Tribute to Jim Costopulos,
Founder, President, and CEO of Global Oceans
The Board of Directors of Global Oceans is deeply saddened to announce the sudden passing of Jim Costopulos on January 12, 2025.
We remember and honor Jim, the Founder, President and CEO of Global Oceans, whose lifelong commitment to ocean sustainability and deep-sea exploration fundamentally reshaped how we study, understand, and protect the world's marine ecosystems. A visionary with both scientific insight and unshakable resolve, Jim believed the deep ocean held answers not only to Earth’s most profound mysteries — but to its most pressing environmental challenges.
Global Oceans was actively engaged with Portland State University, MITRE Corporation and other leading maritime research institutions in developing and promoting globally significant scientific initiatives, and thanks to Jim's leadership and pioneering vision, he has left an enduring imprint on the organization's leadership and Board. We have all had the good fortune of working with Jim to see that vision become reality.
Since founding Global Oceans in 2012, Jim had built a foundation that transforms how marine research is conducted — mobilizing rapid-response science through adaptable, modular platforms and deploying cutting-edge technologies at the edge of the known ocean.
Under his leadership, Global Oceans developed the Modular Adaptive Research Vessel (MARV) model, which converts offshore service vessels into state-of-the-art oceanographic research platforms. This model supported the organization’s three flagship initiatives — all of which reflect the kind of multidisciplinary ambition that he championed:
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The Innerspace Deep Sea Initiative, advancing frontier technologies such as on-chip ptychographic imaging, robotic micro-sampling, and deep-sea holographic microscopy to explore biodiversity and microbial life at depths of up to 6,000 meters.
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The Atmospheric Ocean Observatory (AOO), a real-time, Arctic-deployed atmospheric and oceanographic platform designed to enhance climate model accuracy by collecting high-resolution, coupled data from one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth.
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The Global Seamounts Project (GSP), a bold, data-driven endeavor to map, study, and model seamount ecosystems using a collaborative model ensemble and AI-enhanced predictions lying the groundwork for long-term conservation of one of the planet’s most vulnerable marine biomes.
In addition to his leadership at Global Oceans, Jim also served as a Strategic Advisor to Silent Returns, where he supported the deployment of aerial and subsea robotic systems for conservation in remote environments, and formerly served as CEO of Consolidated Ocean Technologies, Inc., developing navigation and control systems for more than 390 undersea vehicle platforms. His career reflects the integration of advanced science, engineering, and environmental purpose — values deeply shared by Jim and the Board.
Though Jim is no longer with us, his legacy continues — in the missions he helped shape, in the tools now exploring the ocean floor, and in the new generation of scientists and engineers inspired by his belief that discovery and responsibility must go hand in hand.
We are profoundly grateful for Jim’s wisdom, integrity, and the future-forward vision he brought to ocean science. His life’s work lives on — in every expedition, every dataset, and every wave of progress still to come.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff for Global Oceans, we would like to offer Jim’s wife, Nancy Costopulos, and the Costopulos Family, and Friends our sincerest condolences.
Those interested in the future of Global Oceans or in learning more about its projects are encouraged to contact Board Member Christopher Coyle at chriscoyle1@verizon.net.
Exploring Deep Sea Biodiversity, Seamount Ecosystems, and the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere of the Arctic Ocean
The scale of human activity across our planet continues to impact the health of our ocean. Environmental stressors stemming from climate change, overfishing, plastic and chemical pollution, and resource extraction are resulting in ocean acidification, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss.
These impacts are complex and dynamic, and changes are occurring faster than we can measure and understand them. To undertake meaningful action to change direction, and to inform the development of sustainable resource policies and conservation solutions, we need to accelerate our scientific understanding of the ocean at all scales and dimensions: from local to global impacts, from the atmosphere to the polar regions to the deep sea, and of rates of change over time.
Global Oceans is launching several internationally collaborative project initiatives that will contribute to our understanding of the planet, that are uniquely enabled by the utilization of MARV research vessels and innovative technologies.
These include the Innerspace Deep Sea Initiative to explore and understand biodiversity and adaptation in extreme marine environments to 6,000 meters including abyssal benthic environments, hydrothermal vent systems, cold seeps, hypersaline habitats, and other extreme ecosystems; 2) The Global Seamounts Project (GSP) to intensively survey these unique ocean biomes in greater detail than has previously been achieved, then to computationally model these ecosystems with a linked ensemble of leading ecosystem and physical models; and 3) The Atmospheric Ocean Observatory (AOO), to build and operate a newly proposed modular facility to measure coupled, high-resolution atmospheric and oceanographic data on a dedicated icebreaking vessel transiting across the Arctic Ocean. On-going AOO data will contribute to a greater capacity to accurately model atmospheric chemistry and physics, ocean-atmospheric linkage, and climate change in one of the most rapidly changing regions on the planet.
Each of these projects is currently seeking philanthropic and governmental funding; and interest from collaborating scientists and institutions for support and to join Working Groups.
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