Renderings courtesy of Gensler
Programs signed a planning agreement to explore AltaSea as a possible location for testing various ocean-related sensors, systems and technology. Sustainable aquaculture entails raising fish and growing plants in the ocean just like a farm on land. With a global population of nearly nine billion people predicted by 2050, sustainably grown food sources from the ocean are expected to be increasingly important to the world’s overall food supply. Aquaculture company Catalina Sea Ranch has been at AltaSea since 2015. Holding the first-ever-issued permit to farm mussels in federal waters, the company currently occupies approximately 15,000 square feet of warehouse space at AltaSea and operates a 100-acre aquaculture farm six miles off the coast. This type of aquaculture, Krusoe says, is a true sustainable solution for the future. “The ocean is the last great frontier for exploration, and could represent one of the biggest opportunities to create a sustainable food source for people around the world,” adds Krusoe. “We want AltaSea to be at the forefront of making that happen.” Another critical element woven into AltaSea’s core mission is educating the community— especially the next generation of local LA Harbor area youth—about the importance of the ocean and its potential for the future. These activities include a collaboration with the education nonprofit Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI) and the Reef Check Foundation to offer a Student Ocean Scientist (SOS) Program. While
sailing aboard LAMI’s two educational tall ships, middle school students are introduced to the local marine ecosystem and learn how to carry out scientific investigations in the LA Harbor and nearby coastal waters. In August, AltaSea also signed a five-year agreement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor. Together, the organizations will operate classrooms at AltaSea and host youth educational activities and workshops similar to those recently led by famed deep-sea explorer and renowned scientist Dr. Robert Ballard. Last year, Ballard signed on to make AltaSea the West Coast base for his non-profit Ocean Exploration Trust and its Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus. The Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor also now shares administrative office space with AltaSea in downtown San Pedro as part of the agreement, and has plans to move all Club administrative functions to the AltaSea waterfront site in four years. “This partnership leverages our respective resources to prepare our youth for great careers in blue technologies, sustainable aquaculture, robotics, underwater exploration and related areas,” said Mike Lansing, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor. “It’s vital that we invest now to build the future we want for our youth and our region.” Krusoe couldn’t agree more. “At AltaSea, we’re all about connecting the assets of the Port to create new jobs and new pathways for LA Harbor and Long Beach kids. We’re here to help grow a 21st century port that not only exports goods, but exports innovation, ideas and leadership promoting a sustainable ocean for decades to come.”
LA WATERFRONT AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES | SPRING 2018
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