Veteran Staff Member Makes Advancements in responsible Open-Ocean Fish Farming

During Sail Caribbean’s rich history over the past 36 years, thousands of students and staff have snorkeled the same waters, sailed the Sir Francis Drake channel, and created or nurtured a deep connection with the ocean around them. These Sail Caribbean alumni end up all over the world, and some even foster their passion for the ocean by pursing an exciting career in a variety of marine related professions. From time to time, alumni call or stop into the Sail Caribbean office in Northport, NY to catch up with our leader, Mike, and update him on their adventures and achievements. Recently, former staff member Langley Gace paid Mike such a visit. Langley worked for Sail Caribbean as a Program Director from 1991 to 1993.

Langley is now the President of InnovaSea Systems Inc. InnovaSea is an open ocean aquaculture company, meaning they develop and create technologies and hardware for offshore fish farming. Aquaculture is a growing field and seeks to solve the problem of depleted marine stocks by farming marine animals for consumption. InnovaSea uses advanced engineering and design to implement methods and devices that will benefit and increase sustainability of open ocean aquaculture operations. InnovaSeas has a variety of fish pen designs that are currently being utilized by clients in Panama, Hawaii, Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Korea. The two general designs are AquaPods, which are geodesic spheres that are suspended in the ocean, and SeaStations, which are more tent-like structures with netting secured around the circumference of the pen.

Before working with InnovaSea and OceanSpar, one of two companies that merged to form InnovaSea, Langley led teams at other companies researching and developing aquaculture projects. He has a Mechanical Ocean Engineering Master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Bates College in Maine.  During this time at New Hampshire, Langley researched scale models of these submersible fish pens, and his research influenced the creation of the open oceans aquaculture program at the university. Now, Langley serves as a prominent leader in offshore fish farming communication, presenting papers and industry developments to a variety of audiences ranging from scientists to Congress.

Langley is a great example of the many Sail Caribbean staff and students that continue to develop their passion for the ocean and create a career that enable them to understand and protect the ocean and its many resources. For more about InnovaSea, please visit their website at www.innovasea.com.

Photos by InnovaSea

Lindley Barrow is returning for her third summer season as the Program Director of the Ocean Adventure. Originally from Raleigh, NC, she graduated from University of Carolina Chapel Hill in 2010 with a degree in Environmental Studies and Marine Science. She enjoyed working as a coordinator for the school’s Planetarium and Science Center for four years. In 2013, Lindley moved to Costa Rica for six months to pursue a career as a scuba diving instructor.