SP-I in $20M Award from National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)

SP-I Lab is honored to be part of this major effort at UH Cullen College of Engineering of the University of Houston toward repurposing of offshore infrastructure in the Gulf region. This effort is led by the GULF OFFSHORE RESEARCH INSTITUTE with funding provided by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

At SP-I Lab, we are subawardees of this major NASEM grant with $511K, in collaboration with Dr. Pernell from the UH Energy Program. Our efforts will focus on workforce development for the Gulf Region through R&D and a Multi-Tiered Educational Curriculum for Marine Energy (ME) as well as other key areas. We are looking forward to this major opportunity and to make an impact for the Gulf.

Read more here.

From Liabilities to Assets: GORI Reimagines the Future of Offshore Platforms

Gulf Offshore Research Institute wins $20 million Gulf Futures Challenge award to transform offshore platforms into hubs for energy, food, and ocean monitoring

MANDEVILLE, La. – April 23, 2026 – More than 1,300 offshore oil and gas platforms across the Gulf Coast region face decommissioning — and with them, the potential loss of thousands of jobs, a significant drop in reef fisheries biomass, and billions in revenue for Gulf Coast communities. Today, the Gulf Offshore Research Institute (GORI) announced it has been selected as one of only two recipients of a $20 million award through the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Futures Challenge — funding that will transform these aging structures from liabilities into hubs for clean energy, sustainable seafood production, critical mineral recovery, and real-time ocean monitoring.

The Gulf Futures Challenge, led by NASEM’s Gulf Research Program (GRP), invests in bold, community-centered solutions to the Gulf region’s most pressing challenges in energy transition, environmental change, and community resilience. GORI’s award will support a five-year effort to retrofit and operationalize five offshore platforms, with permitting already underway through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

GORI’s proposal — Repurposing Petroleum Infrastructure for Sustainable Energy, Food, and Critical Minerals — turns existing offshore structures into engines for the blue economy. By leveraging these structures as vertical reef ecosystems, the project protects marine biodiversity while creating new, innovative industries. This approach expands seafood production, supports renewable energy and mineral recovery, and strengthens coastal communities historically dependent on oil, gas, and fishing industries.

“We are transforming the backbone of oil and gas production into a more sustainable and prosperous Gulf Coast. By integrating renewable energy, aquaculture, mineral recovery, and ocean monitoring, we strengthen marine habitats, support thriving ecosystems, boost coastal economies, and advance sustainable energy production,” said Kent Satterlee, Executive Director of GORI.

“We are delighted by the national acknowledgement of the importance of offshore infrastructure in sustaining essential marine habitats, while simultaneously highlighting the potential to advance a thriving and sustainable blue economy supporting coastal communities in the Gulf,” said Rob Fondren, Co-Founder and Chairman of GORI.

“Offshore platforms already support flourishing ecosystems below water, while at the same time serving as infrastructure for the blue economy in the Gulf Region. Repurposing them offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leverage existing assets and avoid the massive cost of replacement,” said Dr. Greg Stunz, Senior Executive Director, Harte Research Institute.

“Choosing the right platforms is the foundation of this entire effort. Through FishLAT, our machine learning assessment tool, we can screen all 1,300 platforms in the Gulf and match each one to its highest-value reuse — whether that’s aquaculture, renewable energy, or ocean monitoring. This moves platform repurposing from a concept to a data-driven, defensible decision,” said Amber Sparks, Co-Founder of Blue Latitudes LLC and GORI partner.