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

科学背景在包括牡蛎在内的许多商业养殖的双壳贝类的生命周期中，自由游泳的幼体在合适的基质上定居是广泛水产养殖的关键步骤，为作物的生长提供了基础。在牡蛎水产养殖中，这要么是(I)通过牡蛎养殖者的传统知识进行管理，(Ii)不受管理但通过从其他地区或孵化场进口牡蛎苗种而被绕过的，要么(Iii)小牡蛎养殖者在手工渔业中考虑不力。研究方法我们已经开发了一个传感器原型，可以量化双壳类的张口活动，并已经证明这种传感器可以检测正常摄食和产卵行为之间张口行为的差异。该项目旨在将这一原型开发成用于牡蛎养殖的功能单元。具体地说，我们已经与我们最初的投资者，总部设在埃塞克斯默西岛的Colchester Oyster Fishery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，以方便他们对牡蛎的管理和培养-理想情况下，增加它们自由游泳的牡蛎幼体到吐痰收集器或牡蛎“剔除”-它们可以放置在潮间带牡蛎养殖区停留的破碎贝壳-的产量。我们的项目将完成我们的单一传感器的开发，成为一系列可以同时与多只牡蛎一起工作的传感器。然后，我们将内置环境数据传感技术和一种方法，让可能在河口外的阵列使用4G通信链路将数据发送回“基地”，以便牡蛎生产商可以检查他们的牡蛎。显而易见，这意味着该传感器还有许多其他潜在用途，例如了解牡蛎是否在预期的时间进食或经历压力--目前，通过观察牡蛎的长期生长，这两种观察都不可能。当增长出现下滑时，采取行动可能为时已晚。影响这是一个以影响为导向的创新项目，具有非常明确的最后期限和单一明确的可实现的影响--增加溅落和牡蛎幼虾产量，从而提高Colchester Oyster渔业的盈利能力和产品质量和供应。我们正在开发的技术本身可能具有商业价值，并具有许多其他潜在用途，可用于其他贝类和久坐畜牧业。

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.