An ocean-drifting fish-raising prototype from a Hawaii company was named one of the best inventions of 2012 by Time Magazine.

The so-called Velella Project by Kampachi Farms raised 10,000 pounds of kampachi, also known as kahala or almaco jack, in a 30-square-meter cage tethered to a sailing ship for seven months to test whether fish cages with self-feeding mechanisms and GPS tracking could drift freely on a circular ocean current three to 75 miles off Hawaii island.

The project was among 50 inventions on Time’s list.

Inventions ranged from a $40 home HIV test to the $2.5 billion Mars rover Curiosity.

Kampachi Farms, formerly known as Kona Blue Water Farms, said its Velella project helps advance mariculture, or ocean aquaculture.

The present mariculture industry model uses relatively stationary near-shore cages often criticized by environmental groups as detrimental to ecosystems because fish waste and uneaten food are concentrated in one area.

Neil Anthony Sims, co-CEO of Kampachi Farms, said last year before the trial that the test represented a major step toward growing more fish in a more environmentally responsible manner. "The whole world could benefit from this," he said at the time.

Kampachi Farms reported that fish in the Velella project were healthier and grew twice as fast as expected.

The Velella project cost an estimated $750,000 and received major funding from the Illinois Soybean Association. Other partners included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, Lockheed-Martin, the International Copper Association and Ocean Farm Technologies.