Snapperfarm was founded in 1998 by Brian O'Hanlon and Joseph Ayvazian.
Snapperfarm's original R&D efforts focused on broodstock maturation and spawning of Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus). As with many exciting businesses these days, Snapperfarm started in the basement of a Long Island, New York home. The basement of the home was gutted to make room for a large, photo period and temperature controlled broodstock maturation system. Thirty Red Snapper broodstock were collected 50 miles off the coast of Dauphin Island, Alabama and transported over 1,300 miles to New York.
The experimental hatchery was decommissioned in late 1999 to begin focusing efforts on developing Snapperfarm's current open ocean demonstration project in Puerto Rico. Between 1999 and 2000 the company studied a number of locations in the Caribbean and ultimately chose Puerto Rico as the site for its demonstration project. Permit applications were submitted in 2000
In the summer of 2002, Snapperfarm installed its first cages and initiated the second private open ocean aquaculture operation in the United States. Snapperfarm currently utilizes SeaStation™ and Aquapod™ offshore submersible models with a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters. Because of the strong currents, extreme wave energy and exposure to hurricanes, the cages are operated fully submerged and are only surfaced for maintenance or harvest.
The first fish were stocked in the fall of 2002. Cage one was stocked with Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis) and cage two was stocked with Culebran Cobia™ (Rachycentron canadum).