USM Helps Lead Deployment of Offshore AquaFort Platform, Advancing Sustainable Aquaculture in the Gulf
Thu, 01/22/2026 - 01:06pm | By: Megan Le
The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), in partnership with the University of New Hampshire and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, has deployed the AquaFort, an offshore floating aquaculture platform designed to advance research and innovation in sustainable seafood production.
In early November, scientists and technicians from USM’s Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center (TCMAC) worked with project partners to assemble the platform and secure it two miles off the coast of Dauphin Island. Prior to final deployment, the crew of the R/V Tyson B installed a specialized four-point mooring system engineered to stabilize the AquaFort under Gulf weather conditions. Once the mooring was in place, the platform was towed by a commercial fishing vessel and attached for the upcoming winter and spring grow-out season.
Developed by the University of New Hampshire through funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the AquaFort is an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) platform. The two-bay system raises red drum, while oysters and native Gracilaria seaweed grow in suspended baskets around the structure. Together, these species help remove excess nutrients, improve water quality and support low-impact production.
USM’s TCMAC is providing cultured fish, shellfish, and macroalgae, as well as expertise in animal husbandry, water quality monitoring, and production system design.
“We are happy to be part of a project that integrates the full range of technical expertise in aquaculture, biology, and engineering with state and local stakeholders to demonstrate the potential for aquaculture to be part of a diverse and growing blue economy,” said Reginald Blaylock, Ph.D., director of the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center.
The project brings together expertise in aquaculture science, ocean engineering, and coastal ecology to test offshore methods that can expand domestic seafood supply while maintaining environmental stewardship.
“Integrated multitrophic aquaculture techniques such as the AquaFort project could be a gamechanger for growing sustainable seafood in the Gulf,” said Ashley McDonald, Ph.D., IMTA project manager at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “This demonstration project is a critical step toward expanding aquaculture opportunities for local harvesters while maintaining a strong commitment to environmental stewardship.”
The next phase of the project includes stocking red drum, oysters and macroalgae produced at the Southern Miss TCMAC. Researchers will collect data on growth performance, water quality, and ecosystem responses to inform future development of offshore aquaculture systems across the Gulf region.
Visit the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center website to learn more about its work to advance sustainable aquaculture on land and in coastal and marine environments.