Land-based imta aquaculture of sustainable purple sea urchin with sea cucumber and seaweed

Oonee Corp. received a $174,128 Project Grant from the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop land-based integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) technology for sustainable purple sea urchin production in combination with sea cucumber and seaweed cultivation. The award, issued on August 15, 2025, with a completion date of August 14, 2026, supports the demonstration of technical feasibility and commercialization pathway for this innovative aquaculture approach at the company's facility in Toledo, Oregon.

This Phase I SBIR initiative aligns with the program's focus on transforming scientific discovery into commercially viable agricultural and food production solutions. The project addresses sustainable aquaculture practices by developing an integrated production system that leverages multiple species to optimize resource efficiency and market viability, with the goal of proving technical feasibility and establishing commercial potential for scaling this sustainable seafood production model.