![]() The work done at the Marine Station Ostend makes use of resources, facilities and/or services provided by Flanders Marine Institute and the Marine Biology Research Group of UGent as part of the Belgian contribution to EMBRC-ERIC. The knowledge gained from these first captivating sea missions nearshore are crucial for the selection of the best performing materials and methods to be applied in the spring of 2021 in an offshore wind farm of Parkwind.įor more information on the project, please visit the websites of Horizon 2020 UNITED project and UGent. The results are currently being processed. The aquaculture structures were transported to the Marine Station Ostend (Flanders Marine Institute, to increase survival of settled oysters while being counted. A labour and time consuming job, so the entire team was present to collect the data (Figure 4). ![]() The team investigated the settlement of wild oyster spat (Figure 3), robustness of deployed systems, differences in flat oyster settlement between multiple nature-inclusive scour protection materials, efficiency of decommissioning methods, labelling techniques, and differences in biodiversity between substrates. We sailed off in November to collect data and observe the first results, under a bright autumn sun and joined by the camera man of No-Office, to capture our every move (Figure 2). Now, it was time to retrieve these structures for a first evaluation (Figure 1). The selected scour material must fulfill the technical requirements imposed on scour material in general and, at the same time, it should create an attractive habitat for oyster larvae to settle.ĭuring the summer the Belgian UNITED team deployed aquaculture structures for flat oyster designed by UGent and Brevisco and produced by Brevisco, and restoration tables designed and produced by Jan De Nul Group. Optimal growing conditions of flat oyster are quite specific, and this makes offshore aquaculture and restoration very challenging. The distance from the coast, operation and maintenance of the structures needed for restoration and aquaculture production, and the harsh sea and weather conditions in the North Sea complicate implementation. pearl farming industry starts out by using wild-collected pearl oysters, it will soon. The UNITED project aims to culture the initial oyster stocking material to allow the natural reefs to develop and, in the longer term, natural oyster reefs would provide oyster larvae to the aquaculture sector.Ĭo-location of restoration and aquaculture in wind parks looks like a logical choice, but we are still far from its large-scale application. oysters (spat) to keep the farm in operation. ![]() At the same time, the hard substrate used as scour protection around wind turbine poles provide a substrate for oyster larvae to settle on and initiate natural oyster reefs. Bottom fishing is not allowed in wind parks – and oyster reefs would thus not be damaged. However, overfishing since the 19th century and the occurrence of diseases (such as bonamiasis) in the 1980s devastated these wild oyster reefs.īelgian offshore wind farms offer a unique environment to restore oyster reefs and develop aquaculture. Such reefs provide a valuable habitat supporting a unique marine biodiversity, but also provided a luxury seafood for our cuisine and culture. Our Belgium waters used to house reefs of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis). In addition, oyster beds form large, complex structures where many aquatic species, such as fish and crabs, hunt for food and hide from predators.November 2020: a busy month at the Belgian pilot! This promotes the growth of underwater grasses, such as wild celery, which serve as important habitat for other species. From this point forward, the oysters are self-sustaining, filtering all the nutrients they need directly from the water in their environment.īecause oysters are filter feeders, they help keep the water clean. The tiles or shells that hold the spat are secured to frames or in cages and submerged along an intertidal area or suspended from a long line. The successful farming of oysters and other shellfish relies upon successful settlement of larvae onto a selected substrate-typically other oyster shells or ceramic tiles-within a hatchery or wild setting. Oysters are frequently cultivated for food and pearls. Once the larvae permanently attach to a surface, they are known as spat. When oysters reproduce, they spawn tiny larvae that freely navigate the water column until they find an appropriate habitat with a structure to settle on. Oysters are a type of shellfish that live in brackish and saltwater bays, estuaries, and tidal creeks.
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