AQUACULTURE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD

• US 20130186345A1
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven J. Leslie, Yvonne E. Young
• Original Assignee: Steven J. Leslie, Yvonne E. Young
• Inventors: Leslie, Steven J., Young, Yvonne E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,932,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 119/240
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/54 of bivalves, e.g. oysters or mussels
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 61/60 Floating cultivation devices, e.g. rafts or floating fish-farms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/81 Aquaculture, e.g. of fish

Abstract

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.

Claims

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 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, thereby maintaining said aquacultural species under artificial inter-tidal conditions, 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.

2. The assembly of claim 1, which is adapted for supporting said at least one structure at least partially above the water surface at low tide, and at least substantially below the water surface at high tide.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said anchoring means is adjustable such that the distance between said at least one structure and the sea bed is adjustable.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the distance between said at least one structure and the sea bed may be adjusted to support said structure substantially above the water surface at low tide.

5. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of structures adapted for culturing an aquacultural species.

6. The assembly of claim 1 which also supports one or more structures for culturing aquacultural species fully below the water surface at all times.

7. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of floatation means.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein said floatation means are spaced apart, having at least one said structure supported between or above the floatation means.

9. The assembly of claim 1 which comprises a plurality of anchoring means.

10. 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 at least one anchoring means and wherein said system supports a plurality of said structures.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein said linking means comprises at least one linking line and said 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 stabilising means.

12. The assembly of claim 11, which comprises two parallel linking lines, wherein said floatation means are positioned between said linking lines and connected thereto at spaced intervals.

13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein each floatation means is coupled to respective anchoring means.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the distance between said floatation means and the sea bed is adjustable independently of the distance between the other coupled floatation and anchoring means.

15. A method for culturing an aquacultural species comprising cultivating said aquacultural species using an assembly according to claim 1.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said aquacultural species comprises oysters or clams.

17. The assembly of claim 1, 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 (Osrtea edulis).

18. A method for culturing an aquacultural species comprising cultivating said aquacultural species using an assembly according to claim 13.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said aquacultural species comprises oysters or clams.

20. The method of claim 15, 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 (Osrtea edulis).