Mexico launches global center for regenerative aquaculture at 2025 UN Ocean Conference

Mexico’s new global center for regenerative aquaculture aims to boost food security, ocean health and coastal economic opportunity

A new global hub for regenerative aquaculture will open in La Paz, Mexico, to advance ocean-friendly farming and sustainable food systems. Announced at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation (CAAI) was launched by Innovaciones Alumbra to accelerate the development of science and technology that restores marine ecosystems, boosts biodiversity and supports small and medium-sized coastal businesses.

The initiative comes as regenerative aquaculture gains traction among policymakers, including Mexico’s federal government, as a strategy for tackling ocean health and food security.

“Our oceans and their resources are significantly degraded,” said Christy Walton, founder of Innovaciones Alumbra. “It is no longer enough to assume that sustainability alone will reverse the damage. We must move beyond efforts to do no further harm and take huge strides toward generative and regenerative outcomes. It’s time to invest significantly in advanced technologies and systems.”

The Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation will serve as a platform for advancing scientific and technological breakthroughs in regenerative aquaculture. Its work will span key phases of the value chain for finfish, shellfish and algae, ranging from species validation and applied research to the development of production models tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises.

By focusing on both innovation and workforce development, the center aims to position regenerative aquaculture as a central strategy for improving ocean health, strengthening food security and supporting the growth of sustainable blue economies.

“In this Ocean Decade, we envision a healthy, resilient ocean that sustains all life,” said Vidar Helgesen, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and Assistant Director-General of UNESCO. “Regenerative aquaculture stands at the leading edge of innovation – restoring ecosystems, feeding communities, and proving that a thriving ocean and a thriving humanity go hand in hand.”

Once fully constructed, the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories, a hatchery, technology infrastructure and open-ocean research sites. The center aims to serve as a hub for a global network of operators, entrepreneurs, researchers and scientists dedicated to advancing regenerative aquaculture.

“We are building a space and a global alliance that brings scientists, entrepreneurs and communities together to work side by side to solve problems that can benefit us today and in the future,” said Ernesto Rodriguez Leal, Executive Director of the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation. “The CAAI will offer access to resources, hands-on innovation, and rapid deployment to advance our global ability to deliver on sustainable blue economies.”

Study: Aquaculture can be ‘part of the solution’ to marine ecosystem restoration

The launch of the Center for Applied Aquaculture Innovation highlights Mexico’s increasing role in the development of warm-water aquaculture. Located in the Gulf of California – an area recognized for its biodiversity and rich marine ecosystems – the region offers favorable conditions for advancing aquaculture practices. Ongoing initiatives in the area include open-ocean finfish systems focused on habitat regeneration, shellfish farms contributing to mangrove conservation and algae projects aimed at developing restorative ocean-based food systems.

“Sustainable and regenerative aquaculture is key to Mexico’s commitment to ocean health, food security and climate action,” said Norma Munguia, General Director for Global Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. “It strengthens our national priorities while advancing our international commitments under the 2030 Agenda and the Ocean Decade.”

With the launch of the CAAI, Mexico joins a growing number of countries embracing regenerative solutions for ocean and climate resilience. As the world looks to the sea for sustainable food, economic opportunity and ecological recovery, the center aims to show how applied science and community-driven innovation can help shape the future of aquaculture and coastal development.

“Our hope is that this Center will accelerate the sector toward business models that restore ocean health and promote biodiversity while producing food and economic opportunities for communities,” said Walton.

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