Pine Island Redfish

What Pine Island Redfish does

Pine Island Redfish is a privately held Florida LLC founded in 2023 by Megan Sorby (formerly Operations Manager at Kingfish Maine) that is developing a commercial-scale, land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) on a nearly 150-acre fully permitted property on Pine Island in southwest Florida. The company is targeting the domestic US market with redfish (red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus), a native species whose wild commercial fishery has been federally closed since 2007, aiming to reintroduce a consistent, year-round, traceable supply of a species absent from US menus for more than three decades. Production is paired with a circular food system that diverts fish-effluent nutrients into the cultivation of salt-loving halophyte crops — red mangroves, sea purslane, barilla, and samphire — converting a waste stream into coastal restoration and nutrient-dense plant products.

The core technology combines a closed-loop RAS, a mechanobiological system that recycles both dissolved and solid fish waste to irrigate halophyte cultivation, and site-specific permitting at all relevant local, state, and federal levels. Technical and R&D depth is augmented by a collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory at its 200-acre Aquaculture Research Park and a coastal restoration partnership with MANG Gear for mangrove propagation. The aquaculture cluster anchored by the site includes adjacency to American Penaeid and proximity to Mote, situating the company within Florida's established aquaculture ecosystem — the state with the country's largest land-based Atlantic salmon farm, largest land-based shrimp producer, and an existing RAS pompano facility.

The business model is pre-revenue. Expected commercial revenue flows from B2B sales of farmed redfish to foodservice and horeca buyers (chefs and restaurants) and seafood distributors, with a secondary revenue stream from the sale of halophyte crops. Marketing and relationship-building are concentrated in earned media across seafood and aquaculture trade publications, podcast features, and industry events including the Blue Food Innovation Summit (London, May 2024), Seafood Expo North America (Boston, March 2024), and Bright Tide's Regenerative Farming Accelerator. Leadership includes CEO Megan Sorby and Chairman Ohad Maiman (founder and former CEO of The Kingfish Company), positioning the venture with operational and commercial RAS experience atypical for a company at its stage.

Name

Pine Island Redfish

Legal name

Pine Island Redfish LLC

Website

https://pineislandredfish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) developer on Pine Island, Florida, farming native redfish (red drum) using a circular food system that repurposes fish waste into halophyte plant cultivation, targeting US foodservice and seafood distribution channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land-based Aquaculture

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) & Land-Based Farming (AFAEAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquaponics (Integrated Fish & Plant Production) (AFAEAAAI), Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Land-based aquaculture
• Recirculating aquaculture systems
• Sustainable seafood farming
• Redfish red drum production
• Regenerative aquaculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint James City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Farmed Redfish (Red Drum) Sales: Primary revenue from selling commercially farmed redfish/red drum produced in the land-based RAS facility. The company aims to re-establish a commercial market for red drum in the US, a species that has been absent from menus since the 1980s due to overfishing and federal protection. Revenue will flow from direct B2B sales to foodservice/horeca operators and seafood distributors once production commences.
2. Halophyte / Salt-Loving Plant Sales: Secondary revenue from cultivating and selling nutrient-dense halophyte plants (sea purslane, barilla, samphire) grown using recycled fish effluent. These are marketed as superfoods with high nutritional value. Mangroves are also cultivated for coastal restoration purposes, potentially creating additional revenue or partnership value.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pine Island Redfish operates a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility on a nearly 150-acre permitted property on Pine Island, Florida, to commercially farm redfish (red drum/Sciaenops ocellatus) — a U.S. native species absent from the commercial market for over 30 years. The company integrates a circular food system that recycles fish waste nutrients into the cultivation of halophyte plants including red mangroves, sea purslane, barilla, and samphire, supporting coastal restoration and producing nutrient-dense sea vegetables.

Product overview

Pine Island Redfish is a land-based aquaculture company operating a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) on a nearly 150-acre permitted property on Pine Island, Southwest Florida. The company produces Redfish (Red Drum/Sciaenops ocellatus) as its core product, with a circular food system that repurposes fish waste nutrients to cultivate salt-loving plants including Mangroves for coastal restoration, Sea Purslane as a nutrient-dense superfood, and Barilla/Samphire as sea vegetables. The company partners with Mote Marine Laboratory and collaborates with MANG Gear for mangrove restoration efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farmed Redfish (Red Drum / Sciaenops ocellatus) Land-based RAS-farmed red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), a native U.S. fish species reintroduced to the commercial market without impacting wild stocks. The fish has a mild sweet flavor and firm flesh, is rated 'Best Choice' by Seafood Watch, and is intended for sale to U.S. foodservice operators (chefs, restaurants) and seafood distributors.
• Mangrove Plants Salt-loving red mangrove plants cultivated using nutrients from RAS fish waste. Mangroves can sequester carbon at ten times the rate of mature tropical forests and are cultivated for Florida coastal restoration efforts (in partnership with MANG Gear) and as a climate-positive output of the circular food system.
• Sea Purslane Edible halophyte plant (Atriplex portulacoides) native to Florida coastal habitats, grown using fish waste nutrients. Marketed as a nutrient-dense superfood rich in vitamins A, C, B complex, and omega-3 fatty acids (more omega-3 than any other leafy vegetable plant).
• Barilla and Samphire Sea vegetables (sea asparagus) cultivated in high-salt conditions as part of the circular food system. Samphire has a peppery flavor used as a side dish for fish; Barilla has a peppery and nutty flavor profile.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mangroves sequester carbon at a rate TEN TIMES greater than mature tropical forests and store three to five times more carbon per equivalent area than tropical forests.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Coalition for Sustainable AquacultureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture, representing 140 representatives including environmental advocates and marine researchers, jointly signed a letter supporting the MARA Act. Pine Island Redfish founder Megan Sorby co-authored an opinion piece advocating for the bill's passage, which would establish a science-based research framework for offshore aquaculture development.
• Stronger America Through Seafood CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026The Stronger America Through Seafood Coalition, representing 140 representatives including environmental advocates and marine researchers, jointly signed a letter supporting the MARA Act with the Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture. Pine Island Redfish founder Megan Sorby co-authored an opinion piece advocating for the bill's passage.
• Bright TidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024Bright Tide, a UK-based environmental consultancy, launched its Regenerative Farming Accelerator with 20 ventures from around the world participating. Pine Island Redfish was accepted into the program to map out next steps for its land-based farm. The accelerator integrates land and ocean farming practices and aims to accelerate the blue economy by connecting regenerative aquaculture companies with mentorship and resources.
• MANG GearcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2023MANG Gear and Pine Island Redfish are working together to bring restoration and resilience to Florida coastal mangrove ecosystems. MANG Gear, co-founded by Kyle Rossin at Vestor Marine Lab in Fort Myers, has been growing mangroves by hand since 2015, cultivating them for two or more years before planting. They use fresh salt water to ensure high survival rates. The partnership leverages Pine Island Redfish's fish waste nutrients to support mangrove cultivation for coastal restoration.
• American PenaeidminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2023The Pine Island Redfish RAS facility is located near American Penaeid on Pine Island, Florida. This proximity marks the beginning of an aquaculture cluster in the area, with the two operations potentially sharing infrastructure, knowledge, and ecosystem synergies within Florida's aquaculture community.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium (Mote)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2023Pine Island Redfish is collaborating with Mote Marine Laboratory at Mote's Aquaculture Research Park — a 200-acre facility set on land in Myakka gifted to Mote for aquaculture research. CEO Megan Sorby has partnered with Mote for red drum farming using recirculating aquaculture systems. Mote also hosts the Beginning Farmer Education Program in partnership with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County at the Mote Aquaculture Research Park.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• American Penaeid: Florida-based land-based shrimp aquaculture operator co-located near Pine Island Redfish's site on Pine Island, Florida. Forms the beginning of the same aquaculture cluster and shares infrastructure, regulatory familiarity, and Florida operating conditions — a regional adjacency peer.

Others

• Biofishency: Israel-based aquaculture water treatment and biofiltration technology provider where Pine Island Redfish's Chairman Ohad Maiman also serves as Chairman. An enabling technology peer in the RAS supply chain rather than a direct competitor.
• Innovasea: U.S.-based aquaculture technology provider offering RAS systems, fish tracking, and aquatic monitoring solutions. An enabling infrastructure and technology peer supplying the broader land-based RAS ecosystem.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Florida-based marine research institution operating a 200-acre Aquaculture Research Park and a core Pine Island Redfish partner for red drum RAS research. Comparable as an adjacent aquaculture R&D operator and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Forever Oceans: U.S.-based open-ocean aquaculture company farming Seriola and other finfish species. Comparable as an alternative-protein finfish aquaculture operator pursuing sustainable, traceable U.S. seafood supply with novel production methods.
• LocalCoho: Land-based RAS coho salmon producer with operations in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Comparable as an emerging North American land-based finfish RAS operator targeting premium domestic seafood markets with sustainable positioning.

Direct peers

• The Kingfish Company: Netherlands-based publicly listed land-based RAS operator farming yellowtail kingfish — the closest analog in species, technology (RAS), and business model. Pine Island Redfish's Chairman Ohad Maiman was The Kingfish Company's founder and former CEO, making it the most directly comparable peer both technologically and via management lineage.
• AquaBounty Technologies: U.S.-based land-based RAS salmon producer operating in Indiana and pursuing a Prince Edward Island facility. A direct peer in commercial land-based finfish RAS in North America, with publicly traded equity providing a benchmark for the asset class.
• Kingfish Maine: U.S. subsidiary of The Kingfish Company operating a land-based RAS yellowtail facility in Maine. Pine Island Redfish's CEO Megan Sorby spent four years as Operations Manager at Kingfish Maine, building hatchery and operational expertise that directly informs Pine Island's approach.

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Sapphire: Denmark-headquartered publicly listed land-based RAS salmon operator with a flagship Florida facility — a direct technology peer (land-based RAS) and the most prominent large-scale RAS player in the U.S., though focused on salmon rather than red drum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pineislandredfish

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pine Island Redfish