The Why: Ocean Era - formerly Kampachi Farms - is committed to advancing healthy, responsible and sustainable mariculture. Our goal is to soften humanity’s footprint on the seas.

Kampachi Farms was founded in 2011 by Neil Sims and Michael Bullock, former executives of the pioneering Hawaiian open ocean aquaculture company Kona Blue Water Farms. The company’s mission is to harness commercial incentives to achieve the conservation imperatives for our oceans.

In addition to continuing and building upon the research programs initiated by KBWF at our Kona, HI research facility, the founders have also established on offshore kampachi farm in the Sea of Cortez, in Mexico. Planning is currently underway for a new commercial project culturing nenue and limu offshore of 'Ewa Beach, on Oahu. This company is also pioneering the permit process for aquaculture in U.S. Federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

Ocean Era remains committed to advancing the cause of healthy, responsible and sustainable mariculture in the USA. Having successfully conducted the first-ever trial of open-ocean aquaculture in U.S. Federal Waters with the Velella Project, Kampachi Farms further developed the offshore technologies that will facilitate the expansion of responsible mariculture in the U.S. and globally, such as deepwater mooring and farmsite automation capabilities.

Ongoing research into alternative feeds is focused on reducing mariculture's reliance on wild-caught fishmeal and fish oil, replacing them with more sustainable American-grown agricultural products. Learn more about our research projects.