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TEACH A MAN TO FISH
Spiny Green Lobster Artisanal Mariculture Integrated with Ocean Regeneration Project
now seeking collaborations
TEACH A MAN TO FISH | WHO WE ARE
A scalable micro-industry teaching locals how to regenerate coral reefs and create a sustainable food chain.
GOAL | 60 REEFS BY EARLY 2024
MISSION
To create legally-protected artificial reefs that are allowed to mature and act as incubators for native marine life. Long-term sustainability is achieved through ocean farming designed to improve the lives of impoverished local fishermen in exchange for permanent reef protection.
VISION
Regenerate overharvested coastal marine ecosystems and establish sustainable artisanal mariculture with a scalable business model that can be easily replicated anywhere in the world using inexpensive and commonly available materials.
GOAL
In 2 years, validate the potential of commercial level spiny lobster mariculture
integrated with ecosystem regeneration at the Nicaragua location.
At end of this phase of the project, explore avenues for amplification and replication:
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Expand infrastructure on or near the site for larger volume production.
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Sell the know-how to other companies.
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Offer the know-how to local communities to enable artisanal mariculture with a path to market.
Project Partners
Partner Contributions
Ubuntu + Morgan's Rock
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Providing all require land and leading the initiative to create a protected marine reserve on the project site.
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Providing use of some of its on-site facilities and equipment needed to support the project.
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Constructing a workshop and demonstration facility.
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Partnering with Dive Nicaragua and TAMTF to establish and operate an on-site dive shop.
YOU
We're looking for help:
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To construct our Marine Biological Station to support the research required.
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To collaborate in global research, funding, and operational resources.
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To provide access to global markets for all market size lobsters produced by the project.
Spiny Lobster Mariculture
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Native spiny green lobster, PANULIRUS GRACILIS, lifecycle takes about 20 months from egg to market size.
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In a hatchery, eggs to juveniles takes about 8 months.
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Open water mariculture: Submerged SubPens house lobsters as they grow from juvenile to market size in about 12 months.
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Mariculture can deliver live lobsters to a high demand market at premium prices.
Artificial
Reefs
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Key structure for marine ecosystem regeneration and the spiny lobster juvenile-to-adult open water mariculture.
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TAMTF developed innovative and creative solutions that are globally unique and reduced the cost of artificial reefs by more than half compared with traditional methods.
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Specifically designed to use materials that are inexpensive and commonly available in all countries.
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TAMTF can easily replicate this scalable innovative approach with any partners.
Floating Hatchery
for Spiny Lobsters
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Offshore rafts house unique containers to hold berried female lobsters until eggs hatch, releasing phyllosomas (plankton-like stages of spiny lobster development).
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Containers bounded by strong mesh with gage small enough to prevent phyllosoma escape.
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Cycle time: Approximately 8 months from eggs through multiple phyllosoma stages to ~2” juveniles.
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Juveniles are then transferred to submerged SubPens for growth to adults.
SubPen
mariculture cage suspended in open water
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The SubPen is suspended between sea floor and water’s surface, moored to an artificial reef below and held up by an integrated buoy.
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The depth of the cage is easily customized.
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A very solid and durable structure, almost 100% fiberglass (no metal to corrode).
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Light weight for easy handling.
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Depending on the size of the spiny lobsters to be contained, the appropriate gage mesh is secured to the outside of the structure.
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Lobster are moved to a SubPen with larger gage mesh as they grow.
PenLifter
an inexpensive floating crane
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SubPens with their integrated buoy systems and load of spiny lobsters can be easily lifted to the surface.
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Proprietary design in fiberglass.
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Once on the surface, the SubPen can be brought onto a working platform or a boat, then returned to their submerged
position.
Dual Purpose
Artificial Reef
1.
Assembly of of cement blocks perfect for
local marine life colonization and
regeneration.
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Free from pollutants
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High cavity density
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Rough porous surface, ideal for sessile organisms in lower levels of the food chain like algae
2.
Attracts and protects wild spiny lobsters.
3.
Also designed and built as a seafloor
mooring to secure both floating hatchery
and submerged SubPens.
4.
Heavy (1500 lbs), so stable against ocean
currents
5.
Can be built on the beach for direct
deployment into the ocean.
SubCraft
for deploying artificial reefs
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Unique amphibious vehicle invented by TAMTF for moving heavy objects into the sea.
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A simple design using lightweight but strong, inexpensive and non-corrodible materials (mostly fiberglass).
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Fiberglass buoys plumbed and valved to allow for controlled buoyancy using air from a dive tank.
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Subcraft makes it easy for divers to move artificial reefs in the water, then change buoyancy to submerge in controlled fashion onto precise locations on sea floor.
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After release of artificial reef, SubCraft allowed to rise to the surface and recovered for continued reuse.
Spiny Lobster Mariculture Project Plan
PHASE 2 | PROJECTED COST OF 2-YEAR PLAN
Project Proposal
TAMTF is searching for a Sponsor for the planned 2-year Phase 2 of the project who is willing to invest $630,000.
O
2022
In 2022, TAMTF successfully completed a $130,000 Pilot Project in which we developed materials and methods for deploying artificial reefs and establishing spiny lobster mariculture at Ostional, Nicaragua.
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Phase 2
This Phase 2 is expected to prove out the processes and financials of the lobster mariculture and establish firm financial basis for the development of a larger commercial model in years 3-4
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Ultimate Goal
A scalable business model that can be marketed globally to any government/business entity trying to regenerate their coastal marine life and launch sustainable artisanal mariculture and protect their future oceans.
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Project Conclusion
At the conclusion of the 2 year project, the sponsor and TAMTF will both have the legal right to separately market the business model globally, if they so choose. Participation in this project will enable our partner to share in any revenue (lobster sales, training, royalties, etc) generated and utilize this project to advertise their ecological contributions to fighting climate change.
Contact Us
Thank You