Hubbs-sea World Research Institute

What it reported doing in 2024

SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD Conducted scientific research on 25 sustainable seafood projects, feeding a hungry world and restoring depleted fish populations. Aquaculture is a practical solution to renewing regionally and economically important marine fisheries, producing domestic supplies of sustainable seafood and reducing the need for fresh water to produce terrestrial animal protein as a food source.During the previous fiscal year, we made significant progress in our white seabass fin clip feasibility program under the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program (OREHP), with support from NOAAs Saltonstall-Kennedy program. Volunteer anglers and citizen scientists actively participated in collecting fin clips from white seabass they caught, utilizing kits provided by HSWRI. In addition, muscle tissue and otoliths were extracted from white seabass heads donated by anglers and commercial processors, as part of the Save Your White Seabass Head Program. These samples were sent for analysis with fin clips and muscle tissue genotyped for genetic parentage assignment by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to differentiate hatchery-raised and wild fish. Otoliths were sectioned and analyzed for age and stable isotopes by HSWRI and partner institutions, further informing the interpretation of the genetic data. These efforts, contributed valuable insights into white seabass populations, supported sustainable fisheries management, and restorative aquaculture practices.We also completed a project aimed at understanding how water temperature during early development influenced sex determination in California halibut. Using eggs from our broodstock at our Mission Bay facility, we reared juvenile halibut under controlled thermal conditions ranging from 15C to 23C using a specially designed recirculating aquaculture system. Our research demonstrated that higher temperatures resulted in a higher proportion of males, with 98.2% male at 23C, 74.5% male at 19C, and a near 1:1 sex ratio at 15C. This study provided valuable insights for optimizing sex ratios and growth in hatcheries through thermal manipulation, contributing to our future stock enhancement and aquaculture efforts. Additionally, our findings may have broader implications for understanding the impact of global warming on wild population demographics.Our team worked on several projects this past year aimed at improving the feasibility of aquaculture as a commercial industry for food production. We tested a commercial-scale self-cleaning larval rearing tank designed to enhance the production of California yellowtail and white seabass. While the self-cleaning tank did not affect growth, it improved survival for white seabass and reduced labor by fourfold compared to control tanks. Additionally, we studied nutrient transfer from broodstock diets to eggs in California yellowtail, discovering that fatty acids from both commercial pellets and cut bait were incorporated into eggs within 10 to 19 days of feeding. This knowledge will help optimize broodstock diets for better egg quality. Finally, we evaluated the impact of different diets on egg quality in yellowtail broodstock, revealing the need for further research to develop nutritionally complete feeds that can support sustainable aquaculture practices. Together, these projects highlight our efforts to advance aquaculture as a viable source of healthy seafood protein to meet the needs of a growing world population. Over the past year, we made significant strides in advancing Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems to enhance sustainability in the aquaculture industry. We developed a modular, land-based Integrated Multi-Trophic Recirculating Aquaculture System (IMTRAS) that combines culture systems for California yellowtail, sea cucumbers, mussels, and macroalgae (seaweed) to optimize resource use, reduce water consumption, and lower nutrient discharge. Initial trials demonstrated encouraging growth rates for both

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 80.2%; rating input score 80
• Program expense ratio: 81.9%; rating input score 82
• Fundraising efficiency: $20.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 2.2%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.24; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.3%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -0.9% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings