June 16, 2026 — An Alabama, U.S.A.-based aquaculture project led by Dauphin Island Sea Lab has harvested its first fish, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR).
Though funded by Congress years ago, the project has effectively been dead in the water awaiting permitting and other agreements, Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture Project Manager Ashley McDonald said in a department announcement. The project finally lifted off last year after receiving a protected species agreement from NOAA and permits from ADCNR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Coast Guard, and a platform and fish pen were installed about 2 miles off the coast of Fort Morgan.