Our Technical Team
System Design
Dr. Ron Malone Ph.D, PE, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Malone is an owner and an active member of the management teams for both Malone Industries and AST. He leads the design team for phase one studies and oversees production and training at AST.
Dr. Malone has dedicated his career to the development of advanced aquaculture systems as a tenured professor at Louisiana State University for over 37 years. Nearly $30 million in research has supported the advancement of his technology and associated aquaculture systems. Ron has invented and patented numerous bead filter products that are used worldwide. These are now manufactured under license by several US and international companies.
Ron has also maintained a successful aquaculture consulting business where he was the key consultant in developing many of the largest aquaculture facilities in the US. After 37 years, Ron retired from LSU in May of 2015 and still remains as a Chevron USA Emeritus Professor.
Project Management
Rick Malone, Managing Director
Rick brings years of successful business leadership to AST, providing senior management skills to the organization as the Managing Director.
Rick is relatively new to the aquaculture industry, having spent the majority of his career building a business specialized in the engineering and manufacturing of touchscreen kiosks. From a startup to a $50 million company in 18 years, he sold his majority ownership to a large Private Equity firm in 2011. He retired as CEO of that company in 2012 and remains as a Board Member.
Rick and Dr. Ron Malone purchased AST in February of 2015 through Malone Industries.
Research and Development
Rhine Perrin EI, B.S. Environmental Engineering
Rhine is a part of AST’s Research and Development team which applies for and conducts SBIR grant research to improve and develop bead filter technology. He is also a member of AST’s engineering team and assists in designing recirculating aquaculture systems for clients.
Rhine completed his undergraduate work at Louisiana State University in May of 2015. While in school, he supplemented his education by working on many research projects conducted by various departments at the university. Rhine has extensive laboratory and project management experience having run his own research project under Dr. Gutierrez-Wing in the environmental engineering department at LSU.
Biological Consultant
Dr. John Hargreaves Ph.D, Aquaculture
Dr. John Hargreaves is an aquaculture expert with more than 35 years of experience in research, teaching, extension and development. Since 2006, he has worked as a freelance consultant on commercial aquaculture and international development projects. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of World Aquaculture magazine. John has expertise with water quality management, engineering design assessments, feasibility studies, troubleshooting, BMPs, SOPs and technical training. He has experience with ponds (extensive to intensive), recirculating systems and biofilters, aquaponics, biofloc systems, and hatchery and nursery systems. He has worked with a variety of warmwater finfish and crustaceans in freshwater, brackishwater and marine environments.