocean observing systems, acoustic propagation modeling, environmental data collection, and advanced sensor technologies. Applied Ocean Sciences serves as both a prime contractor and subcontractor on federal awards, leveraging its technical capabilities to support naval operations, oceanographic research, and environmental monitoring initiatives.

Through federal contracts, Applied Ocean Sciences has provided extensive research and development services, technical analysis, and engineering support across multiple Navy and defense agencies. The company has received numerous Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards from the Office of Naval Research, Naval Air Warfare Center, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command, with contract values ranging from $155,000 to $2,000,000. Notable contract work includes a $2,000,000 SBIR Phase II research and development effort for the Office of Naval Research with performance through October 2028, a $1,099,922 SBIR Phase II contract from Naval Air Warfare Center focused on research and development, and a $1,047,049 contract from Naval Facilities Engineering Command for collection of in-situ acoustic data to validate Navy propagation models of ship shock trial sound sources under the Living Marine Resources program. The company has also performed work on the Navy Received Level Propagation Modeling Alignment Working Group ($119,188), information content of ocean noise and acoustic sources of opportunity ($240,322), and multiple Phase I research initiatives. As a subcontractor, Applied Ocean Sciences has partnered with prime contractors including RTX BBN Technologies, Systems & Technology Research LLC, Signal Systems Corporation, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, providing support for acoustic tomography technology investigation, range estimation development, ambient noise modeling and analysis, tracking and fusion services, and resource management support. The company's SBIR and STTR awards were designated as small business set-asides, while certain other contracts, such as those for propagation modeling work and acoustic data collection, carried no set-aside designations.

Applied Ocean Sciences has secured substantial federal grant funding from multiple agencies to support research and technology development initiatives. The company received a $998,320 Cooperative Agreement from the National Science Foundation's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program to develop an ultrasound-based sensor for real-time microplastics detection in water, with performance through April 2026, and a $255,633 NSF SBIR Phase I Project Grant under the Engineering program for developing a flow-through sensor for real-time microplastics measurements. The Office of Naval Research has funded multiple grant efforts, including a $100,599.96 project grant for METOC Autonomy Systems Integration, Research and Experimentation (May 2025 through April 2028), a project grant for low-frequency acoustics propagation and noise and reverberation modeling (July 2022 through June 2025), environmental physics support of the Arctic Mobile Observing System (April 2021 through September 2024), and a vector sensors integration on unmanned surface platform feasibility test (September 2024 through February 2025). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has provided grant support for advanced visibility forecast methodology incorporating machine learning techniques for maritime operations (September 2024 through August 2026) and a submersible camera project combining multispectral imaging with artificial intelligence for harmful algal bloom detection (September 2023 through February 2024). As a sub-award recipient, Applied Ocean Sciences has partnered with universities including the University System of New Hampshire on ocean soundscape characterization projects, Oregon State University on marine cloud deck research, and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on acoustic rainfall measurement development for global drifters. These grant awards demonstrate the company's capability to advance scientific understanding in marine acoustics, environmental monitoring, sensor technology development, and oceanographic research.

Applied Ocean Sciences holds an Indefinite Delivery Contract under the Navy SEAPORT-NXG multiple-award contract vehicle, awarded by Naval Sea Systems Command with an ultimate completion date of January 1, 2029. The SEAPORT-NXG IDC provides Applied Ocean Sciences with the capability to compete for task orders to deliver engineering, financial management, and program management services in support of Navy mission requirements. This contract vehicle, which carries no set-aside designation and operates as a multiple-award contract, enables flexible access to the company's specialized expertise in acoustic modeling, environmental monitoring, maritime technologies, and related engineering disciplines. While the initial task order award under this IDC was valued at only $500, the indefinite delivery vehicle extends through 2029 and allows the Navy to leverage Applied Ocean Sciences' technical capabilities across various functional areas aligned with the company's core competencies in underwater acoustics and oceanographic research.