Who We AreChartered to “return to the sea some measure of the benefitsderived from it,” Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI)has conducted innovative scientific research for 40 yearsthroughout the world in order to protect our living oceanresources, ocean-based economy and quality of life.

In 2002, HSWRI responded to 51 dolphin and whalestrandings on the East-Central Coast of Florida. TheInstitute is also at the forefront of using satellite technology to track the ocean journeys of whale sharks,endangered leatherback sea turtles and Hawaiian monkseals to better understand their migratory patterns andcritical habitat, which are essential ingredients to sustaining the biological diversity of our ocean planet.

In addition to its work with marine mammals, for morethan 20 years HSWRI has been conducting stock replenishment research on the dwindling white seabasspopulation, which has included the successful breeding,rearing and release of more than 650,000 seabass inSouthern California waters. HSWRI serves as a lead partner in the Ocean Resources Enhancement HatcheryProgram (OREHP), which was created to investigate ways

to counteract the depletion of California’s coastal marinefisheries through stock enhancement. It is one of the fewstocking programs that assesses the biological and economicimpacts of its releases. And it is the only program of itskind on the West Coast of North America.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute has a long history of protecting our oceans and marine life. It has venturedinto aquaculture to further its research in restoringdepleted fish populations and to do so in a manner that is sensitive to the ocean environment by utilizing the very best practices and research methods.

Project DescriptionThe Grace Mariculture Project is a research program ofthe Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute designed to testthe feasibility of using offshore platforms for the sustain-able development of marine aquaculture (mariculture).Mariculture is ocean-based agriculture and an extensionof aquaculture – a general term used to describe the cultivation of fish or shellfish in any body of water.

Aquaculture is becoming increasingly important to meetthe growing U.S. and worldwide demand for seafood andto alleviate pressure on wild populations, which havebeen diminished due to overfishing, pollution and habitatdestruction. Specific fish and shellfish species being culti-vated through the Grace Mariculture Project are whiteseabass, striped bass, California halibut, California

Project DescriptionT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

yellowtail and bluefin tuna, as well as shellfish such as redabalone and mussels.

HSWRI is directing and managing the Grace MaricultureProject in collaboration with the National Marine FisheriesService and other governmental agencies, with supportfrom ChevronTexaco Environmental ManagementCorporation and Venoco, Inc. The project is being privately funded so there is no cost to taxpayers.

Based on the success of shore-based and small scale cagemariculture research, this study is the next step in theresearch and development of a sustainable maricultureindustry in California. With more than 20 years of aquaculture experience, including its successful fisheriesenhancement program at the Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr. Marine Fish Hatchery in Carlsbad and a federallyfunded study on Santa Catalina Island, HSWRI has the experience and expertise needed to undertake this important research project.

Project Goals & OutcomesIt is well accepted that our natural fisheries are now incapable of meeting our seafood needs and, in somecases, have been exploited beyond sustainable levels.There is also recognition by many that mariculture mayoffer an opportunity to re-address seafood supply shortagesand may be a more sustainable way of producing seafoodthan certain forms of commercial fishing.

HSWRI’s Grace Mariculture Project responds to theseconcerns and embraces the opportunity. Its goal is tostudy how mariculture might be used as a tool in resolvingour seafood supply problem, while at the same time conducting the research necessary to ensure that a futureCalifornia mariculture industry would be based on soundscience and good practice. It offers the opportunity tolearn about and to demonstrate the potential of this newindustry to California under closely controlled conditionsand be supervised by a technically competent research organization.

HSWRI has identified several critical research priorities:

• Evaluate the feasibility of cultivating several importantCalifornia fish and shellfish species.

• Test the design and confirm the performance of allaquaculture systems (cages, mooring systems, tanks,feed systems).

• Increase the understanding of aquaculture among thepublic and state and federal trustee agencies.

• Assist governmental and environmental agencies indeveloping standards and guidelines for mariculture.

• Develop a model for the responsible and sustainabledevelopment of mariculture operations in federalwaters.

• Determine the compatibility of aquaculture with oiland gas operations.

• Determine the resource use efficiency of mariculturesystems that might be developed in California andcompare them with other forms of terrestrial animalagriculture.

• Study the dispersal and assimilation of wastes frommariculture and their potential to benefit marine floraand fauna in the vicinity of mariculture operations.

Project Timeline The permitting process is anticipated to take placebetween January 2004 and August 2004. Upon approval,the project will begin with cage and tank equipmentdelivery and assembly from April 2004 to December 2004.Nursery and cage grow-out will begin as early as October2004. Environmental monitoring will begin in January2004 and continue through 2007.

For more information, please visit our Web site atwww.gracemaricultureproject.org.

Project DescriptionS O L U T I O N S T H R O U G H S C I E N C E

here are several commercially important speciesregularly found in California waters. The large-scale production of several species will be tested,

including finfish such as white seabass, striped bass,California halibut, California yellowtail and bluefin tuna,and shellfish such as abalone and mussels. These speciesare natural inhabitants of California waters and havebeen selected for their high potential for successful

growth in the offshore environment and for their limitedavailability to the market.

Additional facilities will be available for research on theculture development and out-planting of endangered andsignificantly diminished species, such as white abaloneand bocaccio, as well as species that may yield pharmaco-logical or other scientific benefits.

Species to be ProducedT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

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Striped BassMorone saxatilis

Red AbaloneHaliotis rufescens

HalibutParalichthys californicus

Yelloweye RockfishSebastes ruberrimus

BocaccioSebastes paucispinis

Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus

White abaloneHaliotis sorenseni

White SeabassAtractoscion nobilis

California YellowtailSeriola lalandi

Bluefin TunaThunnus thynnus orientalis

Marketable Species Enhancement Species

here is a clear need for increased aquacultureoperations to meet U.S. and worldwide demandfor seafood. The annual U.S. demand for seafood

products is expected to increase by 1.4 million metric tonsby the year 2010. This increased demand represents nearly 50 percent more than the total current production fromdomestic fisheries and is only a fraction of the projectedneeds for global seafood production.

Seafood imports are currently the nation’s second largestcontributor to the trade deficit at $7 billion annually.Without increasing our reliance on imported seafood, theincreased demand can only be met by sustainable harvestsfrom capture fisheries complemented by increased pro-duction from aquaculture. Currently, aquaculture supplies37 percent of all seafood directly consumed by humans.

Recognizing that our nation must become more self sufficient, the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration has set a goal to expand U.S. aquacultureproduction from 0.5 to more than 2.0 million metric tonsper year by 2025. The value of this production will be over $5 billion annually.

The Grace Project willhelp ensure that the U.S.aquaculture industryincreases its profitabilityand competitiveness inthe global marketplace.

In addition to expandingU.S. seafood production,the Grace MaricultureProject will offer a signif-icant opportunity to sup-port research on dimin-ished and endangeredspecies, as well as thosethat may hold benefits toscience and medicine.The project is designed to assist government and environ-mental organizations in developing national aquacultureguidelines through extensive, proactive monitoring andreporting programs. The results of this project will bedirectly applicable and serve as a model for the responsibledevelopment of sustainable offshore aquaculture in the U.S.

Project Need and BenefitsT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

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latform Grace is an ideal environment for conduct-ing mariculture operations. Unlike shore-based orcoastal facilities, the offshore location offers excellent

water quality to promote fish health and provide theadded benefits of ocean depth and current, which reduceenvironmental impacts through the diffusion of organicwastes. Platform Grace also provides infrastructure andservices for research, including available deck space, utilitiesand daily access by supply boats from Port Hueneme,California. The Grace Mariculture Project will culturewhite seabass, striped bass, California halibut, Californiayellowtail and bluefin tuna as well as shellfish such asabalone and mussels.

Platform Grace is located 10.5 miles off the coast ofVentura, California in the eastern Santa Barbara Channel.Installed by Chevron Corporation in 1979, Platform Graceis situated in 330 feet of water in the U.S. ExclusiveEconomic Zone and operates as a transfer station for the oil production from another platform to shore.ChevronTexaco sold Platform Grace to Venoco, Inc. in1999 and Venoco leased Platform Grace to HSWRI inAugust 2003.

About Platform GraceT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

PPlatform Grace

S A N T A B A R B A R A C H A N N E L

SANTA BARBARA

SAN MIGUEL

SANTA ROSASANTA CRUZ

ANACAPA

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Frequently Asked QuestionsT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Q. What is mariculture?A. Mariculture is ocean-based agriculture, involving

the cultivation and rearing of marine organisms forhuman use. Aquaculture is a more general termdescribing the cultivation of fish or shellfish in water,which could include oceans, rivers, lakes and otherwater-based environments. Aquaculture is very similarto its land-based farming counterparts in concept andmanagement strategies and has recently become thefastest growing segment of agriculture in the U.S.

Q. Why is aquaculture important?A. There is a clear need for increased aquaculture

production to meet U.S. and worldwide demand forseafood and to alleviate pressure on wild populations,which have been diminished due to overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction.

The annual U.S. demand for seafood is expected toincrease by 3.3 billion pounds (35-50 percent) by theyear 2010 and seafood is consistently among thelargest contributors to the national trade deficit, withapproximately $10 billion in imports annually. Thisgrowing demand can be met only by sustainable harvests from capture fisheries complimented byincreased aquaculture production.

Q. What are the current trends in aquaculture?A. Growth and sustainability. Aquaculture is a burgeon-

ing industry in the U.S. and the need for increasedproduction is widely recognized. There also exists agrowing consensus among the scientific, regulatoryand resource management communities that properlymanaged aquaculture operations can bring significanteconomic and social benefits with few or no environ-mental impacts.

Q. Why use Platform Grace for aquaculture?A. Platform Grace is an ideal environment for fish pro-

duction. The offshore location offers excellent waterquality to promote fish health as well as the benefits of ocean depth and current, which reduce impactsthrough the diffusion of organic wastes.

Currently, U.S. aquaculture is conducted in shore-basedor coastal facilities, where expansion and operationsare hampered due to environmental concerns, poorwater quality and continued land development. Bymoving operations to an offshore environment, theGrace Mariculture Project is the next step in theresearch and development of sustainable aquaculture.

Q. How will the Grace Mariculture Project work?A. The project will utilize tank systems on the main deck

of Platform Grace for hatchery and nursery operations.A total of four cages will be placed in the waters adjacent to Platform Grace where fish will grow toharvest size. A full-time staff will live on PlatformGrace and manage the research project on a daily basis.

Q. What species of fish will the Grace Mariculture Project produce?

A. Several California species will be evaluated, includingfinfish such as white seabass, striped bass, Californiahalibut, California yellowtail and bluefin tuna, andshellfish such as red abalone and mussels.

Additional facilities will be available for research onthe enhancement of endangered and significantlydiminished species, such as white abalone, bocaccioand other rockfish species, as well as species that mayyield medical or other scientific benefits.

Q. Why is ChevronTexaco involved in the GraceMariculture Project?

A. ChevronTexaco recognizes the unique nature of offshore platforms and the opportunities for marineaquaculture research that they offer. ChevronTexaco isinterested in conducting research within the operatinglife of the platforms so that any beneficial alternateuses can be identified before the platforms areremoved.

Q. What is Venoco’s role in the Grace MaricultureProject?

A. Venoco, Inc. leases space on Platform Grace to Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute for the research programand provides operational support on a fee-for-service basis.

Q. Who will receive the profits from the commercial salesof the fish produced throughout the duration of theproject?

A. Any revenues received from the program will be usedto support conservation research conducted by the Instituteand research organizations with which it collaborates.

Frequently Asked QuestionsT H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Aquaculture Today• Aquaculture is a general term describing the cultivation of

animals and plants in water, which could include oceans, rivers,lakes and other aquatic environments. Mariculture is ocean-basedor marine aquaculture.

• Global production from aquaculture is increasing by about 11 percent per year - "The world's fastest growing food producingsector." - according to the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO).

• Fish and shellfish produced from farming activities currentlyaccount for 37 Percent of all seafood directly consumed byhumans (FAO, 2003).

• Fish produced by aquaculture are similar in quality to fish landedby capture fisheries. They are safe to eat and highly nutritious.They are sold in most grocery stores and presently includeAtlantic salmon, tilapia, catfish and rainbow trout.

• Aquaculture techniques are used for fishery replenishment programs as well as production for direct human consumption.Examples include California's salmon hatcheries and HSWRI'swhite seabass restocking program.

Global Facts• Fish is man’s most important single source of high-quality protein,

currently providing 16 Percent of the animal protein consumedglobally, or roughly one fifth of all animal protein in the human diet.

• Today, fish is the only important food source that is still primarilygathered from the wild rather than farmed.

• Globally, there are 210 different farmed aquatic animal and plantspecies: 131 finfish species, 42 molluscan, 27 crustacean, 8 plantand 2 amphibian and reptile species (FAO).

• In the U.S., there are 19 reported commercially cultured species:6 finfish species, 4 molluscan species, 2 crustacean and 7 otheraquatic plant, amphibian and reptile species.

• During the period 1992 - 2001 total world fish and shellfish supply increased by 29.4 percent while supply from wild capture fisheries increased by only 8.3 percent. (FAO)

• Worldwide, over 36 million people are employed directly throughfishing and aquaculture.

Aquaculture in California• California's aquaculture industry is among the most diverse in

the United States. Operations vary from small, family-run operations to sophisticated research and production facilities.

• California’s aquaculture facilities are all sited in nearshore coastal waters, on land or in freshwater. None are located in offshore waters.

• Catfish, striped bass, tilapia, algae, trout and white sturgeon are among the most common species produced in California. No marine finfish are produced commercially.

• California has over 1,000 miles of coastline and 200,000 squaremiles of ocean space where mariculture might be developed in future.

Aquaculture and the Environment• To grow successfully, the aquaculture industry must use ecologically

sound practices and manage resources sustainably.

• Properly managed aquaculture operations can bring significanteconomic and social benefits with little or no environmentalimpact. In fact some 'impacts', such as increased reef habitat, can be positive.

• The responsible development of aquaculture requires that regulatory agencies, universities, fishermen and scientists work in concert to ensure that all environmental, permitting, logistical,legal and sociopolitical aspects of the industry are addressed.

The Need for Increased Production• The annual U.S. demand for seafood is projected to increase by

3.3 billion pounds (35-50 percent) by the year 2010.

• This demand for seafood can only be met by sustainable harvestsfrom fisheries complimented by increased production from aquaculture.

• Most likely these supplies will be imported from overseas becausethe prospects for increased supply from our natural fisheries arefew and the U.S. aquaculture industry is still relatively small.

• The Department of Commerce recognizes this and is seeking waysto expand U.S. aquaculture consistent with its parallel goals forsustainable development.

• The U.S. ranks third in the world as a consumer of seafood but itis only eleventh in a worldwide ranking of aquaculture producers.

• In 2002 U.S. imports of seafood grew to a record 4.4 billionpounds worth $10.1 billion. This caused a net trade deficit inseafood estimated at $7 billion

Reference http://www.st.nmfs.gov/st1/trade/trade2002.pdf

For more information and references to facts about aquaculture, please refer to our Web site at www.gracemaricultureproject.org.

T H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Aquaculture Quick Facts

Marine aquaculture (mariculture), especially in the offshore environment, is new to the United States. As a result of its novelty,questions have justifiably been raised regarding its practices andpotential impacts. Unfortunately, in the absence of direct experience,misleading parallels have often been drawn to other forms of aquaculture or culture practices in other countries.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) is committed to thenotion that ocean farming will have to fill the increasing void inseafood supplies for future generations. We also recognize that, likeall other human interactions with the environment, mariculture mayhave impacts. Our research mission is to address questions relatedto offshore mariculture and to evaluate, quantify and report ourfindings to the public and to resource managers whose job it is toassess the risks and benefits of mariculture relative to other uses of the marine environment. Our research goal is to find sustainableways to use our nation’s natural resources to meet our growingneed for seafood.

HSWRI will conduct research designed to directly address the concerns associated with commercial scale development of offshoremariculture operations. These concerns are summarized in the following “issues”:

Issue 1: Feeding fish to fish to make more fishBackground: Most marine fish consumed in the U.S. are carnivorousby nature - that is they consume other marine animals (fish, squid,crustaceans, etc). To meet the nutritional needs of these animals inculture, formulated feeds usually include fishmeal as the primaryprotein source. Fishmeal is produced from small baitfish such as sardines, anchovies, herring and menhaden and also, in some casesfrom fisheries processing waste.

There is concern that with the expansion of mariculture, increasingamounts of baitfish will be caught for use in feeds. The net result,some people argue, is that we will not be producing more protein byfarming but in fact, less, due to the need to harvest more wild fishfor fishmeal.

Factoids: • Global production of fishmeal has remained stable for the last

15 years, averaging 13.6 billion pounds annually, except in ElNiño years, when production is lower. In the same period globalaquaculture production has increased almost threefold.

• Fisheries scientists and managers generally accept that theworld's fishmeal fisheries are some of the best managed and sustainable fisheries.

• The fish from which fishmeal is made are not palatable to people.

They are small, bony and extremely fishy tasting. Attempts toprocess them for use as an ingredient in human diets have, so far, failed.

• Worldwide, the majority of fishmeal (~65 percent) is used in live-stock feeds for the pig and poultry industries as well as for fertilizer.

• Compared to these other agricultural uses of fishmeal, its use infeeds for mariculture may be more efficient because fish are betterthan terrestrial livestock at converting their feed into body mass.

• Some researchers have also shown that the conversion of baitfishinto fishmeal and then into farmed fish may be up to five timesmore efficient than if the same baitfish were left as forage forwild fish in natural fisheries. This is due to the flow of energy innatural food webs and to the higher survivability of juvenile cul-tured fish over their wild counterparts. (Hardy and Forster, 2001)

• Powerful economic forces drive the selection and use of ingredientsin animal feeds. Fishmeal will only continue to be used as long asit provides nutritional value while remaining cost competitive withother dietary protein sources such as soybeans and rape seed.

• Researchers and feed companies who support the aquacultureindustry have recognized the need to evaluate different proteinsources for many years. Substantial progress has been made insubstituting other ingredients for fishmeal and fish oil in aquaculture feeds; a trend that will continue.

• The challenge for mariculture, as it is for other branches of animalagriculture, is how to get the maximum nutritional benefit forhumanity from the minimum investment of natural resources?The fact that the answer may be found in some forms of mariculture is an extraordinarily compelling argument for moreresearch in this field.

Issue 2: Nutrients from fish farms and the marine environmentBackground: Like other animals and humans, as fish metabolizefood, they naturally produce wastes in the form of soluble nitrogenouscompounds and feces. As they break down, these wastes become asource of nutrients for plants and other animals and are recycledthrough the marine food chain. However, an excess of these wastescan cause localized problems such as build up of sediment on theseabed, or eutrophication in the water column that may, in somecases, cause unwanted side effects. Mariculture operations must,therefore be located and managed in a way that provides for theadequate dispersal and natural assimilation of wastes. Usually thismeans locating them in areas with medium to strong tidal currentsand water depth greater than 60 feet.

A criticism of such an approach is that 'dispersal' is really a euphemism

T H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Aquaculture Issues

for 'dilution' and 'dilution is not the solution to pollution'. But in thecase of nutrients, be they on land or in the ocean, this concept maybe too simplistic. Animal wastes on land, for example, are normally used as fertilizers. In fact, when used under appropriatelycontrolled conditions, such use is a prerequisite of organic farming.Dilution or dispersal into the soil in this case is generally consideredto be a good thing.

The challenge for mariculture is to find a way to accomplish similarlyproductive dispersal of its wastes. The factors involved are complex,site-specific and sensitive to scale. But there is the prospect, if allthe interacting factors can be understood, that the wastes releasedcould result in a beneficial, localized enhancement of marine floraand fauna, including enhanced natural fisheries. Such an increase inproductivity is frequently observed near mariculture operationstoday but, until now, it has been inadequately studied and documented.

One of HSWRI's goals in the Grace Project is to conduct research toseek the understanding needed to be able to predict and even controllocalized increases in productivity near mariculture facilities. HSWRIsees an opportunity here to turn the possible problem of wastesfrom mariculture into a benefit and believes, therefore, that thisshould be a priority area for its mariculture research effort.

Factoids: • The wastes released by fish in mariculture projects are the same

as those released by wild fish, namely nitrogenous wastes in solu-tion (ammonia and urea) and feces, which contain mostly, undi-gested complex carbohydrates and fragments of bone. In addition,there is often a small proportion of uneaten (wasted) feed thatpasses through the net meshes and into the water column. Thesewastes do not contain toxicants, unlike many industrial and evendomestic wastes, and they are biodegradable.

• Once released, ammonia and urea are quickly oxidized by marinebacteria and become nitrate - a basic plant nutrient.

• Solid wastes are similarly biodegraded by bacteria or, in somecases, may directly be consumed by marine invertebrates. But thisprocess of degradation is slower and, therefore, these solid wastescan also, sometimes, accumulate on the seabed.

• Uneaten or wasted feed should, in well-managed farms, be a veryminor portion of the overall solid waste. Clearly, it is not in thebest interests of the operation to waste expensive raw materials.Today, fish farmers use a variety of monitoring devices, such asunderwater cameras and acoustic Doppler systems to insure mini-mum wastage while, at the same time, making sure that the fishare adequately fed.

• The primary concern in managing these wastes is that the solublematerials do not become over-concentrated in too small a volume

of water, or that the feces do not accumulate to an unacceptablelevel as settled solids on the seabed under the mariculture facility.These are easily monitored.

• Adverse effects on the behavior and performance of the captivefish themselves are almost always the first indicators of over concentration of soluble wastes. Therefore the problem is, ineffect, self-regulating. It is in a fish farmer's own best interest tomanage operations so that such over-concentration of wastesdoes not occur. Examples of soluble wastes having caused problems in mariculture are extremely rare.

• Accumulation of solid waste under a mariculture facility can bemonitored by regular sediment sampling. In many cases suchaccumulation leads to an increase in benthic productivity andincreased aggregations of fish and marine invertebrates, changesthat may be considered beneficial. Benthic monitoring will beconducted routinely as part of the Grace Mariculture Projectresearch activity according to EPA guidelines and the Project’senvironmental sampling program.

• Above all else, the management and potentially beneficial assimi-lation of wastes from mariculture is a matter of scale of activityrelative to the water mass that surrounds it. Relative to the massof ocean water surrounding the Platform Grace, the proposedHSWRI mariculture activity will be, for all practical purposes,insignificant. However, it will also be a first step in understandingthe capacity of California's offshore waters to support a newindustry that has the potential to grow for decades to come, in the process providing jobs and new source of seafood for our citizens.

Issue 3: Antibiotics used in fish farmsBackground: Antibiotics are used to treat disease in all forms ofanimal husbandry. The likelihood that the pathogens targeted by theantibiotics will develop resistance increases over time. Excessive useof antibiotics exacerbates this process and is to be discouraged

Factoids: • Disease prevention is the best way to minimize the need for

antibiotics. Good water quality (i.e. offshore) supported by soundmanagement and husbandry practices, such as low stocking densities, use of high quality feed, etc. are common and effectivedisease prevention mechanisms.

• The use of vaccines is another way. Vaccines have been especiallyeffective in the salmon farming industry. The manufacturing andapplication techniques learned with salmon are now available foruse with other new mariculture species.

T H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Aquaculture Issues

T H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

Aquaculture Issues• Very few antibiotics are approved for use in farming food fish

and the use of any is strictly regulated by the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA).

• Any use of antibiotics by HSWRI is approved in advance by alicensed veterinarian and subsequently reported to the FDA.

Issue 4: Escaped fish and interactions with wildBackground: It is thought that escaped farmed fish may impactwild populations genetically if they breed with them. They may also affect them, behaviorally through competition and, possibly,through disease transfer if the farmed fish are carriers of disease.

Factoids: • HSWRI will only be farming endemic (i.e. California) species for

the Grace Mariculture Project.

• No transgenic fish products are currently commercially availablein the U.S. and California maintains strict regulations regardingthe use of transgenic organisms in aquaculture. HSWRI will notuse any genetically modified organisms in the Grace MaricultureProject.

• In collaboration with the California Department of Fish andGame, HSWRI has intentionally released cultured fish into theocean for nearly 20 years. During this period, HSWRI has consultedexperts world-wide to better understand the genetic and ecologicalrisks associated with allowing cultured fish to interact with wildones. This experience will be brought to the Grace MaricultureProject.

• HSWRI employs state-of-the art cage equipment and strict maintenance practices to avoid system failures. HSWRI has operated a net pen facility at Santa Catalina Island for the past 5 years without an incident of system failure or escapement.

1963 • Mission Bay ResearchFoundation is chartered by Milton Shedd, one of the foundersof SeaWorld. By establishing theFoundation, Shedd demonstratesSeaWorld’s ongoing commitmentto the study and conservation ofthe marine environment.

1977 • Mission BayResearch Foundation is rededicated as Hubbs-SeaWorldResearch Institute in honor of Dr. CarlLeavitt Hubbs andLaura Clark Hubbs.

1963

1981 • HSWRI releases a reporton the potential impacts ofSpace Shuttle noise on birds,seals and sea lions on California’sChannel Islands, providing theU.S. space program with criticalenvironmental information forits California operations.

1981

1982 • HSWRI initiates the OceanResources Enhancement andHatchery Program in collaborationwith San Diego State Universityand the California Department ofFish and Game.

1982

1985 • Legendary oceanexplorer and marine biologistDr. Sylvia Earle utilizesHSWRI as an operations base for her “Deep Rover”submersible testing.

1978

1978 • HSWRI begins long-term study of thepopulation biology, ecology and behavior of marine mammals on the California Channel Islands.

1989 • HSWRI cleaning protocolsfor sea otters and other marinemammals during oil spills areimplemented by HSWRI scientistsand SeaWorld animal care specialistsfollowing the grounding of theExxon Valdez in Prince WilliamSound, Alaska.

1977

ubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) is a501(c)(3) non-profit research foundation estab-lished in 1963. Although founded by the original

business partners who formed SeaWorld Adventure Park,HSWRI is a separate non-profit entity.

HSWRI is dedicated to studying the world’s naturalresources, with emphasis on marine and coastal environ-ments. The Institute’s researchers conduct local and globalscientific investigations in the fields of aquaculture,

bioacoustics, conservation, ecology and physiology. HSWRIstudies have included a diverse range of issues, includingmanatee safety, California seal and sea lion populations,leatherback sea turtle migration and the habitat of theendangered Hawaiian monk seal.

Through a commitment to innovative scientific research,the Institute contributes to the understanding and conservation of the marine world.

T H E G R A C E M A R I C U L T U R E P R O J E C T

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Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute

1991 • HSWRI scientists beginresearch on the desert kit fox inArizona’s Sonoran Desert. The three-year program studies the effect oflow-flying military aircraft on the kit fox’s interaction with its prey.

1995 • The Institute opens theLeon Raymond Hubbard, Jr.,Marine Fish Hatchery in Carlsbad,California, the first marine fishhatchery on the U.S. West Coastdedicated to enhancing declining fish populations.

1998 • J.J., a stranded juvenile gray whale,is reintroduced to the wild from SeaWorldSan Diego’s care. Working with SeaWorld,HSWRI acquainted the whale calf with wildwhale vocalizations in order to ease herreintroduction to migrating gray whales.

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2001 • The movements and diving patternsof nearly 100 Hawaiian monk seals arebeing monitored in the northwesternHawaiian Islands using satellite-linkedtransmitters. This study, the largestever attempted for the species, willprovide information critical to thedevelopment of management and conservation strategies to protect andrestore important marine habitats for the endangered species.

1997 • The Institute is gifted landadjacent to the Archie Carr NationalWildlife Refuge in Florida, expandingthe Institute’s base of operations tothe Atlantic coastline. Operating fromSeaWorld Orlando, HSWRI beginsessential research on endangered WestIndian manatees, Atlantic bottlenosedolphins, leatherback sea turtles andpygmy sperm whales in Florida.

HSWRI’s Objectives• Pursue scientific discovery through original research

on marine organisms and habitats.

• Apply research results toward conservation effortsthrough the assessment and resolution of environmentalproblems.

• Share results and knowledge with scientists and thepublic, and promote collaboration and cooperationwith colleagues and the community.

• Encourage the study of animals in zoological parks and aquaria, which provide unique and valuable opportunities for scientific inquiry.

• Act as a mentor for new scientists and educators byproviding research opportunities and training throughcollaboration with academic institutions.

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Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute

nder the auspices of the California Department ofFish and Game, HSWRI has conducted a fisheriesenhancement program in Southern California for

more than 20 years, providing the Institute with theunique experience and expertise to conduct the GraceMariculture Project.

The Institute operates the Leon Raymond Hubbard, Jr.Marine Fish Hatchery in Carlsbad where it spawns, grows

and releases white seabass and California halibut. Thisprogram was expanded in 1998 to include a large cage system off Santa Catalina Island, where seabass weregrown to two pounds before being harvested and test-marketed. As part of its fisheries enhancement program,HSWRI utilizes 13 additional grow-out facilities through-out California where it has gained direct experience inmarine stock enhancement and has developed sound aquaculture management and fish health procedures.

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Aquaculture and FisheriesEnhancement Program