Engineering to Support the U.S. Aquaculture Industry
NOAA Fisheries provides engineering expertise to the U.S. aquaculture industry. Working with collaborators, we are filling gaps in engineering standards for offshore aquaculture structures and developing on-demand gear that is safer for protected species.
Overview
We are developing offshore aquaculture engineering guidance to support the domestic aquaculture industry and make the permitting process more efficient. We are also studying the feasibility of using on-demand gear for shellfish aquaculture.
Research Questions
Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Guidance
- What are the most critical gaps in engineering standards for offshore structures used in aquaculture?
- How can we fill the most critical gaps in offshore aquaculture engineering guidance? How can we use this guidance to increase efficiency in the permitting process?
- What are the needs of the aquaculture industry?
- What are the needs of our federal regulatory partners?
Developing On-Demand Aquaculture Gear
- Is it economically viable to aquaculture oysters, blue mussels, or sea scallops using on-demand gear (e.g. costs and expected revenue)?
- Is it economically and technically feasible to culture oysters, sea scallops, or mussels in deep water/exposed conditions, as measured by growth rates and survival?
- How do we optimize on-demand gear for aquaculture uses (e.g., improving gear design, maximizing stocking densities) and improve operational efforts?
- What are the hydrodynamic effects of storm events on offshore aquaculture gear?
Project Description
NOAA Fisheries aims to bolster sustainable aquaculture in the United States. Engineering can help accomplish this goal by developing science and systems that support the emerging offshore aquaculture industry.
Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Guidance
NOAA’s offshore aquaculture engineering working group developed methods for creating offshore aquaculture engineering guidance. The guidance will support the permitting process. This group took on the following tasks:
- Engaging with pertinent federal regulatory agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers
- Understanding the needs of aquaculture industry members and federal partners
- Identifying gaps in the peer-reviewed literature and engineering standards with respect to U.S. offshore aquaculture engineering
- Developing an approach to quantify the structural integrity of an offshore aquaculture farm by conducting a case study
This work supports Goals 1 and 2 of the NOAA Aquaculture Strategic Plan (2023–-2028):
- Goal 1: Manage Sustainability and Efficiency – Improve the regulatory process for sustainable coastal and marine aquaculture through collaboration with partners.
- Goal 2: Lead Science for Sustainability – Use world-class science expertise to meet management and industry needs for a thriving seafood production sector and share this knowledge broadly.
This project is funded by NOAA Office of Aquaculture and the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center.
Developing On-Demand Aquaculture Gear
Marine aquaculture can increase domestic seafood production and support coastal economies. But some gear uses lines that could potentially pose a risk of entangling marine mammals and sea turtles. This currently limits where aquaculture can take place in the ocean. Although aquaculture does not have a history of entangling protected species in the United States, we are committed to proactively engineering gear that is safer for these protected animals. We are learning from challenges and innovation in the fixed-gear commercial fishing industry, such as “ropeless” or on-demand lobster gear currently in development. This gear reduces the number of lines in the water and the amount of time that the lines are present, reducing the risk of entanglement.
This project is funded by NOAA Office of Aquaculture and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Study Methods
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Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Guidance Case Study
We performed a case study showing how offshore aquaculture engineering guidelines can be applied to measure the structural integrity of a commercial mussel farm in the offshore waters of New England. We conducted the case study in two parts.
Part I: Quantifying Environmental and Extreme Weather Conditions for Use in the Engineering Design Process
We quantified the amount of energy that waves and currents can produce within the region of interest due to extreme weather events (for example, hurricanes, nor'easter storms, etc.). The goal was to understand the intensity of the extreme weather events in the area and the probability of them occurring so they could be applied in Part II. We did this by analyzing relevant historical storm intensity data (e.g. recorded wave heights and currents speeds) and developing probabilities of occurrences for a variety of wave and current intensities.
Part II: Using Validated Numerical Models to Estimate the Probability of Failure of a Continuous Longline Mussel Farm
We applied the information gathered in Part I to the engineering design process for the offshore mussel farm case study. First, we translated the wave heights and current speeds quantified in Part I to loads (i.e. forces) that can be analyzed in the design process. We then applied the design loads to the mussel farm within a validated numerical model simulation to assess the structural integrity. This process can identify the components of the mussel farm that are most likely to fail under extreme weather events. This knowledge is useful to the design engineer when attempting to achieve certain factors of safety within the design.
Similar to Part II of this case study for the mussel farm, our collaborators at the University of New Hampshire led a project to develop a numerical modelling technique for the engineering design analysis of a kelp (saccharina latissima) farm.
Field Tests for On-Demand Aquaculture Gear
We conducted field tests to assess the economic viability of using on-demand technology to culture bivalves in bottom cages in New England waters. We did this by integrating commercial off-the-shelf shellfish cages with on-demand technology. We tested a variety of on-demand systems with shellfish cages occupied by oysters, mussels, and scallops to determine the optimal combination of gear and bivalve species for the deep water/exposed conditions. During the field tests, we recorded bivalve growth rate and the following environmental conditions:
- Salinity
- Temperature
- Depth
- Dissolved Oxygen
- pH
- Chlorophyll
- Turbidity
- Waves
- Current speeds and directions
We developed a techno-economic model that considers cost, species cultured, survival and growth to help identify the conditions under which on-demand shellfish aquaculture is economically feasible.
Project Results
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Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Guidance
Part I of this project provides a comprehensive analysis of extreme environmental conditions in New England's offshore waters. The results suggest a 10-year storm with a significant wave height of approximately 26 feet and a current speed of 5.5 feet per second, while a 50-year storm suggested a 30.8 feet significant wave height and 6.4 feet per second current.
Understanding the probability and intensity of extreme environmental conditions is a critical step when designing offshore aquaculture farms. The methodology we used is not unique to New England offshore waters; it can be used to understand extreme environmental conditions at almost any marine location. This phase is necessary to establish design parameters for the work conducted in Part II of this project, which will focus on applying the parameters to the engineering design process for an offshore mussel farm.
Developing On-Demand Aquaculture Gear
The results of the field tests suggested that scallops were the most economically viable bivalve for bottom cage culture in offshore environments using on-demand technology. The growth rates experienced for these conditions were at the higher end of expected growth rates for scallops. We also observed that shallow sites exposed to high energy from waves and currents are not viable for this farming method because of adverse impacts to the bivalves' health.
Our collaborators at the University of New Hampshire plan to investigate further by conducting additional field tests focused on improving the economic viability of this bivalve farming method (e.g. gear scalability and modifications, stocking density, etc.). Learn more about their work
Contact Information
NOAA Project/Principal Investigator
Project Team
- David Fredriksson, University of New Hampshire
- Richards Sunny, A.I.S. Inc. in support of NOAA Fisheries
- Igor Tsukrov, University of New Hampshire
- Longhuan Zhu, University of New Hampshire
- Michael Chambers, University of New Hampshire
- Bill Silkes, American Mussel Harvesters
Collaborators/Partners
- University of New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Sea Grant
Project Advisors (Engineering Guidance)
- Toby Dewhurst, Kelson Marine
- Zach Mosicki, Kelson Marine
- Michael MacNicoll, Kelson Marine
- Corey Sullivan, Innovasea
- Mirjam Furth, Texas A&M University
- Cliff Goudey, CA Goudey & Associates
- Zachary Dovinski, Manna Fish Farms
- Javier Infante, Ocean Rainforest
Funding Sources
- NOAA Office of Aquaculture
- Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center
- Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
Publications/Reports
- Sunny, R.C., Fredriksson, D.W., Tsukrov, I., Zhu, L., Bowden, M., Chambers, M. and Silkes, B. 2024. Design considerations for a continuous mussel farm in New England Offshore waters. Part I: Development of environmental conditions for engineering design. Aquacultural Engineering (107) doi: 10.1016/j.aquaeng.2024.102476