Aquaculture assembly and method
View Patent ↗The present invention provides aquaculture assemblies for culturing oysters in deep waters and includes at least one structure adapted for culturing an aquacultural species; at least one floatation means; and at least one anchoring means connecting said floatation means to the sea bed; wherein said structure is connected to or comprises said floatation means or said floatation means comprises said structure; and wherein said assembly is adapted for supporting said at least one structure either: a) substantially above the water surface at low-tide, and at least substantially below the water surface at high-tide, or b) substantially just below the water surface at low-tide, and fully below the water surface at high-tide. Methods for culturing aquacultural species using assemblies according to the invention are also provided.
1. An aquaculture assembly comprising:
at least one structure adapted for culturing an aquacultural species;
at least one floatation means; and
at least one anchoring means connecting said at least one floatation means and said at least one structure to, and at a set distance from the sea bed;
wherein said at least one structure is connected to or comprises said at least one floatation means or said at least one floatation means comprises said at least one structure; and
wherein said at least one floatation means is adapted to support said at least one structure substantially above the water surface at low-tide, and at least substantially below the water surface at high-tide, thereby maintaining said aquaculture species under artificial inter-tidal conditions, due to tides.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one anchoring means is adjustable such that the distance between said at least one structure and the sea bed is adjustable.
3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said at least one anchoring means is adjustable such that said at least one floatation means may selectively support said at least one structure either:
a) substantially above the water surface at low-tide, and at least substantially below the water surface at high-tide, thereby maintaining said aquacultural species under artificial inter-tidal conditions, due to tides, or
b) substantially just below the water surface at low-tide, and fully below the water surface at high-tide, thereby maintaining said aquacultural species under artificial sub-tidal conditions, due to tides.
4. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of structures adapted for culturing an aquacultural species.
5. The assembly of claim 1 which also supports one or more structures for culturing aquacultural species fully below the water surface at all times.
6. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of floatation means.
7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein skid plurality of floatation means are spaced apart, having at least one structure supported between, or above, said plurality of floatation means.
8. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of anchoring means.
9. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of spaced floatation means connected to each other by linking means, wherein said plurality of floatation means is connected to said at least one anchoring means and supports said at least one structure.
10. The assembly of claim 9 , wherein said linking means comprises at least one linking line and said plurality of spaced floatation means are connected to said linking line at intervals along its length and wherein each end of the at least one linking line is connected to counterposed stabilizing means.
11. The assembly of claim 10 , which comprises two parallel linking lines, wherein said plurality of spaced floatation means are positioned between said linking lines.
12. The assembly of claim 10 wherein each one of the said plurality of spaced floatation means, is coupled to respective anchoring means.
13. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the distance between said each one of the said plurality of spaced floatation means and the sea bed is adjustable independently of the distance between the other coupled floatation and anchoring means.
14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said aquacultural species comprises oysters or clams.
15. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said aquacultural species is the Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ), Sydney rock oyster ( Saccostrea glomerate ), American cupped oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ), Portuguese oyster ( Crassostrea angulata ), Australian native flat oyster ( Ostrea angasi ) or European flat oyster ( Ostrea edulis ).
16. A method for culturing an aquacultural species comprising cultivating said aquacultural species using an assembly according to claim 1 .
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said aquacultural species comprises oysters or clams.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein said aquacultural species is the Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ), Sydney rock oyster ( Saccostrea glomerata ), American cupped oyster ( Crassostrea virginica ), Portuguese oyster ( Crassostrea angulata ), Australian native flat oyster ( Ostrea angasi ) or European flat oyster ( Ostrea edulis ).
19. A method for culturing an aquacultural species comprising cultivating said aquacultural species using an assembly according to claim 12 .