LOS ANGELES — The possibilities are endless with an underwater drone, like one from Torrance-based company Blue Robotics.

Founder and CEO Rusty Jehangir said the world is your oyster when it comes to how underwater robotics are used.

“I just saw a video yesterday of somebody using it to, using machine vision coupled to this vehicle, to measure the sizes of scallops in New Zealand and monitor their scallop populations using all this cool technology, and it's enabled through having vehicles like this that people can build on top of,” Jehangir said.

Blue Robotics is one of over 60 tech startups and entrepreneurs showcasing their innovative solutions to climate change at AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles.

Jehangir is passionate about his technology’s ability to protect and clean up the planet.

“You need tools to do that. The ocean is an absolutely massive place. You can’t send people out there to do a lot of work. If we’re going to go out there and monitor things, it has to be done by robotics,” Jehangir said.

AltaSea’s mission is to be the center for education, invention and investment in the blue economy, which is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth.

The companies in attendace are examples of job creators in this sector that is estimated to create over 126,000 jobs in LA County alone by 2030.

AltaSea President & CEO Terry Tamminen said Gov. Newsom’s proposed budget of $22 billion to fight climate change will help make this a reality.

“When the government commits at some kind of scale, then private enterprise takes over and creates a lot of opportunities and a lot of improvement for the environment,” Tamminen said.

At Blue Robotics, Jehangir employs over 50 people in a range of positions and says the job opportunities the blue economy provides will be as vast as the ocean.

“Almost every company in this industry is going to need a little bit of everything. They don’t need one particular educational background, or one particular type of person. But there are opportunities everywhere and I think that’s going to keep growing as the interest and importance of the ocean continues to grow,” Jehangir said.

So as the blue economy grows, thanks in part to these innovative solutions, not only will people have jobs, but jobs that will help mitigate climate change.