Disclosed is a protector for a clip and line used to suspend aquaculture baskets or like equipment in water. In particular, the protector provides a sacrificial element between the clip and the line that is cheap to manufacture and easy to replace. While an application of the present invention is in oyster cultivation, it could equally well be applied to any process involving the line suspension of an article in water.

Magnetic rotating cleaning apparatuses for cleaning of aquarium walls are shown and described. Each of the cleaning apparatuses includes a first magnetic assembly disposed on an outer surface of the aquarium wall, the first magnetic assembly having an anti-friction pad fixedly attached to a first end of the first magnetic assembly, and a second magnetic assembly disposed on an inner surface of the aquarium wall, the second magnetic assembly magnetically paired to the first magnetic assembly, the second magnetic assembly having a scouring pad fixedly attached to a surface of the second magnetic assembly, the scouring pad making surface-to-surface contact with the inner surface of the aquarium wall. Rotation of a rotation mechanism drives rotation of the first magnetic assembly, rotation of the first magnetic assembly causing synchronistic rotation of the second magnetic assembly. In some examples, the scouring pad has at least one opening configured to reduce surface-to-surface contact between the scouring pad and the inner surface of the aquarium wall, and to collect debris from the inner surface of the aquarium wall and reduce friction during rotation.

In one example, a portion of a shell includes a shell wall portion that has an interior wall portion and an exterior wall portion located near the interior wall portion. In addition, fluid passageways are disposed between the interior wall portion and the exterior wall portion. One or more of the fluid passageways are defined in part by one or both of the interior wall portion and the exterior wall portion. The fluid passageways form part of heat exchanger that is integrated in the shell.

This invention provides a vessel system and methodology that can be used to promote growth of phytoplankton in the oceans. Unmanned self-controlled wave-powered vessels are equipped with storage units for dispensing a fertilizer, and with sensors to monitor ocean conditions and effects. Fleets of vessels move autonomously by on-board processing of GPS and directional information, piloting a path that is coordinated by a central processing unit. The vessels travel through a defined target area, creating a detailed survey of chemical and biological characteristics that affect grown. The data are processed in a computer model to identify precise locations and precise amounts of fertilizer that will produce the best results. Projected benefits of fertilizing plankton include sequestering CO.sub.2 from the atmosphere, and enhancing the marine food chain to improve the fish stock in and around the treated area.

This invention provides a vessel system and methodology that can be used to promote growth of phytoplankton in the oceans. Unmanned self-controlled wave-powered vessels are equipped with storage units for dispensing a fertilizer, and with sensors to monitor ocean conditions and effects. Fleets of vessels move autonomously by on-board processing of GPS and directional information, piloting a path that is coordinated by a central processing unit. The vessels travel through a defined target area, creating a detailed survey of chemical and biological characteristics that affect grown. The data are processed in a computer model to identify precise locations and precise amounts of fertilizer that will produce the best results. Projected benefits of fertilizing plankton include sequestering CO.sub.2 from the atmosphere, and enhancing the marine food chain to improve the fish stock in and around the treated area.

The inventive subject matter describes an electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish having an electrical barrier with a computer system capable of executing a modified soft-start algorithm, the computer system further having a detector input and a switch output; a bio-electric fish proximity detector, the bio-electric fish proximity detector having a anode-cathode detecting pair input and a signal output, wherein said signal output is connected to the detector input; a time varying voltage source.

The inventive subject matter describes an electrical barrier for the deterrence of fish having an electrical barrier with a computer system capable of executing a modified soft-start algorithm, the computer system further having a detector input and a switch output; a bio-electric fish proximity detector, the bio-electric fish proximity detector having a anode-cathode detecting pair input and a signal output, wherein said signal output is connected to the detector input; a time varying voltage source.

System for detecting the level of discomfort of aquatic animals during experimental studies, with a water tank, a reference electrode placed at one of the sides of the tank, at least one recording electrode placed at another side of the tank, a bio amplifier for amplifying a received bio-signal at the recording electrode, a microprocessor for treating the signals and a low-pass filter for filtering the signals received. The system can provide a precise, quantifiable and specific indication of the level of stress/wellbeing of aquatic animals in normal living conditions as well as in experimental conditions without interfering with the animals' life.

A method for constructing a cage body of a tapered cage assembled in a rigid-flexible manner includes steps as follows. A cage body of a tapered aquaculture cage is assembled by combining a rigid-structure copper alloy stretched mesh and a flexible synthetic fiber mesh. Pipe rings mounted on the standard component of the synthetic fiber mesh are mated in a staggered manner with plugging rings on the standard component of the copper alloy stretched mesh, and high-performance synthetic fiber rope is rove through the pipe rings and the plugging rings; in this way, the connection is completed. The cage effectively improves the cage resilience under the ocean current condition, avoids mesh sheet deformation or corner breakage, enhances the water exchange capability in and out of the cage body of the gravity cage, and effectively improves the growth environment for the fishes farmed in the cage body.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for removing carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) from water and quantifying the carbon so removed, thus facilitating valuation of that carbon for schemes (e.g., Kyoto agreement) that attach financial rewards for capture, sequestration or removal of carbon or CO.sub.2.