The State of California and the Port of Los Angeles are providing $12 million in funding to AltaSea, a nonprofit corporation, to fund the construction of a new blue economy ocean research and development centre.

Berth 58 – the site of the initial 60,000 square feet of the planned 180,000 feet of the Center of Innovation at AltaSea – will be the first fully renovated structure on AltaSea’s 35-acre campus at the Port of Los Angeles.

The centre will house ocean-focused businesses specialising in sustainable aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, and underwater robotics. Construction is expected to commence by mid-2022 and be completed in the first half of 2023.

AltaSea’s signed anchor tenants include the University of Southern California, the Southern California Marine Institute (made up of 23 universities, colleges, and institutes), Braid Theory, Holdfast Aquaculture, Montauk Technologies, and Pacific Mariculture.

Also among the tenants is the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and the research vessel Nautilus, which docks at AltaSea. OET has plans to build a 10,000 square foot interactive research and educational centre at AltaSea.

“AltaSea’s focus on the rapid growth of the blue economy adds a new dimension to our pursuit of sustainable solutions and expands the diversity of jobs across our port ecosystem,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka.

“The blue economy will not only provide workers with pathways to sustain and grow their professional and personal lives, but these jobs will allow them to be a crucial part of the solution to some of the world’s most challenging issues, including climate change.”