A leader and innovator in the local marine technology sector has passed away.

Karl Kenny, the founder of Kraken Robotics, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64.

Kenny, who was born in Fermeuse, was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy but soon drifted into the world of technology.

He even contributed to Microsoft’s mouse project team in the 1980s, an accomplishment that revolutionized the use of computer technology.

He founded Telepix in the 1990s, a company later acquired by a European photo equipment manufacturer in 2000.

He then founded Kraken in September of 2012 and developed cutting-edge Synthetic Aperture Sonar technology for high-resolution imaging of the seafloor. Kenny was named Entrepreneur of th Year by Memorial University and was twice recognized by Atlantic Business magazine as a Top 50 CEO.