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| Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey | Ruo-Qian Wang | Assistant Professor |
Academic
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Power Generation: Renewable
| Our research has focused on modeling the effects of offshore wind farms on local oceanography and marine life (Wang et al., 2024; Santana et al., 2022). We also studied the synergy between offshore wind farms and aquaculture. We're also at the forefront of studying wind turbine behavior under various environmental conditions, contributing to the design of more resilient and efficient wind energy systems (Golparvar et al., 2021). In the realm of hydrokinetic energy, we're developing environmentally friendly devices that harness the kinetic energy of water flow. Our work includes designing reconfigurable hydrokinetic arrays (Bilgen et al., 2022) and creating new frameworks for assessing fish collision risks and flow alterations caused by turbine deployment (Asok and Wang, 2024). We've also made significant contributions to tidal and wave energy research, assessing energy distribution patterns and advancing the design of wave energy converters (Deng et al., 2019; Shadmani et al., 2023). An exciting area of our research explores the synergy between offshore wind energy and aquaculture. By studying the hydrodynamic impacts of aquaculture gears in conjunction with marine renewable energy installations, we're paving the way for more sustainable and efficient use of ocean resources (Shao et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2022). |
| NJ |
| Cawthron Institute | Kevin Heasman | Team Leader, Open Ocean Aquaculture |
Non-Profit
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Cawthron is New Zealand’s largest private science institute with a century long track record supporting primary industries with an emphasis on aquaculture. Cawthron’s 280+ staff pride themselves in providing practical solutions with real world impact in collaboration with industry, government, first nations, community, and research providers. We are driven to deliver science-led solutions for a healthy ocean and prosperous blue economy. Cawthron scientists and engineers have made significant technological advancements in enabling offshore Low Trophic Aquaculture (LTA; including seaweeds). Areas of expertise highly relevant to HAECHO include:
Advanced breeding programs and technologies ranging from quantitative genetic analysis techniques to cryopreservation of gametes and larvae to optimise performance and build resilience in aquaculture. Our research is carried out in close collaboration with industry partners at the Cawthron Aquaculture Park, home to the National Algae Research Center.
Next generation farm structures focused on enhancing efficiency, production and sustainability in varying ocean environments. We are designing and deploying systems for LTA in high energy seas (6-12 km offshore and >1000 ha in size). Prototypes at advanced stages include dynamic farm structures for efficiently optimising crop yield and adaptable to changing conditions; ultimately targeting a future of automation and remote farm management.
Precision aquaculture technologies including smart-farm sensor systems integrated with LTA farm structures to enable localised operational forecasts and real-time remote surveillance of farm structures, crops, and water conditions. Technologies at advanced prototype stages developed by Cawthron’s BlueTech engineers include (1) ruggedised on-farm control, power and communications, (2) sensors for waves, temperature, salinity, PAR, and spectrophotometry, and (3) load sensors for crop weights and structural loading. Data-driven decision support tools are enabled using an advanced datamesh architecture.
Cawthron has extensive expertise underpinning the permitting of space for aquaculture and is a trusted partner in navigating environmental, social, cultural and regulatory challenges. There is significant water space consented for LTA in NZ. Cawthron can help facilitate use by U.S. partners, thereby enabling the trialling of technologies to proceed at pace in light of any regulatory delays in home waters. |
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| GreenWave | Kendall Barbery | Director of Partnerships |
Non-Profit
|
Other Energy Technologies
| GreenWave's mission is to replicate and scale regenerative ocean farms (kelp farms) to create jobs and protect the plant. We deliver programming to a global audience through our online hub (hub.greenwave.org; exceeding 7000 registered users), and lead hands-on training for kelp farmers in the U.S. and Canada. Approximately 70 (of approximately 230) kelp farmers across coasts in North America track and report kelp growth and yield data in GreenWave's My Kelp app. In addition to training farmers, we replicate and scale key infrastructure that is vital to the success of the industry (including kelp nurseries and post-harvest processing and stabilization equipment) and support value chain coordination between seed producers, farmers, buyers, and processors through our high-touch programming and online app, Seaweed Source.
We are also ocean farmers. GreenWave owns and operates two kelp farms in near coastal waters in Southern New England (SNE), where we grow sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima). We also established leases for farm sites in Humboldt Bay, California and worked closely with project partners to cultivate bull kelp (Nereocystis lutkeana). We run a production-oriented seed bank for kelp gametophytes in SNE and have gained experience producing high-quality gametophytes for multiple kelp species. We provide gametophytes to nurseries from New York to Maine, and produce seed string with gametophytes for farmers throughout the region.
More recently, GreenWave partnered with AgriSea, a New Zealand-based biostimulant company, to co-developed a kelp-based biostimulant using raw, wet sugar kelp and ambient temperature stabilization methods. GreenWave established an agreement with AgriSea to manufacture biostimulants in North American under the AgriSea brand, and open up new market opportunities for North American kelp farmers. GreenWave sources kelp from ocean farmers in the Northeast Atlantic region, manufactures the biostimulant in Connecticut, and sells product to land-based farmers throughout the U.S. |
| CT |
| Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington | Craig M Lee | Assistant Director for Research |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| The Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington (APL-UW) has extensive, long-standing expertise in the ocean observing, including the design and execution of complex seagoing field programs at scales ranging from process studies to decadal-scale, sustained observing efforts. A key element of this expertise is the design and operation of diverse long-endurance autonomous platforms tailored for a wide range of science and operational missions. Our interest here focuses on the design of effective, efficient approaches for real-world quantification of farm performance, and in the development of autonomous platforms and approaches capable of carrying out the necessary measurement programs. APL-UW contributes strengths and capabilities that include:
• In-house design, prototyping and testing of sensors and platforms. • Instrument test facilities. • Easy access to Puget Sound and WA/OR shelves using APL-UW vessels. • Upscaling through local oceanographic manufacturers. • Highly experienced research groups that design, fabricate and operate fleets of autonomous underwater vehicles. • Access to APL-UW operated long-term, sustained undersea observatories (Ocean Observatories Initiative Regional Cabled Array and the Integrated Ocean Observing Initiative Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems). • Local seaweed aquaculture. |
Website: https://apl.uw.edu
Email: craiglee@uw.edu
Phone: +1-206-658-7385
Address: Applied Physics Laoratory, University of Washington, 1013 NE 40th St, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
| WA |
| Cornell University | Amit Lal | Professor |
Academic
|
Other Energy Technologies
| The Cornell SonicmMEMS lab has developed sensing and actuation technology that can be used to image plants and micro-organisms in water and measure biochemical activity. Further, the integrated ultrasonic transducer can provide micro-actuator for moving fluids near sensors for continuous monitoring. Through a startup from our group, Geegah, we can develop UUV-mounted sensors for measuring all aspects of water properties and plant leaf images from water-borne plants in real-time. |
| NY |
| Old Dominion University | Cong Wei | PhD |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| I am an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University (ODU), specializing in marine robotics and control. My research focuses on leveraging marine robotic systems for environmental sampling and monitoring. Currently, my efforts are directed toward developing control algorithm and strategy, enabling autonomous systems to operate effectively in challenging environments with strong ambient disturbances such as water currents. I have also worked extensively on designing robotic platforms for various marine applications, including the observation of deep-sea methane seeps and methane concentration. |
| VA |
| Artimus Robotics | Shane Mitchell | CTO |
Small Business
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Other Energy Technologies
| Artimus Robotics has developed a new type of soft transducer, called HASEL (pronounced 'hey-zul'). Operating on an electrohydraulic mechanism, these transducers can act as actuators for bio-inspired robotics and generators for ocean wave/tidal energy harvesting. Currently, we are interested in utilizing HASELs in next-generation underwater robotics that can support burgeoning applications like seaweed aquaculture. As actuators, HASELs have been tested to pressures at full ocean depth without loss of performance. They also have negligible ‘self-noise’ and minimal magnetic signature, which limits interference with other sensor technologies within proximity. These actuators can be used for bioinspired propulsion of underwater vehicles, as well as robotic end-effectors for dexterous grasping and manipulation. With these features, we believe our technology can enable new autonomous robotic platforms that are targeted at the second objective of HAECHO - creating offshore scale through hardware and control systems that support depth cycling. Admittedly, our team has limited background and knowledge in seaweed aquaculture. We would like to partner with experts within this market who understand the state-of-the-art and key challenges regarding autonomation and robotics in order to inform our strategy and ensure long-term success. We thank you for your time in advance. |
| CO |
| Clear Water Scrubbers LLC | Josh Johnson | CEO |
Small Business
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Other Energy Technologies
| Seaweed Cultivation Large scale algal production thru Vertical algal reactors Algal uptake of CO2 Seaweed Biomass production (ulva) |
| KS |
| Otherlab | Peter Lynn | Engineer |
Small Business
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Other Energy Technologies
| Otherlab is an early stage R&D small business based in San Francisco that spins out companies and primarily has an energy and robotics focus. 1) Robotic anchoring: Spinning drone that installs ground screw anchors in the seabed. Low-cost with typical ~100:1 anchor weight to pull out strength (some tests have achieved 500:1), can operate at depth from small boats, can scale to large sizes, and can be tolerant to seabed type. TRL 7. 2) Upwelling technology: Wave pumped bridled rotors that scale and cost similarly to wind turbines - scales to very large sizes. Less than $100 per metric ton of nitrate delivered to the surface, can use other energy sources, can be used to generate very high but low-speed lateral thrust for station keeping in deep water. TRL 5. 3) Seaweed drying: An air based electric turbocharger heat pump drying system. Optimized for low capital cost, high power, and colocated very low-cost intermittent renewable energy. COP of around 3 at smaller sizes (~0.25kWh/kg of water) up to around 5 at very large sizes (~0.15kWh/kg of water. Capable of less than 50/dry metric ton. TRL 2, although the engineering is well known and has high confidence. 4) Miniaturized centrifuge reactor/oil refinery eventually with integral upgrading: Up to ~25MPa and ~600C. Capable of oil refinery efficiencies and marginal costs using biomass feedstocks (~$10/barrel and ~90% efficiency). TRL 2, currently being prototyped with initial testing imminent - complicated engineering. 5) Have interest and expertise in many other aspects of the problem including electrified logistics. |
| CA |
| University of Connecticut | Fei Miao | Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor |
Academic
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Other Energy Technologies
| Fei Miao is Pratt & Whitney Associate Professor of the School of Computing, a Courtesy Faculty of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, where she joined in 2017. She is affiliated to the Institute of Advanced Systems Engineering and Eversource Energy Center. She was a postdoc researcher at the GRASP Lab and the PRECISE Lab of Upenn from 2016 to 2017. She received Ph.D. degree and the Best Doctoral Dissertation Award in Electrical and Systems Engineering, with a dual M.S. degree in Statistics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016. She received the B.S. degree in Automation from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2010. Her research focuses on multi-agent reinforcement learning, robust optimization, uncertainty quantification, and game theory, to address safety, efficiency, robustness, and security challenges of Embodied AI and CPS. Dr. Miao is a receipt of the NSF CAREER award and a couple of other awards from NSF. She received the Best Paper Award and Best Paper Award Finalist at the 12th and 6th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems (ICCPS) in 2021 and 2015, Best paper Award at the 2023 AAAI DACC workshop, respectively. |
| CT |
| Unity Environmental University | Gretchen Grebe | Assistant Professor |
Academic
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Bioenergy
| - Field and laboratory-based characterization of macroalgal growth rates, nutrient content, biofouling, and herbivory. - Biology and ecology of temperate and tropical macroalgae - Best practices for seaweed cultivation and harvesting. |
| ME |
| Seafields Solutions Ltd | Dr. Franziska Elmer | Head of Science |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Seafields is a science-led, UK-based startup aiming to use aquafarming of the macroalgae Sargassum to build a scaled, offshore seaweed industry that can supply algae biomass at gigaton scale for biostimulant, plastic or energy production or carbon dioxide removal.
We have a prototype farm and are fundraising to install a demonstration size farm in a near-shore environment in the Caribbean. Both these farms are well suited to test new sensors and models for the development of smart aquafarms. We are very interested in working with universities and research labs to develop autonomous ways to measure biomass growth and other aspects of our aquafarm.
For our offshore farms, we plan to install them in the gyres and use stommel principle upwelling pipes to bring nutrients up from a depth of 400 m. We have modelled these pipes and are looking to construct a scaled model to test the principle.
Our partner company Carbonwave has developed a Sargassum biostimulant that has been tested by large offtake firms on the market. Their method of producing the biostimulant partially dewaters the Sargassum by extracting ~60% of the weight of the algae as water.
The potential of Seafields’ methodology has been recognised by a number of prestigious accolades, including selection as a runner up team (Top 29 teams) in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal, and receiving Startup of the Year at the SeedLegals Awards 2024. |
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| C.A. Goudey & Associates | Clifford A. Goudey | Owner/engineer |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Graduate degrees from MIT in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and in Mechanical Engineering with over three decades of involvement in ocean-related R&D and commercialization. Extensive experience in offshore aquaculture system design including finfish, shellfish, and macroalgae farm design and installation. Extensive experience in wave energy conversion technologies, fabrication, installation, and testing. Successfully led projects on surface vessel and underwater vehicle design and prototype development including remote-controlled and autonomous systems. |
| MA |
| Thummar Technologies Private Limited | Bhaveshkumar Vinodrai Thummar | Founder & CTO |
Small Business
|
Building Efficiency
| We propose an ambitious 12-month R&D project under ARPA-E to establish a scalable, cost-effective seaweed cultivation framework, driving the U.S. blue economy forward. By integrating IoT-based real-time monitoring, GIS-driven remote sensing, and Lean Six Sigma principles, we will optimize site selection, resource efficiency, and production. Our project will evaluate water quality, nutrient availability, and climate suitability while mitigating risks like biofouling and herbivory. Our ultimate goal is to reduce costs to $45-$90 per dry metric ton, positioning the U.S. as a global leader in sustainable seaweed production.
Through GIS integration, we reduce hardware costs and optimize site resources for large-scale operations. Real-time drone systems equipped with 400X magnification imaging and YOLO-based image processing enable early contamination detection and precision monitoring. We are also advancing U.S.-based innovation by focusing on high-value seaweed products like biostimulants, fertilizers, bioplastics, and bioenergy, expanding the impact of this technology.
What sets us apart is our freemium business model. Core monitoring tools are free, ensuring accessibility, while premium features like advanced analytics, carbon credit scoring, and disaster forecasting are available through subscription. Our MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) systems empower customers with actionable insights into sustainability metrics verified against ISO-14067 and ISO-14064 standards.
This initiative is a game-changer for America. With 40% of Americans living near water and over half of aquaculture activities tied to livelihoods, seaweed cultivation strengthens communities, protects biodiversity, and builds climate resilience. It also addresses the fact that 90% of natural disasters over the past seven decades have been water-related, offering tools to forecast and mitigate risks.
Our financial modeling highlights seaweed-based revenue streams, byproducts, and carbon credits, leveraging green finance taxonomies and result-based financing to attract investors. This project is not just about innovation—it’s about creating a scalable, high-impact solution that positions the U.S. at the forefront of a thriving blue economy while supporting sustainability, profitability, and coastal resilience. |
Website: https://thummartechnologies.com/index
Email: info@thummartechnologies.com
Phone: +91-9725497682
Address: 111, 1st Floor, President House,, Opp. C N Vidyalay, Ambawadi, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380006, India
| Gujarat |
| Southeast Conference | Dan Lesh | Deputy Director |
Non-Profit
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Southeast Conference is the state and federally recognized Economic Development District for Southeast Alaska and works statewide in a number of areas including energy, mariculture, and transportation. We are the lead entity administering a $49 million EDA grant to accelerate a kelp and oyster industry in Alaska, and have a very large and active network of collaborators underway on various R&D and other efforts. Please consider us a potential partner or collaborator (official or unofficial) if you are considering projects located in Alaska. We're happy to leverage our existing funding, projects, collaborator network, etc. to help make projects more successful and impactful where there is a good fit. Feel free to reach out to discuss. |
| AK |
| Fedsprout | Aalap Shah | President and CEO |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| At Fedsprout, we deliver comprehensive Technology-to-Market (T2M) services designed to accelerate the path from innovation to impact. Our expertise includes:
Market Research & Analysis Value Proposition Development & Product Positioning Go-To-Market Strategy Technology & Economic Feasibility Studies Marketing & Sales Strategy Business & Financial Modeling Value Chain Mapping & Analysis Community Benefits & DEI Planning Strategic Partnering
Our team of seasoned specialists brings deep experience across diverse energy sectors and a robust network of connections with utilities nationwide.
We seek partners to collaborate on commercialization efforts and T2M plan development. Fedsprout has a proven track record of supporting DOE awardees with commercialization planning, including:
ARPA-E GOPHURRS Program awardee Two DOE ENERGYWERX participants DOD awardees advancing dual-use technologies in offshore wind
Beyond commercialization, we also offer proposal writing and grant management services. |
| NJ |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution | Scott Lindell | Aquaculture Research Specialist |
Academic
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Scott Lindell is an Aquaculture Research Specialist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with over 35 years of applied research and commercial experience. I recently led or was co-PI on 3 ARPAe MARINER seaweed farming to bio-energy projects; large-scale demonstration projects in Alaska and Puerto Rico, and leadership of a selective breeding program for kelp in New England. Teaming with UCONN and USDA, we achieved a 3-fold improvement in sugar kelp yield, advances in temperature tolerance, and patent pending process for non-GMO non-reproductive seaweed strains. Dr. Charles Yarish, Visiting Investigator in my Lab (Professor Emeritus at UCONN) and I are co-founders and advisors of a start-up company, MacroBreed. MacroBreed harnesses genomic breeding tools and seaweed strain development for seaweed nursery and farming companies to help them achieve their targeted seaweed biomass composition and yields. WHOI and MacroBreed have strong seaweed R&D collaborations in Korea. We are particularly interested in applying strain selection to improve reliable and cost-effective processing of new products from seaweed. We can also provide valuable guidance in the design, construction and operation of offshore seaweed farms planned for HAECHO.
I led a Scientific Aquaculture Program at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole researching new strains and methods for seaweed and shellfish farming. I successfully led several permitting efforts for offshore aquaculture operations in multiple states and federal waters over the last two decades – a daunting task. My R&D program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution takes a multi-disciplinary approach to practical mariculture challenges that typically require cooperation between commercial, academic, e-NGO and regulatory partners. |
| MA |
| Pliant Energy Systems Inc | Pietro Filardo | CEO |
Small Business
|
Bioenergy
| Pliant Energy Systems (PES) has been developing a highly novel marine robotics platform through $16M (and counting) of government funding. This platform is ideally suited to large scale aquaculture, a field that aligns with the environmental aspirations of Pliant’s founding.
Pliant's main sponsor, the Office of Naval Research, strongly encourages dual-use civilian applications.
The key vehicle characteristic is propeller-less propulsion using undulating fins, instead of spinning props.
Advantages: - Minimal entanglement risk - Gentle interaction with aquatic flora and fauna - Low turbulence wake - High agility - High static thrust efficiency - High bollard pull - ROV and AUV modes Autonomy is being developed through a long-term collaboration with MIT's Marine Autonomy Lab
We would welcome partnering with entities who foresee a role for marine robotics in large scale seaweed farming. This could be through knowledge of operations and logistics, sensors, data acquisition, data management, marine ecology, etc..
When the FOA is released, we would like to be part of a visionary team submitting a responsive proposal for an integrated solution that incorporates our marine robotics platform. |
| NY |
| University of Texas at Austin | Andrew Fix | Assistant Professor |
Academic
|
Other Energy Technologies
| I am an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the civil, architectural, and environmental engineering department and additional affiliation with the mechanical engineering department. I earned my PhD in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
My primary area of expertise is water vapor selective membrane systems and materials. While much of my prior work in this space has focused on building air dehumidification, I have previously helped develop projects applying these membrane materials and systems for industrial drying applications for DOE IEDO. Furthermore, I have additional expertise in heat pump systems, and of particular relevance is work on heat pump wood drying and high-temperature heat pump systems.
My primary interest in this program is seaweed dewatering given by background in drying, dehumidification, and heat pumps. Though, I am happy to discuss how our expertise in thermal systems, heat transfer, and materials may be useful for other topic areas. |
| TX |
| Thummar Technologies Private Limited | Bhaveshkumar Vinodrai Thummar | Founder & CTO |
Small Business
|
Building Efficiency
| We propose an ambitious 12-month R&D project under ARPA-E to establish a scalable, cost-effective seaweed cultivation framework, driving the U.S. blue economy forward. By integrating IoT-based real-time monitoring, GIS-driven remote sensing, and Lean Six Sigma principles, we will optimize site selection, resource efficiency, and production. Our project will evaluate water quality, nutrient availability, and climate suitability while mitigating risks like biofouling and herbivory. Our ultimate goal is to reduce costs to $45-$90 per dry metric ton, positioning the U.S. as a global leader in sustainable seaweed production.
Through GIS integration, we reduce hardware costs and optimize site resources for large-scale operations. Real-time drone systems equipped with 400X magnification imaging and YOLO-based image processing enable early contamination detection and precision monitoring. We are also advancing U.S.-based innovation by focusing on high-value seaweed products like biostimulants, fertilizers, bioplastics, and bioenergy, expanding the impact of this technology.
What sets us apart is our freemium business model. Core monitoring tools are free, ensuring accessibility, while premium features like advanced analytics, carbon credit scoring, and disaster forecasting are available through subscription. Our MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) systems empower customers with actionable insights into sustainability metrics verified against ISO-14067 and ISO-14064 standards.
This initiative is a game-changer for America. With 40% of Americans living near water and over half of aquaculture activities tied to livelihoods, seaweed cultivation strengthens communities, protects biodiversity, and builds climate resilience. It also addresses the fact that 90% of natural disasters over the past seven decades have been water-related, offering tools to forecast and mitigate risks.
Our financial modeling highlights seaweed-based revenue streams, byproducts, and carbon credits, leveraging green finance taxonomies and result-based financing to attract investors. This project is not just about innovation—it’s about creating a scalable, high-impact solution that positions the U.S. at the forefront of a thriving blue economy while supporting sustainability, profitability, and coastal resilience. |
Website: https://thummartechnologies.com/index
Email: info@thummartechnologies.com
Phone: +91-9725497682
Address: 111, 1st Floor, President House,, Opp. C N Vidyalay, Ambawadi, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380006, India
| Gujarat |
| PacMar Technologies | Timothy Lee | Capture Manager |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| PacMar Technologies is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii and has major engineering offices/labs in Maine and Rhode Island. We specialize in the development, prototyping, and testing of novel maritime platforms, including uncrewed underwater and surface vessels and platforms, amphibious vehicles, logistics/transportation systems, energy harvesting technologies, lightweight inflatable structures, and other related hardware. Our pier-side facility also enables easy access to Hawaiian waters year round. We also have significant experience in hydrodynamics modeling, simulation, and analysis.
PacMar Technologies would be interested in teaming to develop or support any of the following for the HAECHO program: - Autonomous/uncrewed electric and hybrid-electric vessels for facilitating various harvesting, farming, and transportation - Novel marine platforms to support at-sea processing operations - An amphibious connector or system to simplify harvesting and transportation - In-house evaluation of electric motors and small-large scale lithium battery packs - At-sea mechanical and electrical coupling and towing - Solar energy generation at-sea using modular/flexible platforms - Wireless power transfer at high power levels - Hydrodynamic modeling and simulation - Energy-efficient buoyancy engine/depth cycling technologies
Please feel free to reach out to discuss potential teaming/collaboration opportunities. |
| HI |
| Seatrec, Inc. | Yi Chao | CEO |
Small Business
|
Power Generation: Renewable
| I am the founder and CEO of Seatrec, Inc., a spinoff from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology to commercialize the patented technology to harvest energy from ocean temperature differences using Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Seatrec has integrated this PCM ocean thermal energy harvesting system into the autonomous profiling float. The commercial product known as the infiniTE (infinite Thermal Energy) float was launched in 2023. With energy no longer the limitation, the infiniTE float can profile down to 1,000 meters as frequently as every six hours while still lasting for years. Three sensor packages (i.e., CTD, hydrophone and echosounder) have been integrated to support three market applications of hurricane forecast improvements, soundscape monitoring and seabed mapping, respectively.
Other sensors not possible before due to energy limitations (e.g., ADCP, UVP6 optical sensor) are being integrated onto the infiniTE float and, once successfully tested, will be offered as future commercial products. As a winner of this year's DOE Power at Sea Prize during the CONCEPT phase, Seatrec will develop a side-looking echosounder in the next DEVELOP phase to profile plankton and pelagic habitats in the upper ocean.
Seatrec's infiniTE float with the appropriate sensor packages can be used to collect real-time data in remote areas to support persistent monitoring and smart (data-driven) decision making. The collected data can also inform numerical models in a digital twin configuration to simulate the entire growth cycle and operations.
Seatrec's PCM technology with or without the conversion to electricity can be applied in depth cycling to control the hardware and enable the crop to periodically access optimal conditions to maximize growth.
With a Ph.D. from Princeton University in ocean sciences, I have more than 20 years experience of research in the areas of ocean modeling, data assimilation, operational oceanography, and satellite oceanography. In addition to oceanographic research, I have successfully developed a patented technology (from 0 to 1) and transitioned this technology from academic R&D to commercial products (from 1 to N). I also have a decade-long management experience as the Project Scientist for the $300M Aquarius mission (the first NASA satellite to measure sea surface salinity from space) as well as the Section Manager for Climate, Ice and Solid Earth with more than 100 FTEs and 30 postdocs. |
| CA |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Juliet Gopinath | Professor |
Academic
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Bioenergy
| My photonics group has significant expertise in optical spectroscopy, miniature optical microscopes, and microscopy with super-resolution and optical sectioning capabilities. |
| CO |
| Ocean Rainforest | Javier Infante | Head of R&D |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Ocean Rainforest is a leader in sustainable seaweed cultivation, with over a decade of experience operating and developing offshore farming systems. Our expertise spans the entire value chain, from propagating seedlings to processing high-quality biomass into value-added products. We are currently expanding operations with a permit application for a 2,000-acre seaweed cultivation site off the coast of Ventura, California. Our capabilities include engineering and design solutions for resilient farming systems tailored to dynamic marine environments, ensuring durability and scalability. Our cultivation and harvesting practices are optimized for high-yield, high-quality biomass production, integrating innovative strategies that enhance resource efficiency. Additionally, we specialize in processing and product development, transforming harvested seaweed into a diverse range of value-added products, including biostimulants, animal feed, extracts, and other bio-based products. To support these efforts, we operate a pilot scale seaweed processing plant in Goleta, California, designed to refine and scale seaweed conversion processes. This facility serves as a critical resource for developing and testing innovative processing techniques and value-added product formulations, enabling the transition from small-scale trials to pilot-scale commercial production. We are publishing in this partnering list to showcase our unique role as a practical testing environment and strategic partner for advancing offshore energy and aquaculture solutions. Our infrastructure—comprising a demonstration farm, pilot processing plant, and planned Ventura expansion—provides a robust platform for real-world testing and scaling innovative projects. Collaborating with Ocean Rainforest grants access to one of the largest seaweed farming operations in the U.S., backed by extensive experience in sustainable aquaculture. We address logistical, technical, and regulatory challenges, offering comprehensive support to ensure project success while driving innovation and contributing to global sustainability. |
| CA |
| Acbotics Research | Erin Fischell | President |
Small Business
|
Other Energy Technologies
| Acbotics Research specializes in products and consulting in areas of marine sensing, acoustics, autonomy and systems integration, with a specialty in multi-domain sensing systems. Our internal product line makes it possible for us to quickly develop semi-custom solutions for low-cost sensing in the ocean and we work with industry and academic partners in developing affordable customized systems for marine sensing challenges. The Acbotics Research senior engineering team has more than 40 years marine robotics, sensing, and acoustics experience, and a part of our business is sharing that expertise. Consulting services including array design, subject matter expertise in autonomy/acoustics/perception, data analysis, and data fusion. Specific domain expertise includes passive and active acoustics, SLAM/mapping, detection localization classification and tracking (DCLT) systems, integration of multi-sensor systems with acoustics, and custom software integration services. |
| MA |
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