Who We Are

Renewable Saltwater Aqua-Ponic Technology

Founded by Dr. Wenhao Sun and partners in 2006

Committed to utilizing symbiotic relationships and renewable resources to maintain and grow clean, delicious ocean-based products in a bio-friendly and sustainable way in the 21st Century.

Produce and distribute premium, traditionally land-based agricultural crops grown with a anti-algae salt-water aquaponic system.

A State of Hawaii-recognized member of the Hawaii Seal of Quality program with an industry recognized Food Safety Certification

Why Marine Agriculture

Challenge the future’s agricultural crises

  • Shortage of arable land (43% of the earth’s total land is arid or semiarid
  • 25 million hectares of agricultural land are lost every year as a result of soil salinity
  • Shortage of fresh Water due to climate change (droughts), pollution, overuse, increased human demands

A Solution for the Crises

  • Allow cultivations in areas without arable land and freshwater
  • Free up much-needed land and fresh Water for other agricultural and non-agricultural uses.

Our Techniques

  • Floating Plant Cultivation Platforms (FPCPs)

    • Allows land plants to be cultivated on flexible floating platforms in salt water ponds, coastal lagoons, and (eventually) open ocean
    • Use indigenous land plants that die when “escape” into salt water
    • Plants are isolated from surrounding land
    • Plants will be harvested when mature using methods developed by MAF

  • Anti-Alage Saltwater Aquaculture Systems and Methods (U.S. Patent 9,901,046)

    • Use of salt tolerant land plants (Sea asparagus, akulikuli) to suppress the growth of microalgae, and clean saltwater
    • Substantial growth of seaweeds (limu, ogo) from bottom of the sea asparagus ponds to provide mess of oxygen for plant roots and fish
    • Cultivation of fish in the body of the saltwater to supply foods for seaweeds and Sea asparagus
    • Commercial viable through symbiotic ecosystem and poly-culture productions

  • Uses of Marine Agriculture

    • Productions of sea plants, animals, and fungi for food, medicinals, biomaterials, biofuel
    • Marine Environmental protection (Saltwater phytoremediation)
    • Ocean-scaping and Ocean conservation

  • Unique Features

    • Lower cost (no aeration, no circulation, no pesticides, no GMO, no freshwater, no filtration)
    • Higher productivity due to three yields in one ponds

What is Sea Asparagus?

Sea asparagus, scientifically known as Salicornia bigelovii, is a type of salt-tolerant plant that thrives in saline conditions such as salt marshes, coastal beaches, and mangrove areas. This plant, bearing a striking resemblance to miniature asparagus with its green, segmented, and succulent form, is not a relative of the traditional asparagus.

Sea asparagus (aka sea beans or samphire), is a cherished ingredient in upscale British and French culinary traditions. Renowned for its crisp texture and inherently salty taste, it frequently features in salads, as a garnish, or in an array of cooked recipes. It's also acclaimed for its nutritional content, including a range of vitamins and minerals, and is considered a healthy, low-calorie food. Due to its ability to grow in saline environments, it's gaining attention for sustainable agriculture practices.

Nutritional Powerhouse

The Health Benefits of Sea Asparagus

In addition being en vogue in cuisine, Hawaii sea asparagus is also famous for its full spectrum of bioavailable vitamins (A, B, and C) and essential minerals important in maintaining one’s health. It’s considered a super food by the science community and was even featured on the popular Dr. Oz Show as one of his top “age-defying foods” (along with Japanese sea cucumber and Irish moss).

Some of the important nutritional benefits unique in sea asparagus are highlighted below:

  • Excellent source of B9 (folate), often deficient in meat-heavy diets. Promotes healthy brain development and red cell growth.

  • Contains the richest concentration (5% per dry weight) of a betaine called trimethylglycine (TMG), good for reducing hypertension and homocysteine. In comparison, the next richest sources of betaine are quinoa (0.63%), spinach (0.55%) and beets (0.13%).

  • Good source of sodium and chloride minerals in separate forms, making it a good “salt-free” alternative for people with intolerance to NaCl in table salt.

Oral TMG is FDA-approved for treating high levels of homocysteine, which if not properly “methanized”, may lead to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, migraines, hearing loss, and hypertension, a condition that affects a third of the population. In daily life, diets heavy in red meat and dairy, coffee, alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity and advancing age all can contribute to increasing levels of homocysteine.

Sea Asparagus:

A Safe & Healthy Alternative for Salt Sensitivity

A recent research also concludes that that sea-asparagus is good for salt-intolerant consumers. The vegetable tastes salty and contains the necessary minerals sodium and chloride separately, but not the toxic form of NaCl in table salt, the compound that causes allergic reactions in certain people, high-blood pressure, migraines, etc. This is because sea asparagus, which grows in salt-water, is able to naturally process sodium and chloride separately whereas other vegetable growing in salt and muddy coastlines cannot. Collectively, these benefits all make Olakai sea asparagus a likely candidate to become the next scion of nutritious and delicious superfood like acai, chia, and sprulina.