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416 N Houcksville Road, Hampstead, MD 21074

(443) 201-7603

info@project-pearl.org

 

About PEARL

PEARL is a division of Local Seafood Projects, Inc., engineering integrated environmental infrastructure that demonstrates how restoration can be economically self-sustaining.


From Nonprofit Concept to Commercial Infrastructure:

Project PEARL began as a community education initiative focused on oyster-based water filtration. As the technology demonstrated commercial viability, we pivoted to for-profit model to enable scaling beyond grant-dependent operations.


Today, we're building a 6-year platform encompassing:

  • Biofiltration and monitoring infrastructure
  • Distributed data node networks
  • Chitosan manufacturing from waste streams
  • Biochar production and carbon sequestration

Our Core Values

These values guide Project PEARL's approach to building profitable infrastructure that serves environmental restoration goals. We believe ecological impact and financial success are complementary, not contradictory.


Ecological Integrity

We are committed to healing the planet by restoring ecosystems at their source.

Every oyster, every filter, and every drop of clean water reflects our promise to rebuild balance between people and nature.

Catalytic Partnership

We intentionally use our work to empower our community, advance science, and inspire the next generation.

By uniting sponsors, researchers, and citizens, we amplify collective action for healthier waters.

Purposeful Innovation

We use groundbreaking, nature-based methods to achieve real impact. From oyster raceways to microplastic capture, our innovations are designed to scale, adapt, and inspire a new era of environmental solutions.

Regenerative Model

We believe that profound ecological impact and robust financial success are not mutually exclusive—they are inextricably linked. Our model is designed as a virtuous cycle: the more we restore our environment, the more value we create for our partners and stakeholders.

The Integrated Platform

Project PEARL deploys biofiltration infrastructure that simultaneously improves water quality and generates commercial revenue through four distinct streams.


Phase 1: Biofiltration Infrastructure

  **Measurable Environmental Impact**



Our oyster-based systems deliver quantified results: 85% microplastic capture (>50µm), 75% turbidity reduction, 200% increase in local biodiversity. This environmental performance is the foundation for our revenue model.


**Deploys: 2026-2027 | Saltwater (Chesapeake Bay) + Freshwater (Gunpowder River)**



Revenue Stream 1: Advanced Bio-Products

**$4.5M per unit annually**


Environmental restoration creates valuable byproduct: certified research materials. We're the only Chesapeake source with complete digital provenance (particle characterization, environmental parameters, batch certification).


**Available 2026 | Pricing: $200-1,000 per sample**




Revenue Stream 2: Real-Time Environmental Data   

**$1.85M per unit annually**



Our $246K sensor suite (15+ parameters, 5-15 minute intervals) generates continuous data streams. Subscriptions serve municipalities (compliance), researchers (long-term studies), and policymakers (adaptive management).


**API access | Public dashboards | Custom reporting**




Community Engagement

**While building commercial infrastructure, we maintain commitment to education:**


Educational outreach builds workforce and community support essential for scaling restoration infrastructure.



Our Business Model

**Restoration creates commercial value, profit scales impact**


Scaling Beyond Phase 1



**Phase 2 (Years 3-4): Distributed Data Network** — *Additional $2-3M annually*Deploy 10-20 Mini-PEARL data nodes across Chesapeake tributaries for comprehensive Bay-wide monitoring coverage.



**Phase 3 (Year 5): Chitosan Manufacturing** — *$10M annually at scale*Manufacturing facility processes shell waste into medical/industrial biopolymers, creating jobs while monetizing waste.



**Phase 4 (Year 6): Biochar & Carbon Credits** — *$4M+ annually*Pyrolysis system achieves carbon-negative operations, energy self-sufficiency, and generates carbon offset credits.---##


**Total Integrated Platform: $30M+ Annual Revenue by Year 6****Current Status:**- 


✓ Engineering design complete 

✓ Patent-pending AI algorithm (filed September 2025) 

✓ Partnerships: Morgan State, UMD, Gunpowder Riverkeeper 


⏱ First deployment: Q4 2026-


💰 Seeking: $1.7M seed round**Investment Opportunity:


** $1.7M capex → $6.9M annual revenue per unit | 3-5 year payback


Team

Douglas Hood

Founder & Innovator
Douglas is a Maryland-based entrepreneur and technology professional with over 30 years of entrepeenurial experience. He runs DMH Computers, Inc. He is also the founder of Local Seafood Projects, Inc., where he combines his passion for the Chesapeake Bay with innovative solutions for community and sustainability. With Pearl, Douglas is pioneering a new way to clean waterways, capture microplastics, and inspire public engagement through science, design, and storytelling.












Additional Team & Advisors


PEARL is supported by technical advisors and operational partners across aquaculture, environmental science, and manufacturing. Team roles are being formalized as we move from engineering phase to deployment.












Partnership Network:


  • Morgan State University PEARL Program (technical validation)
  • University of Maryland researchers (microplastics, microbial ecology)
  • Madhouse Oysters (aquaculture supply and expertise)
  • Environmental consulting partners
 
 
 

FAQs

PEARL is integrated environmental infrastructure combining biofiltration, real-time monitoring, and waste-to-value manufacturing. Our systems filter 500,000 gallons daily while generating four revenue streams: research materials ($4.5M/unit), environmental data ($1.85M/unit), chitosan production ($10M at scale), and biochar/carbon credits ($4M+). First commercial units deploy 2026, scaling to $30M+ platform by Year 6.

PEARL's biofiltration systems capture microplastics >50µm through oyster filtration and mechanical screening. Our inline particle counter (100 nm - 5 mm range) continuously monitors and quantifies capture rates, documenting 85% removal efficiency for particles above our ecological cutoff. We deliberately stop at 50µm to preserve the planktonic food web essential for downstream ecosystems - this is ecological restoration, not industrial stripping. The captured material becomes certified research material with complete particle characterization and digital provenance.

To demonstrate that environmental restoration can be economically self-sustaining. We're building integrated infrastructure that improves water quality while generating commercial revenue through research materials ($4.5M/unit), data services ($1.85M/unit), chitosan manufacturing ($10M at scale), and biochar production ($4M+). Our mission is to prove the business case for distributed restoration infrastructure, creating a model that scales beyond grant-dependent approaches. By Year 6, we'll operate a $30M+ platform showing that ecological impact and financial success are complementary, not contradictory.

While PEARL is a for-profit infrastructure company, we maintain commitment to community engagement through educational programs and public data access. Communities benefit from cleaner water, transparent real-time monitoring via public dashboards, and educational opportunities for students. We're not seeking volunteers or community funding—we're building commercial infrastructure that serves community interests through measurable environmental improvement and accessible data.

PEARL is the only integrated environmental infrastructure platform combining biofiltration, real-time monitoring, and waste-to-value manufacturing.


Our unique advantages:

  • Only Chesapeake Bay biofloc source with complete digital provenance (particle characterization 100 nm - 5 mm, environmental parameters, batch certification)
  • Patent-pending AI monitoring algorithm for predictive environmental analytics
  • Four distinct revenue streams scaling to $30M+ by Year 6
  • Circular economy model: waste becomes research materials, shells become chitosan, organics become biochar
  • Ecological intelligence: 50µm filtration cutoff preserves downstream food webs
  • Commercial viability without perpetual grant dependence

We're not just filtering water—we're building category-defining infrastructure that proves restoration can be profitable.

Project PEARL is a for-profit company raising investment capital, not seeking donations or sponsors.


You can engage with PEARL by:

• Investing: Accredited investors interested in our $1.7M seed round → invest@project-pearl.org

• Partnering: Academic institutions, government agencies, environmental organizations, or industry partners → partners@project-pearl.org

• Research collaboration: Researchers interested in early access to certified Chesapeake Bay materials → research@project-pearl.org | [Take 2-minute survey]

• Following progress: [Social media links] for updates on deployment and partnerships


We're building commercial infrastructure, not a charity. If you're interested in the investment opportunity ($1.7M → $30M platform in 6 years), contact us directly at invest@project-pearl.org.

 

Partnership & Investment Opportunities

Project PEARL seeks strategic partners and investors to deploy our first commercial units and scale the platform.