Architecture & Integrations

Marlin is a modular monitoring framework supporting operational deployments across passive acoustic monitoring, wave measurement, and integrated third-party sensor data.

Integration models

A Marlin customer has one of two integration models:

  • Full integration — Marlin-supplied hardware connected to a Marlin Link, with data accessed through the Marlin Portal and Marlin Connect.
  • Data-only integration — a third-party platform whose data is viewed in Marlin Connect, without Marlin processing hardware.

Sensor and data support

Passive acoustic recorders

Marlin supports Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) systems out of the box as a full integration:

  • Porpoise

  • Orca

Both single-channel and multi-channel configurations are supported, with up to three recorders simultaneously connected to a single Marlin Link.

Wave radar

Marlin supports wave and tide measurement as a full integration:

  • WaveRadar REX2

REX2 deployments stream wave and tide measurements that are browsed and plotted in the Marlin Connect REX viewer.

Acoustic floats

Marlin supports integrated third-party acoustic data as a data-only integration:

  • NiKA by MetOcean

NiKA data is published to an FTP site and viewed directly in the Marlin Connect NiKA Data Viewer.

Communications

Default:

  • 4G IoT connectivity

Optional:

  • 5G routers
  • Iridium satellite communications
  • Radio network integration

This enables operation in coastal, offshore, and remote deployments.

Unified architecture

MARLIN consists of four layers:

  1. Field Layer
    • Marlin Link device
    • Connected recorders/sensors
    • Local acquisition and transmission
  2. Cloud Layer
    • Azure Blob Storage
    • Per-device secure container access
    • Secure upload of .flac (audio), .gps (telemetry), .det (detections)
  3. Server Layer (Optional)
    • Machine learning integration (high-priority detector, anomaly detection)
    • Customer notifications
    • Optional S3 integration
    • Optional STANAG integration for NATO-compatible workflows
  4. User Layer
    • Marlin Portal (account + license management)
    • Marlin Connect desktop application, with PAM, REX and NiKA viewers
    • Secure API access via Azure SDK

Marlin supports STANAG protocol integration and was presented at REPMUS 2025, demonstrating interoperability within NATO-aligned systems.

Roadmap

Ongoing development focuses on expanding sensor compatibility and enabling distributed intelligence.

  • 3rd party sensor systems
  • Marlin fleet deployments

This extends Marlin beyond single-asset deployments to enable spatial tracking and enhanced confirmation of targets across multiple assets.

Project background