Resources

Kelson Marine is an active member of the ICES Working Group for Open Ocean Aquaculture (WGOOA). As a Working Group, we have convened farmers, engineers, regulators, and scientists to resolve the present ambiguity in the term "Offshore Aquaculture". The Working Group now recommends two distinct metrics to quantitatively describe aquaculture sites:

"Distance from shore": Sites are described by their distance from the coast.

"Exposure": Sites are further described with an exposure index that incorporates the design wave, current velocity, and depth of the site.

This distinction addresses a need to define the terminology to reduce ambiguity for characterizing aquaculture sites to:

1. Promote a common understanding and avoid misuse of different classifications;
2. Enable regulators to identify the characteristics of a marine site;
3. Allow farmers to assess or quantitively compare sites for development;
4. Equip developers and producers to identify operational parameters for the equipment and vessels; and
5. Provide insurers and investors with better means to assess risk and premiums.

To help farmers, developers, regulators, investors, and members of the public apply these definitions, Kelson provides a calculator for the proposed exposure index definitions.

References:

Lojek, O. Goseberg, N., Moe Fore, H., Dewhurst, T., Bölker, T, Heasman, K, Buck, B, Fredriksson, DW, Rickerich, S, 2024. Hydrodynamic exposure -On the quest to deriving quantitative metrics for mariculture sites. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Buck, B. H., Bjelland, H., Bockus, A., Chambers, M., Costa-Pierce, B. A., Dewhurst, T., Ferreira, J., Føre, H. M., Fredriksson, D., Goseberg, N., Holmyard, J., Isbert, W., Krause, G., Markus, T., Papandroulakis, N., Sclodnick, T., Silkes, B., Strand, Å., Troell, M., Wieczorek, D., van den Burg, S., Heasman, K. 2024. Resolving the term "offshore aquaculture": The importance of decoupling it from "exposed" and "distance from the coast". Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Dewhurst, T., Rickerich, S., MacNicoll, M., Baker., N, and Moscicki, Z. 2024. The effect of site exposure index on the required structural capacities costs of aquaculture structures. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Heasman, K., Sclodnick, T.,  Goseberg, N., Scott, N, Chambers, C, Dewhurst, T., Rickerich, S, Moe Føre, H, and Buck, B. 2024. Utilisation of the site assessment energy index for aquaculture in exposed waters: Biology, technology, operations and maintenance. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

References:

Lojek, O. Goseberg, N., Moe Fore, H., Dewhurst, T., Bölker, T, Heasman, K, Buck, B, Fredriksson, DW, Rickerich, S, 2024. Hydrodynamic exposure -On the quest to deriving quantitative metrics for mariculture sites. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Buck, B. H., Bjelland, H., Bockus, A., Chambers, M., Costa-Pierce, B. A., Dewhurst, T., Ferreira, J., Føre, H. M., Fredriksson, D., Goseberg, N., Holmyard, J., Isbert, W., Krause, G., Markus, T., Papandroulakis, N., Sclodnick, T., Silkes, B., Strand, Å., Troell, M., Wieczorek, D., van den Burg, S., Heasman, K. 2024. Resolving the term "offshore aquaculture": The importance of decoupling it from "exposed" and "distance from the coast". Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Dewhurst, T., Rickerich, S., MacNicoll, M., Baker., N, and Moscicki, Z. 2024. The effect of site exposure index on the required structural capacities costs of aquaculture structures. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.

Heasman, K., Sclodnick, T.,  Goseberg, N., Scott, N, Chambers, C, Dewhurst, T., Rickerich, S, Moe Føre, H, and Buck, B. 2024. Utilisation of the site assessment energy index for aquaculture in exposed waters: Biology, technology, operations and maintenance. Frontiers in Aquaculture. Submitted.