logo
How an enormous fish farm in Homestead hopes to change the seafood industry

How an enormous fish farm in Homestead hopes to change the seafood industry

Miami Herald27-02-2025

Salmon farms normally occur in the fjords of Norway or Chile, not on the hot, humid flats next to the Everglades. But Atlantic Sapphire, a new type of on-land salmon farm, is betting on South Florida as the perfect spot for a cold-water fish farm.
When you drive into the Homestead property, which sits between tree farms and Everglades National Park, it looks more like a massive warehouse than an aquaculture facility. But inside the 9-acre white building, 3 million salmon swim through cold salty water.
Every week, the facility, which took three years to build and opened in 2020, ships out 300,000 pounds of salmon to grocery stores such as Publix and Sprouts in Florida and beyond. It's one of only a few indoor salmon farms in the U.S., and the largest one in the world, according to Gunnar Aasbø-Skinderhaug, deputy CEO and CFO.
It also just might represent the future of aquaculture in a world altered by climate change, pollution and population growth.
Why South Florida for salmon?
Two reasons, really, said Aasbø-Skinderhaug as he strolled a long hallway in the indoor farm: The market and the water.
South Florida's unique geology means we sit 1,000 feet above the Floridan Aquifer, which flows underground south from around Gainesville, Florida. It's as salty as the ocean, and untouched by the modern world. 'It hasn't seen daylight in tens of thousands of years,' says geologist Fred Bloetscher, of Florida Atlantic University, who is not involved with Atlantic Sapphire.
To access the water, Atlantic Sapphire drilled two wells, one to 1,200 feet, the other to 1,800 feet. They then blend the water to achieve the optimal salinity for each stage of the salmon's life. That means the fish are swimming in water with no microplastics or other modern contaminants in it.
'The number one thing you need when you farm fish is water, and we have that here,' said Aasbø-Skinderhaug. 'There are very few places on the earth that have this geology.'
Then there's the market. The U.S. is by far the largest salmon market on the planet, consuming about 926 million pounds of salmon per year, more than three times the next largest market, France. Eighty to 90% of that is farm-raised, and 95% of that is imported, mostly from Chile and Norway.
'Making the salmon here is smarter, both from an economic perspective and an environmental perspective,' said Aasbø-Skinderhaug. 'We don't have to create the market. The market is there.'
How to make a Florida warehouse like a fjord
Making life livable in Florida for cold-water fish requires a $250 million building with a matrix of enormous pipes, 36 450,000-gallon fish tanks with a constant flow of water, and 241 employees to keep it running smoothly.
Before entering the vast rooms full of fish tanks, all workers and visitors don boots and dab them with disinfectant. Hygiene, it turns out, is one of the major advantages of indoor fish farming.
'In the ocean, the fish are exposed to whatever the ocean gives you,' said Aasbø-Skinderhaug, 'diseases, pollution, parasites. Here we control everything.'
Every five weeks, Atlantic Sapphire receives trays of fertilized salmon eggs from either Iceland or Norway (fish are bred, akin to cattle, to have certain characteristics, such as fast growth).
Once those eggs hatch, the fingerlings go into tanks of fresh water that emulate being born in a river.
Each of the six tanks has 50,000 little fish in it.
When they grow to around 6 inches, they can handle salt water. Human hands never touch them. They flow through tubes and shoot out, as if from a waterfall, into the massive, 40-foot deep tanks with brisk cold current. The fish are constantly swimming, just as they would be in the wild.
In the chilled room, every once in a while a fish jumps gracefully, and PVC tubes deliver fish pellets made of krill meal and other marine and plant-based materials.
Aasbø-Skinderhaug said growth rates are a tad faster indoors than in outdoor pens.
'It's quicker because we can control the environment better. In Chile and Norway, sea water temperature varies, it's cold in the winter and warm in the summer. In our facility it's stable. We keep it at 14 C (57 F), and that's the most optimal temperature that secures good fish health, good growth and low mortality. If you get colder they'll grow slower. If you get warmer, it's not good for the fish.'
He said 1.3 pounds of feed converts to 1 pound of whole fish (not fillets). That's a more efficient 'feed conversion ratio' than poultry or beef.
After about 22 months, when the fish reach 8 pounds, they're ready for harvest. Technicians drain the tank and the fish flow through tubes to the processing area, where they're processed in-house. Atlantic Sapphire sells the leftovers to pet food producers.
Processing is fairly uniform across the industry, said Damien Claire, chief marketing officer. Fish are electronically stunned unconscious and bled out, then cooled again and filleted mechanically.
'If you don't stun first … it's not very good for animal welfare,' says Claire. 'And second, the stress of not being stunned and bleeding out generates lactic acid — it's very bad for the quality. It's very standard in the industry. Everyone does it.'
Where does the wastewater go?
One of the main complaints about net pen farming in Chile and Norway is that the farms, which sit in coastal areas, pollute surrounding waters with feces, parasites and fish illnesses. Farmed fish sometimes receive antibiotics, and if they escape — which they often do — they may breed with wild populations, damaging the genetic quality of indigenous salmon.
Land-based farming combats those factors, but still produces wastewater with feces. To treat fecal fish waste, they've built a sewerage treatment plant within the building. 'It's quite similar to a municipal wastewater treatment plant,' said Aasbø-Skinderhaug.
Mechanical filters take out large particles, bio filters remove ammonia and smaller particles, then a degasser removes CO2 that fish produce.
The filters, which do contain nitrogen and phosphorus, go to a landfill. Aasbø-Skinderhaug said in the future they'd like to sell that solid waste as fertilizer. 'At the moment we don't have enough of that to make it economically viable.'
Most of that filtered water is then recirculated through the fish tanks via a Recirculating Aquaculture System. What they don't reflow through the system gets pumped 3,000 feet down, below the Floridan Aquifer, into a boulder field.
Geologist Bloetscher says that the water in the boulder zone flows east to west, and that it's confined by rock layers. 'The stuff does not migrate between the zones,' he said. He estimates that it would travel 500 to 600 miles off shore into the Gulf of Mexico before it intersects with the bottom of the ocean. That could take centuries.
Bloetscher has been involved with two studies on deep-well injection wastewater disposal in South Florida.
Both studies (one with the University of Miami, one with the EPA) concluded that deep injection wells were the safest alternative for wastewater disposal in South Florida.
The carbon footprint
Salmon farmed in Norway or Chile must travel from net pens to a processing plant, then a local airport, an international airport, an international flight to Miami. Then to a customs warehouse, a distribution warehouse, and finally a grocery store.
Atlantic Sapphire processes their fish onsite, and Publix picks them up. Other stores and restaurants go through fish distributors, but the process is simplified and the mileage and time cut dramatically.
A 2016 study comparing carbon emissions of net pen fish from Norway with domestic land-raised salmon sold within 250 miles of production found that land-raised fish had half the carbon footprint.
Of course the study was not specific to Atlantic Sapphire, which must cool water from about 70 F when it leaves the Floridian Aquifer to 57 F for the fish.
Aasbø-Skinderhaug said the plant partners with FPL so that more than 40% of their power comes from solar, and they plan on installing solar panels on a second building in the future.
For the most environmentally responsible farmed salmon, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch recommends U.S.-raised land-based salmon raised in recirculating water systems like the one at Atlantic Sapphire.
Fish futures
Atlantic Sapphire is focused in the Southeast, in all Publix stores as well as some Sprouts markets. They ship as far away as California, and sell to Chef's Warehouse, a distributor who in turn sells to restaurants.
The aforermentioned second building will have larger tanks, more water treatment capacity and those solar panels on the roof.
At nearby South Florida Publix supermarkets, customers are noticing Atlantic Sapphire's brand, Bluehouse.
On a recent visit, a customer perusing the orange filets in the cooler spotted Bluehouse and asked the fishmonger for a pound.
When asked why he ordered the indoor salmon, he didn't mention carbon footprint or microplastic. For him it was more simple. He said it bridged the gap between net-raised salmon and wild fish. 'It's not as fatty as the net-raised stuff,' he said, 'but not as lean as the wild fish. I really like it.'
This story was first published by the Sun Sentinel and was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, WLRN Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Construction headaches in Beachwalk, Deerwood Village
Construction headaches in Beachwalk, Deerwood Village

Yahoo

time9 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Construction headaches in Beachwalk, Deerwood Village

Welcome to the Monday edition of Jacksonville's Morning News for June 9, 2025. A construction traffic shift on County Road 210 has been delayed, while small business owners in the Deerwood Plaza area can't wait for construction of a new Publix to end. TRAFFIC: A construction traffic shift on County Road 210 has been delayed by a week. WOKV reported last week that a traffic shift in the Beachwalk area was planned to start today. But the county says it will now happen on June 16th. That's when westbound traffic will be diverted to a newly constructed roadway. Eastbound lanes will shift to the new roadway on the night of June 19th. It's part of a $15 million widening project that will include six traffic lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks, and a new intersection. A construction maze in Deerwood has businesses appealing for help to speed things up. Construction of a new Publix store at Baymeadows and Southside began last October, and isn't expected to be done until December. Businesses in the area say they've been having a hard time with limited parking spaces and construction vehicles all over. The owner of Scramblers says business has been down substantially since they lost their parking lot. Shop owners say if they could just get access to even a section of their parking spaces, it would dramatically help their business. WEATHER: First Alert Meteorologist Corey Simma says heat and humidity continue with a few storms. Highs today will reach the lower and middle 90s with peak feels like temperatures 100-105. Like yesterday, rain and storm coverage will be greatest in SE GA and will still be hit-or-miss. Many neighborhoods, especially across NE FL, look to stay mostly dry today. Storm coverage ramps up beginning Tuesday across the area with daily rounds of rain continuing through the rest of the week. Wednesday and Thursday look to feature the most storms across our area with an active sea breeze. TROPICS: All is quiet in the Atlantic. You can follow daily updates with Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh and his Talking the Tropics blog. Three Big Things to Know: Thousands of protesters took to the street in Los Angeles on Sunday in response to President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard against Governor Gavin Newsom's wishes. The demonstrations centered on a cluster of federal buildings including a detention center where immigrants arrested on Friday were taken. As the protests swelled on Sunday, demonstrators blocked a freeway entrance, set self-driving cars on fire and threw objects including concrete and electric scooters at law enforcement officers and vehicles. It was a story that captivated Jacksonville nearly three decades ago - the search for 8-year-old Maddie Clifton ended with the discovery of her body under a neighbor's waterbed. This morning, the man who killed Maddie heads before a judge to learn if his sentence of life in prison will be reviewed. Josh Phillips is expected to be in court at 9:00 am to learn when the judge will review his sentence. A child drowned in the ocean in Fernandina Beach. Lifeguards just north of Seaside Park were flagged down by beachgoers just before noon Saturday about a child in distress. The 5-year-old was pulled from the water by bystanders before lifeguards arrived to perform CPR, and still had a pulse when the fire department arrived. Despite rescue and medical efforts, the child reportedly went into cardiac arrest again at the hospital and died. GALLERY: Photos from Weathering the Storm, June 4, 2025 in the Farah and Farah Performance Studio.

Deerwood Village shops still lose business as Publix construction drags on
Deerwood Village shops still lose business as Publix construction drags on

Yahoo

time19 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Deerwood Village shops still lose business as Publix construction drags on

Months after Action News Jax first reported on the issue, businesses in Deerwood Village say they are still dealing with major disruptions caused by ongoing construction on a new Publix. The project, which started last October at the corner of Baymeadows and Southside Boulevard, has taken a toll on local shops. Publix customer service said the project should be finished by December. Until then, some businesses have resorted to putting up signs to remind customers they're still open and how to find them. It's been a long and frustrating wait for shop owners and customers in Deerwood Village. 'I talked with the business owners and everybody's having a hard time,' said Patrick O'Brien, a worker at Great Clips in the plaza. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Before the construction started, customers said parking wasn't a problem. 'Well, before, we used to have three or four rows of parking out here. There was plenty of space for everybody,' said customer Colin Buchner. That all changed once the construction began. 'There's a huge parking lot out there. You figured they could at least maybe get half of it done and give us some of the parking back,' O'Brien said. Drone footage captured in February showed the early stages of construction. New footage now shows the foundation is taking shape. 'We heard that Publix will be done sometime in December,' Buchner said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] But for businesses like Scramblers, the impact has been severe. The owner told Action News Jax back in February that foot traffic had dropped dramatically. This week, the owner said in a text message that the business has been down substantially since they lost their parking lot. Since losing their parking lot, the restaurant has seen a major decline in customers. They previously served more than 50 people a day, but now only a handful of customers come in daily, and most tables sit empty. 'A lot of our customers are elderly or senior citizens. They are having a hard time locating our place because of the maze, which is what we call the parking lot out there. Then if it rains, they will also have a hard time getting here,' O'Brien said. 'We got signs out there, and they're still having a hard time getting to us. Every time they come in, they complain a little bit more and a little bit more. We're trying to keep our business going and offer what we can, like coupons and discounts. For the most part, it's been a nightmare.' Shop owners said even getting access to part of their former parking area would make a big difference in helping their businesses survive until the construction is finished. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] We also contacted District 11 City Council Member Raul Arias to see if he could provide any insight into the situation in his district. His office gave this statement: 'After looking into the matter. Councilman Arias doesn't represent Publix or the possible landlord. As such, we do not have any authority to dictate the schedule of events relating to their construction, nor do we have access to those documents. 'We assume the landlord has provided some sort of rental relief agreement with the other tenants in the shopping center. Though, as this is a private agreement, this is out of our jurisdiction.' Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

UPS suddenly closing more stores amid chaotic new change, layoffs
UPS suddenly closing more stores amid chaotic new change, layoffs

Miami Herald

time2 days ago

  • Miami Herald

UPS suddenly closing more stores amid chaotic new change, layoffs

It may not exactly seem like your routine errands are the backbone of modern civilization. And for the most part, that is a bit of an exaggeration. Related: Popular local Dairy Queen rival suddenly closing, no bankruptcy It's not like your weekly trip to Publix or Walgreens is holding up society like some kind of house of cards, and if you miss a week, it will all come crumbling down. But every one of us does our part. And that means our weekly runs to the grocery store, drugstore, dry cleaners, restaurant, or gas station do have an impact on both the local and broader economy. Which is part of the reason consumer spending matters. It's also why many economists bellyache over prices; a small percentage point up or down can have outsized impact on how the average consumer approaches shopping. Take eggs, for instance. As prices steadily climbed and supply dwindled over the past several months, some customers hoarded eggs for fear of a shortage. In turn, many supermarkets sold out of eggs entirely or put a limit on how many cases per customer were permitted for purchase. And prices continued to climb. It's a small way to represent just how much consumer spending matters — even if a lot of those changes take place in the margins. Consumer spending habits have changed Of course, changes in customer behavior goes both ways. In some cases, increased popularity and spending spike prices, squeezing supply. But in many cases, especially recently, a decrease in interest or shifts in routine have turned prices (and profits) ever-downward. More closings: Popular local Dairy Queen rival suddenly closing, no bankruptcyAnother big Mexican chain closing down restaurant, no bankruptcyPopular fast-food burger chain closes all restaurants in key area This is what has happened on many Main Streets across the U.S. As more of us shop online for our everyday needs, small mom-and-pop shops that cater to niche specialties — like carpets, auto parts, upholstery, crafts, or party supplies — suffer. Profits get smaller, and many stores have had to make the difficult decision to either scale down operations significantly to make ends meet — or shut down entirely. UPS makes a hard decision And sometimes, it's not just mom-and-pop shops that suffer. UPS (UPS) , a juggernaut in the U.S. shipping and fulfillment space, has weathered many changes over the past several years. The company used to work hand-in-glove with Amazon to get packages to their final destinations, but it has agreed to reduce its partnership and cut shipments by about 50% by mid-2026. Related: Subway owner makes major billion-dollar fast food acquisition It's also in the midst of modernizing its operations; it plans to close about 200 facilities around the U.S. by 2028, and intends to cut up to 20,000 jobs by the end of 2025. And now, UPS is closing three stores owned by one franchise in Pennsylvania. The UPS stores are located in: 62 Dallas Shopping Center, Dallas, Penn.1330 Main St., Dickson City, Penn.1114 Texas Palmyra Highway, Honesdale, Penn. A spokesperson said the closures are not related to the broader restructuring efforts. Rather, franchisee Dave McQueen said he was unable to sell his UPS stores and would be shuttering them in the next several weeks. A UPS store spokesperson added that the closures are 'due to the expiration of the franchise agreements, and the franchisee has elected not to renew.' The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store