Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE OPEN OCEAN AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS, WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER DEVICES, AND INSTRUMENTATION AT A PERMITTED SITE IN THE GULF OF MAINE

Michael Chambers*, David W. Fredriksson, Michael Coogan, Erich Berghahn , Mike Doherty, and Martin Wozniak.

Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems

School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering

University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH 03824

MICHAEL.CHAMBERS@UNH.EDU

 



 The University of New Hampshire (UNH) recently acquired an aquaculture permit  from the Army Corp of Engineers and New Hampshire Fish and Game to culture shellfish and macroalgae offshore. The 53-ha site is located 4.4 km offshore Rye Harbor, NH in 35 m water depth. This site is totally exposed to Northeast storms with seas over 10 m in height and currents up to 0.6 m/sec. This research and demonstration farm will evaluate new ocean aquaculture technologies that minimize the risk of marine mammal entanglement . Wave energy converters will be field tested for durability and  efficiency and  power production.  Instrumentation will be deployed to transmit real time information back ashore to monitor wave height, current  speed and direction, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity and chlorophyl.

UNH has a rich history develop ing offshore  farming equipment and practices with industry partners [1, 2].  They have established world class facilities including the Jere Chase Ocean Engineering Lab (https://marine.unh.edu/facility/judd-gregg-marine-research-complex ). They have numerous research vessels and marine operational staff that can dive, deploy and recovery equipment. 

This site will be available to researchers, fishermen farmers, and industry members that are interested in building the blue economy.

 [1] Chambers, M.D., R. Langan, W. Howell, B. Celikkol, K., W. Watson, R. Barnaby, J. DeCew and C. Rillahan. 2007. Recent Developments at the University of New Hampshire Open Ocean Aquaculture Site. Bull. Aquacul . Assoc. Canada 105-3. http://aquacultureassociation.ca/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2022/02/25-Cod-Aquaculture-105-3.pdf  

[2] 19.                       Fredriksson, D. W. J. DeCew, M. R. Swift, I. Tsukrov, M. D. Chambers and B. Celikkol. 2004. “The Design and Analysis of a Four-Cage Grid Mooring for Open Ocean Aquaculture”. Aquacultural Engineering 32 (2004) 77-94.