For decades, Los Angeles Harbor has been recognized as an economic engine for global trade. Increasingly, it’s also emerging as a center for ocean-based innovation, climate research, and workforce development. At the center of that shift is AltaSea, a nonprofit organization located at Port of Los Angeles that is focused on turning ocean science into real-world solutions for some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Jacob Scott, speaking on behalf of the AltaSea team, describes the organization as both an innovation hub and an educational platform built around the growing blue economy. “AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is a 35-acre ocean technology campus that is home to many innovative ocean-based climate solutions in a variety of industries, including aquaculture, carbon capture, renewable energy, and ocean exploration,” Scott explained.
AltaSea’s guiding vision is straightforward but ambitious: an ocean that will sustain future generations. From its campus on the LA waterfront, the organization works to accelerate scientific collaboration, advance an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspire the next generation of ocean leaders, all in service of a more sustainable, just, and equitable world.
According to Scott, the organization’s mission goes beyond research alone. “AltaSea also partners with K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to provide educational experiences for the next generation of climate scientists and innovators,” he said. “Our mission is to accelerate scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation.”
The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, yet more than 80 percent of it remains unexplored. At the same time, growing populations, pollution, overfishing, and climate change are placing unprecedented strain on marine ecosystems. AltaSea was created to address that gap between what is known and what urgently needs to be understood. By convening researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and industry leaders in one place, the organization aims to position Los Angeles as a global hub for ocean-based climate solutions.
Scott notes that collaboration across sectors is central to AltaSea’s model. “We bring together startups, scientists, industry leaders, policymakers, and students to scale up ocean climate solutions while creating hands-on workforce pathways,” he said. “Located at the Port of Los Angeles, we are transforming 35 acres of historic waterfront into a global hub for ocean-based innovation. We’re reimagining the working waterfront as a launchpad for sustainable economic growth and environmental impact.”
Rather than operating as a traditional incubator or accelerator, AltaSea functions as a convener. Its campus brings together incubators, accelerators, research institutions, and alliances of sector-specific blue economy businesses, all working toward the shared goal of developing and scaling ocean-driven solutions. This collaborative model allows ideas to move more quickly from research to application while keeping innovation grounded in environmental responsibility.
Economic development is a central pillar of AltaSea’s work. The organization serves as a connector between public agencies, private companies, nonprofits, and academic partners focused on sustainable ocean industries. Through initiatives such as the Deep Blue Decade, public advocacy efforts, a business hub, and tenant recruitment and support, AltaSea helps foster job creation and business growth tied directly to ocean health and climate resilience.
AltaSea’s presence at the Port of Los Angeles also plays a critical role in connecting research and innovation with the surrounding harbor communities. Scott explained that the campus’s location on the working waterfront allows emerging technologies to move from concept to real-world application.
“AltaSea’s work is deeply rooted in LA Harbor and the surrounding waterfront communities because we operate directly on the working waterfront at the Port of Los Angeles,” Scott said. “We collaborate with community colleges, universities, industry partners, and local leaders to ensure that the innovation happening on our campus translates into real economic opportunity for the Harbor region.”
He added that the harbor’s global significance makes it an ideal environment for advancing ocean-based solutions. “The Port of Los Angeles is a uniquely powerful location for advancing ocean-based research and innovation because it is the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere and a global gateway for trade. That proximity to maritime industry, infrastructure, and logistics allows emerging ocean-climate technologies – whether in clean energy, sustainable aquaculture, or carbon removal – to be tested and scaled in real-world conditions.”
Equally important is workforce development. AltaSea is focused on creating and equitably filling the ocean STEM jobs of the future, with particular attention to underserved communities. Its programs engage post-secondary students and adult learners, provide flexible blue economy research space, and support certificate programs, collegiate engagement, and professional development opportunities. These efforts are designed to ensure that careers in ocean science, technology, and industry are accessible to the communities that surround Los Angeles Harbor.
One example of this forward-looking work is the Growing Oceans Initiative, a new research project exploring nature-based solutions to sustain marine ecosystems and strengthen marine carbon storage. By studying how ocean systems can naturally support climate resilience, the initiative contributes to broader global conversations about carbon sequestration, ecosystem restoration, and long-term ocean health.
Education is another cornerstone of AltaSea’s presence on the LA waterfront.
Through its Ocean STEM programs, AltaSea provides students with opportunities to explore marine science, engineering, business, and environmental stewardship while positioning Los Angeles as a center of the blue economy. This multifaceted approach includes online educational resources, exposure to ocean-related career pathways, and expanded access to arts and culture connected to the marine environment.
AltaSea has also partnered with organizations such as Hugo Neu and NY/NJ Baykeeper to launch the bicoastal Ocean Pathways High School Mentorship Program. The initiative gives high school students hands-on research experience and mentorship in marine biology, sustainability, and environmental conservation. By participating in fieldwork and data analysis, students gain insight into environmental challenges at both a global and community level while building skills that prepare them for future careers.
Specialized curricula further expand AltaSea’s educational reach. Programs in marine energy introduce students to wave and wind power generation at sea, while interactive activities challenge them to build prototype wave-powered electricity generators. Robotics programming emphasizes ocean exploration as a tool for better management, conservation, and responsible use of marine resources. Aquaculture education immerses students in the rapidly growing sustainable aquaculture industry, exploring topics ranging from engineering and water quality to genomics, food security, and environmental impact.
AltaSea’s campus is also home to innovative academic partnerships, including the ATLAS Project within the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Engineering in Society Program. The ATLAS Project focuses on experiential, community-engaged learning that emphasizes real-world problem-solving and human-centered design. Students are encouraged to move beyond theory and apply their skills to meaningful challenges facing society today.
Looking ahead, AltaSea envisions its campus continuing to grow as a center for both innovation and economic opportunity. Scott said the organization sees its work extending beyond Los Angeles while still maintaining strong local roots.
“AltaSea sees itself playing a central role in shaping the future of LA Harbor, greater Los Angeles, and the global blue economy by building out its 35-acre ocean innovation campus into a dynamic hub where science, business, and education converge,” he said. “For the city, AltaSea’s work will contribute to economic growth, job creation, and workforce development, especially by expanding pathways for local students and residents into high-demand STEM and blue economy careers.”
He also noted that AltaSea is expanding its reach internationally. “Beyond its local impact, AltaSea is also extending its model internationally, building a network of global hubs to scale ocean solutions and catalyze investment, ensuring that coastal communities around the world benefit from science-driven innovation and economic opportunity.”
As part of its mission, AltaSea also acknowledges the Indigenous communities whose traditional lands and waters include the area now known as Los Angeles Harbor, paying respect to the knowledge, traditions, and stewardship that long predate modern port development.
Together, these efforts reflect AltaSea’s broader role on the LA waterfront. By blending research, education, workforce development, and economic innovation, AltaSea is helping redefine what a working harbor can be. In doing so, it reinforces the idea that Los Angeles Harbor is not only a gateway for global commerce, but also a place where science, sustainability, and opportunity come together to shape the future of the ocean and the communities that depend on it.