Jenny Krusoe, Executive Director of AltaSea, and Sandra Whitehouse, Chief Scientific Officer, AltaSea, talk with Rob about a new ocean innovation and exploration center.  Sandra outlines the overall problems that the ocean is facing as well as humanity. Jenny addresses these challenges with the vision and mission of AltaSea.  With a vision of ocean sustaining further generations, the mission is to accelerate scientific collaborations, create jobs in the blue economy and to inspire.

AltaSea creates, convenes and curates clusters of representatives from the scientific, business and education communities. AltaSea has a spectacular campus with 4,000 linear feet of waterfront featuring deep water berth space.  High quality seawater is drawn directly from the ocean into the facilities.  Sustainable aquaculture that does not disturb habitats is being developed by three partners: Catalina Sea Ranch, USC and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.

The Blue Tech Cluster currently consists of Robert Ballard’s ship Nautilus, Blue Robotics, and Southern California Marine Institutes.  Boeing is completing plans for basing their thirty-six foot unmanned submersible at AltaSea.  With plans to build out a campus, AltaSea is working with partners to reach out into communities with Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) programs.  First out are a program on harmful algal blooms and a program on sharks.  For more information or to contact Jenny or Sandra, visit www.altasea.org