NOSy - magnetic and wireless sensor technology for improving profit, biosecurity and carbon footprint of regional oyster production

在许多商业养殖的双壳类（包括牡蛎）的生命周期中，自由游动的幼虫在合适的基质上定居是广泛水产养殖的关键步骤，为作物生长提供了基础。在牡蛎养殖中，这要么是(i)通过牡蛎养殖户的传统知识进行管理，（ii）不受管理，但从其他地区或孵化场进口牡蛎幼崽，或（iii）牡蛎小农在手工渔业中考虑不足。我们开发了一种传感器原型，可以量化双壳类动物的开口活动，并证明该传感器可以检测正常进食和产卵行为之间的开口行为差异。本项目旨在将该原型开发成可用于牡蛎养殖的功能单元。具体来说，我们已经与我们最初的投资者，位于埃塞克斯郡默西岛的科尔切斯特牡蛎渔业公司合作，将这种传感器开发成一种产品，用于通知他们产卵活动的高概率，以促进他们对牡蛎的管理和养殖——理想情况下，可以增加他们自由游动的牡蛎幼虫的产量，这些牡蛎幼虫可以被收集器或牡蛎“孵化”——他们可以将碎壳放在潮间带牡蛎养殖区，供牡蛎定居。我们的项目将完成我们将单个传感器开发成一系列传感器的工作，这些传感器可以同时与多个牡蛎一起工作。然后，我们将建立环境数据传感技术和一种阵列方法，该阵列可能位于河口外，使用4G通信链路将数据发送回“基地”，以便牡蛎生产者可以检查他们的牡蛎。很明显，这意味着传感器还有许多其他潜在的用途，比如了解牡蛎是否在预期的时候进食或经历压力——这些观察目前都不可能通过观察牡蛎的长期生长来实现。当经济增长出现下降时，采取行动可能为时已晚。这是一个以影响为导向的创新项目，有一个非常明确的截止日期和一个明确的可实现的影响交付——增加水落和幼牡蛎产量，从而提高科尔切斯特牡蛎渔业的盈利能力、产品质量和供应。我们正在开发的技术本身可能具有商业价值，并在其他贝类和定居牲畜生产中具有许多其他潜在用途。

Scientific backgroundIn the life-cycle of many commercially-grown bivalves including oysters, the settlement of free-swimming larvae onto suitable substrate is a key step in extensive aquaculture that provides the foundation for crop growth. In oyster aquaculture, this is either (i) managed through traditional knowledge of oyster farmers, (ii) unmanaged but bypassed with the import of oyster juveniles from other areas or hatcheries or (iii) poorly considered in artisanal fisheries by oyster small-holders. Research methodology We have developed a sensor prototype that quantifies the gaping activity in bivalves and have demonstrated that this sensor can detect differences in gaping behaviour between normal feeding and spawning behaviour. This project aims to develop this prototype into functional units for deployment in oyster aquaculture. Specifically we have teamed up with our original investor, Colchester Oyster Fishery based on Mersea Island in Essex, to develop this sensor into a product use to inform them of high probability of spawning activity to facilitate their management and culture of oysters - ideally to increase their yield of free swimming oyster larvae onto spat collectors or oyster "cultch" - crush shell they can place on an inter tidal oyster cultivation area for oysters to settle onto.Our project will complete our development of a single sensor into an array of sensors that can work with multiple oysters at the same time. Then we will build in both environmental data sensing technology and a method for the array that may sit out on an estuary to send data back to "base" using 4G communication links and so that the oyster producer can check on their oysters. As should be evident this means the sensor has many other potential uses such as understanding whether oysters are feeding when expected or experiencing stress - neither of these observations are currently possible with looking at long term growth of oysters. By the time declines in growth occur it may be the case that it is too late to act upon it.ImpactThis is an impact orientated innovation project with a very clear set of deadlines and a single clear obtainable impact deliverable - to increase spatfall and juvenile oyster yield so as to increase profitability and product quality and supply for Colchester Oyster Fishery. The technology we are developing may be of itself of commercial value and has many other potential uses with other shellfish and sedentary livestock production.