Ocean Farm Technologies and OceanSpar announced they merged their operations with Jan. 1 this year to form InnovaSea Systems, Inc., a new company aiming to develop the "next wave of innovative, open-ocean products and services to support the growing mariculture industry."

The newly merged company is focusing, among other things, on environmental and financial sustainability and innovation.

It will produce innovative products and services under the significant investment InnovaSea is making in an accelerated research and development program, the companies said.

"It’s going to take considerable design and engineering talent to create the next generation of products for open-ocean mariculture.