Los Angeles, Calif. (November 27, 2024) – AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s leading hub for the blue economy, today announced that it signed a fiscal sponsorship with Aquaai, a California deep tech climate company that works in Norway and the United Arab Emirates, to partner on Aquaai’s Circularity for Biodiversity project. Aquaai’s closed-loop project applies data, AI and robotic fish sensor platforms to detect discarded fishing gear and repurposes the gear into robot fish to detect and collect more discarded fishing gear.

In the same week, AltaSea also announced that Israeli-based Eco Wave Power acquired the final permits necessary for the installation of the first-ever onshore wave energy pilot station in the United States. The final permit – issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers – authorizes Eco Wave Power to install eight wave energy floaters on the existing wharf near AltaSea’s campus. These floaters, along with an energy conversion unit, will be installed in the first quarter of 2025, and will demonstrate the simplicity and scalability of ocean-based renewable energy.

“We are thrilled to see such groundbreaking initiatives taking shape at AltaSea. Aquaai and Eco Wave Power are not only pioneers in their fields, but they are also demonstrating the vast potential of the blue economy – advancing ocean-based solutions to drive economic growth and create new jobs,” said AltaSea President & CEO Terry Tamminen. “From repurposing ocean waste into innovative solutions to harnessing the power of waves for clean energy, they both showcase how innovative technology and sustainability can go hand in hand to address some of the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges.”

Aquaai, headquartered in the United States and operating in Norway and the United Arab Emirates, is a deep tech climate company addressing water scarcity and food security using AI, data insights and biomimetic fishlike autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Servicing multiple industries, such as aquaculture, coastal tourism, city water management, and biodiversity protection, Aquaai’s SaaS offering allows companies and researchers affordable data access to aquatic environments via robotic fish sensor platforms that look and move like a fish, while not disturbing the natural underwater environment.

Each year, over 895,000 marine animals – like sea lions, turtles, cetaceans, seals, and dugongs – die from the 500,000+ tons of discarded fishing gear entanglement, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. Aquaai aims to deploy their system to geolocate harmful derelict fishing gear, have the gear removed from the ocean, and upcycle it to make additional Aquaai fish platforms that can do the same work creating a closed-loop effect Aquaai calls Circularity for Biodiversity.

“We are pleased to be partnering with AltaSea to bring our Circularity for Biodiversity to life.” said Aquaai Co-Founder and CEO Liane Thompson. “Detecting and transforming discarded fishing gear into tools that can further clean the ocean, we’re creating a sustainable loop that not only protects marine life, but also supports the growing blue economy.”

Aquaai will launch their Circularity for Biodiversity project on December 2nd on the Nice.Industries online platform, allowing those who wish to protect marine life and remove debris from the ocean the opportunity to support the project with tax-deductible donations.

The final permits and licensing necessary for Eco Wave Power’s pilot wave energy station comes a year after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 605 into law. The bill – introduced by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) and sponsored by AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles – calls for an extensive study and assessment of wave and tidal energy potential off California’s 840-mile coastline. It also directs the California Energy Commission to work with various state agencies and stakeholders to assess the feasibility, costs, and potential of deploying wave and tidal energy technology across California’s coastline.

“We are thrilled to receive this final permit and move one step closer to bringing wave energy to the U.S.,” said Inna Braverman, Founder and CEO of Eco Wave Power. “This project represents not only a technological breakthrough but also a crucial step in advancing the global transition to renewable energy. We are deeply grateful for the support of AltaSea, the Port of Los Angeles, Shell MRE, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as we work to make wave energy a key part of the sustainable energy landscape.”

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About AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles
AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, located on 35 acres at North America’s leading seaport by both container volume and cargo value, is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just, and equitable world.