The Plant A Million Corals Foundation (PAMCF) has developed an aquaculture system integrating energy-efficient life support technologies optimized for operation using off-grid power supplies. These designs address a major economic constraint in aquaculture, rising energy costs, while enabling deployment in locations lacking reliable electrical infrastructure. By demonstrating stable production capacity on a micro-grid platform, this approach reduces operational expenditures and increases overall facility efficiency.
The PAMCF coral restoration nursery serves as a proof-of-concept incubator, highlighting the feasibility of solar-driven flow-through systems, low-energy pumping strategies, and targeted water treatment processes capable of maintaining environmental parameters without grid connectivity. The standalone nature of the design increases resiliency to extreme weather events and grid failures, while expanding siting opportunities for aquaculture in regions where coral restoration, food security, and coastal livelihoods are critically threatened.
This presentation will provide a facility-wide evaluation of engineering considerations for off-grid aquaculture, including energy storage and redundancy, system hydraulics, water treatment sequencing, and strategies for minimizing labor requirements. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a scalable framework applicable to remote coastal communities seeking to increase aquaculture capacity while reducing dependence on traditional energy infrastructure.