40 SEPTEMBER 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG may also result in environmental damage that should be considered. Mercaldo-Allen and Goldberg (2011) reported dredging can cause short-term disturbance of the benthic habitat. They again mentioned that the degree of effects depends on the dredging style, which was inconsistent across studies. The effect of dredging on marine ecology has been well documented throughout history (Chesapeake Bay Program n.d.). Therefore, there is a pressing need for technological solutions to provide growers with accurate information to optimize dredging paths and minimize negative impacts due to excessive dredging. The probable solution to these issues would be technology that can aid in mapping the bottom lease conditions, distribution of oysters after planting, and oyster size without creating a financial burden for the growers. This kind of technology would provide growers with data they could use to make better management decisions and improve their farming practices. S3AM is a Probable Solution The bottom culture of spat-on-shell oysters has been the primary cultivation method in Maryland for decades, offering the potential for lower-cost oyster production as compared to water column culture methods. Therefore, under the USDA-NIFA funded project, titled “Transforming Shellfish Farming with Smart Technology and Management Practices for Sustainable Production,” the goal is to enable oyster growers to plant oysters using precise seeding techniques and enable effective harvesting using a guided dredging path. Under this project, the interdisciplinary team is actively working on building a technology that can address the contemporary issues of bottom culture oyster aquaculture. That technology is currently named “Smart Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture Management” (S3AM). The technology utilizes an aquatic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that performs underwater lease mapping and monitors oyster size and distribution. The harvesting component of the technology creates optimized harvest paths enabling maximized crop harvest and minimizing the use of the dredge. The S3AM underwater ROV integrates camera and sonar sensors to form a comprehensive imaging system for detecting oysters on the seafloor as shown in Figure 3. It utilizes forwardfacing sensors for navigation and imaging, while downwardfacing camera and sonar combinations generate real-time oyster crop inventory maps, particularly useful in murky conditions. Additionally, broadband white LEDs and narrowband yellow LEDs aid in underwater visibility. The S3AM monitoring system conducts multi-level mapping processes to create detailed maps of the seafloor, facilitating accurate oyster cultivation. This includes: • Oyster Inventory Map: Data collected by the ROV is processed to construct a high-resolution map illustrating oyster distribution, shape, size, and survival. These images are combined using image mosaicking techniques to identify live oysters of diverse sizes, shapes, and colors. Figure 4 shows the image of the oysters taken by the ROV and number of the oyster detected and tracked. • Navigation Map: Integrating the crop inventory map with GPS data and water current estimations, the system creates a smart dredging process. Mini-sonar emitters, sonar receivers, and sensors enable precise dredge positioning, optimizing harvesting paths to maximize market-size crops while minimizing fuel consumption and labor costs. The Find My Oyster app aids shellfish farmers in recording field data, even in areas with poor internet connectivity. The app supports real-time data recording for activities like seeding and harvesting and uploads the data when an internet connection is FIGURE 2. Oyster harvesting dredge. Photo courtesy: Matt Parker FIGURE 3. S3AM robotics and sensing technology for monitoring underwater lease floor. Art courtesy: Maryland Sea Grant. Also available on https:// storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/01d793ce0dba439787f21f9ef7e92749 FIGURE 4. Oyster detection and tracking. Photo courtesy of B. Sadrfaridpour.
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