In a quiet coastal town in Nova Scotia, a boy named Mark Andrew Kozlowski grew up sailing, exploring tide pools, and tinkering with underwater robots made from scrap parts. Today, he’s leading a global movement to change how we use—and protect—the ocean.
“I always saw the ocean as a teacher,” Mark says. “It’s powerful, but it’s also fragile. We need to work with it, not against it.”
Mark was raised in Lunenburg, a fishing town known for its maritime history and hands-on learning. His father was a marine biologist. His mother taught geology and coastal science. It was a family full of ocean stories and science gear.
“We didn’t go to amusement parks,” Mark says with a laugh. “We went tide-pooling or mapped erosion patterns with my mom’s old field equipment.”
He spent much of his childhood outdoors—sailing, hiking, and building DIY underwater cameras to track fish. He even tried coding wave simulations before he was 15.
Mark studied offshore engineering at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He also took classes in environmental science and marine mapping.
He joined the university’s marine robotics club and co-founded Oceans@Dal, a student group focused on ocean sustainability.
He also worked while studying. He interned at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography and helped with seabed surveys for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. His thesis used machine learning to predict wave behavior—years before it became common in the field.
After graduation, Mark worked at OceanEdge Dynamics in Halifax. He helped design smart sensors for offshore wind turbines. These systems used real-time data to track ocean stress and improve energy output.
He later joined the UN Global Compact’s Oceans Program in New York. There, he worked with global teams on technology that supports marine conservation. “That was the first time I saw how big the gap was between data and decisions,” he says.
Mark received the Governor General’s Academic Medal and the Dalhousie Ocean Innovator Award for his early work.
He is also a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng) and a Certified Offshore Installations Engineer. He holds an accreditation in marine data analytics and chairs the Atlantic Marine Innovation Network (AMIN).
He serves on the board of Ocean Supercluster Canada, where he helps shape marine innovation policy at the national level.
In 2017, Mark founded Blue Horizon Technologies in Nova Scotia. The goal was to make ocean data easier to collect and understand.
“We don’t just need more data,” he says. “We need better tools to turn it into action.”
Blue Horizon creates AI-powered tools for things like:
- Real-time fish population tracking
- Coastal erosion risk modeling
- Tidal energy performance analysis
- Marine biodiversity monitoring
The company now has research hubs in Canada, Norway, Japan, Kenya, and Chile.
In addition to his work in tech, Mark started the Kozlowski Foundation for Ocean Literacy. The group funds programs for coastal schools and helps restore damaged shorelines.
He also mentors kids in local STEM programs. “I wasn’t the smartest kid,” he says. “But I had people who showed me how to ask good questions.”
Mark lives in Lunenburg with his wife, Leila Hassan, a documentary filmmaker. They have twin sons, Ari and Kai.
In his free time, he writes ocean-themed poetry, keeps a native-species reef tank, and goes free diving near the coast.
He also speaks French and conversational Japanese. “It helps when you’re working with teams across five continents,” he notes.
As the Blue Economy grows, more people are investing in the ocean for food, energy, and transport. But climate change and overuse threaten these resources.
“We need better systems, not just faster ones,” Mark says. “We can’t afford to build more tools that ignore nature.”
His company’s projects are already being used by local governments, conservation groups, and renewable energy firms.
Mark Kozlowski isn’t trying to be the loudest voice in tech. But his approach—slow, science-driven, and community-focused—stands out in a crowded field.
“I’m not here to ‘save the ocean,’” he says. “I’m just trying to make sure it has a voice in the systems we build.”
For those interested in how AI can support real change, Kozlowski’s work offers a thoughtful path forward—one tide sensor at a time.
Interview with Mark Kozlowski
What inspired you to focus your career on the ocean?
“Growing up in Lunenburg, the ocean was a part of daily life. My dad was a marine biologist and my mom studied coastal geology, so I was always surrounded by science and salt air. I started building underwater robots out of old parts as a teenager. That curiosity never really stopped.”
What gap did you see that led you to start Blue Horizon Technologies?
There was a lot of data out there—temperature readings, fish counts, erosion maps—but not enough tools to make sense of it quickly or use it in real time. I wanted to build systems that turn that raw information into something people can act on. Especially in communities that depend on the ocean to live.
How does your company use AI to protect marine ecosystems?
We use machine learning to spot patterns in ocean data—like where fish are migrating or how shorelines are changing. That helps communities and policymakers make smarter choices. It’s not about replacing people. It’s about giving them better tools.
What’s a project you’re especially proud of?
One of our tools helped a coastal town in Kenya adjust their fishing schedules based on real-time data. It led to a 20% increase in catch efficiency while reducing overfishing. That’s the kind of outcome that motivates me—simple changes with a big impact.
How do you balance innovation with sustainability?
For me, it starts with asking the right questions. Just because we can build something doesn’t mean we should. We ask: is this good for the ecosystem, not just the economy? That filter keeps us grounded.
What advice would you give to young people interested in ocean tech?
Don’t wait until you know everything. Start small. Build something weird. Ask better questions. And stay close to the people and places you’re trying to help. That connection is where good ideas come from.
