Innovasea was awarded a grant through the NOAA Sea Grant program to pursue the development of an open ocean finfish farm in Puerto Rico. Innovasea will partner with the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, led by Rene Esteves Amador, Cuna del Mar, permitting consultant, Chris Schillaci, and local socio-economists Emmanuel Maldonado-Gonzalez and Nicolás Gómez Andújar.
The project includes pre-permitting of a lease site off the west coast of Puerto Rico with two sites being considered, one near Mayaguez and another near Aguadilla. To support the permitting effort, in-situ data will be collected for the two sites including waves, currents, temperature, oxygen, salinity, bathymetry, benthic ecology, water chemistry, and bacteriology. The project will also include deposition modeling, grid design, creation of a bioplan, economic modeling, and vendor evaluation (feed and juveniles). Emmanuel Maldonado-Gonzalez will lead a socioeconomic analysis of the project as well as supporting Rene Amador with local stakeholder engagement, extension work, and development of social license.
This presentation will provide more details on the project as well as an update on progress to date.