An automated oyster maturation system including a containment assembly rotatably disposed within a housing. The containment assembly includes a spiral construction that includes compartments that are in communication with one another, walls that define the compartments, and ramps. Openings disposed in the walls and ramps increase in size from the outer diameter to the inner diameter of the spiral construction so that, with every complete rotation of the containment assembly, every oyster will tumble further into the spiral construction and ascend from its original compartment into the adjacent inner compartment where opening size is larger than in the original compartment such that only oysters which have grown sufficiently can remain in the adjacent inner compartment while oysters that have not grown sufficiently yet will fall through the openings of the adjacent inner compartment into the original compartment.

An automated oyster maturation system including a containment assembly rotatably disposed within a housing. The containment assembly includes a spiral construction that includes compartments that are in communication with one another, walls that define the compartments, and ramps. Openings disposed in the walls and ramps increase in size from the outer diameter to the inner diameter of the spiral construction so that, with every complete rotation of the containment assembly, every oyster will tumble further into the spiral construction and ascend from its original compartment into the adjacent inner compartment where opening size is larger than in the original compartment such that only oysters which have grown sufficiently can remain in the adjacent inner compartment while oysters that have not grown sufficiently yet will fall through the openings of the adjacent inner compartment into the original compartment.

A marine bioproduction facility for farming of sessile marine organisms in a body of water is disclosed. The facility comprises an array of at least two production modules in contiguous geometrical relationship to each other, where each of the at least two production modules is adapted to be arranged within a vertical column with a predefined horizontal cross section and extending downwards from the water surface, where at least one of the at least two production modules comprises at least one growth surface for sessile marine organisms, and an upper part comprising at least one opening adapted to allow access to the vertical column. Further, a method for growth and harvesting of marine sessile organisms using the marine bioproduction facility is presented.

A marine bioproduction facility for farming of sessile marine organisms in a body of water is disclosed. The facility comprises an array of at least two production modules in contiguous geometrical relationship to each other, where each of the at least two production modules is adapted to be arranged within a vertical column with a predefined horizontal cross section and extending downwards from the water surface, where at least one of the at least two production modules comprises at least one growth surface for sessile marine organisms, and an upper part comprising at least one opening adapted to allow access to the vertical column. Further, a method for growth and harvesting of marine sessile organisms using the marine bioproduction facility is presented.

The present invention provides a breeding method of a new variety of hard-shelled razor clams, comprising the following steps: a. Estimating the heritability of shell hardness trait: constructing full-sib families to estimate the heritability of the growth and shell hardness traits of the razor clams; b. Selecting individuals with hard shells from basic population using an electronic hardness tester of material mechanics as the broodstock clams; c. Artificially-induced spawning; d. The offspring grow-out; e. Purification of the new strain: with the new strain of hard-shelled generation 1 adults obtained in step d as broodstocks, repeating the steps c and d several times to obtain a new variety of razor clams with hard shells, and the shell hardness trait of razor clams has stable heritability.

A method for cultivating micro-algae cultures using bivalve waste comprising usable nitrogen and phosphorus as a nutrient source. The micro-algae cultures may be used in turn as a nutrient source for oysters.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems that can include an optical sensor configured to generate image data associated with a set of aquatic animals, a memory, and a processor operatively coupled to the memory and the optical sensor. The processor can be configured to receive the image data associated with the set of aquatic animals, determine a set of characteristics associated with the set of aquatic animals based on the image data using a machine learning model, and classify each aquatic animal in the set of aquatic animals based on the set of characteristics using the machine learning model. The processor further configured to count at least a subset of the aquatic animals based on the classification.

A method of shoreline rehabilitation and carbon sequestration includes forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs wherein each apparatus includes a plurality of individual mesh bags and coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag and filling each individual mesh bag with cultch material; installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements, wherein each segment is formed of contiguous line of the plurality of apparatus, wherein at least one apparatus includes acute angled wave breaking apexes positioned to face wave energy configured for reducing locally generated wave energy impinging on relatively sheltered shorelines; and adding submerged aquatic vegetation in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements.

A method of shoreline rehabilitation and carbon sequestration includes forming a plurality of apparatus designed to induce the formation of vertical oyster reefs wherein each apparatus includes a plurality of individual mesh bags and coupling each individual mesh bag to an adjacent mesh bag and filling each individual mesh bag with cultch material; installing at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements, wherein each segment is formed of contiguous line of the plurality of apparatus, wherein at least one apparatus includes acute angled wave breaking apexes positioned to face wave energy configured for reducing locally generated wave energy impinging on relatively sheltered shorelines; and adding submerged aquatic vegetation in an area having reduced locally generated wave energy impinging therein based upon the at least one segment of contiguous vertical oyster inducing elements.

The breeding case for bivalves includes a submersible body having at least one housing receiving and protecting at least one bivalve and a framework. The framework is formed by two branches which extend respectively along two mutually perpendicular axes, the branches defining a determined number of housings. Each housing is equipped with a bottom and a protective wall which extends from the bottom to an upper edge at the upper portion of the submersible body. The case also includes at least one movement slide and locking mechanism for a locked position with the movement slide. The invention also concerns a bivalve breeding column having a determined number of breeding cases fitted one on top of the other. The method for bivalve breeding in connection with the bivalve breeding column is also part of the invention.