Title:

Composite Lines for Kelp Aquaculture

Offshore kelp aquaculture is a burgeoning field with the potential to allow farmers to produce a sustainable and high yield crop which does not require the land and fresh water resources that traditional agriculture necessitates. However, ropes from offshore kelp farming could pose an entanglement threat to marine mammals such as the North Atlantic Right Whale. In an effort to mitigate these potential risks, our team aims to replace fiber ropes in aquaculture systems with composite lines. Our goal is to design a composite line that will break if impacted by a large marine animal, like a whale, but will also be strong enough to support the growth of kelp and withstand the forces of the ocean. Our research over this past year has focused on TUF-BAR, a corrosive-free fiberglass rebar. The mechanical properties of these bars eliminate marine mammal entanglement by breaking as the result of a collision. During a collision, the composite line will snap instead of wrapping around a marine mammal, which will reduce the risk of drowning but may increase abrasive skin wounds. The design of this research focuses on the biological and engineering aspects of using composite lines. Biological objectives included identifying biofouling species that accumulated on the composite lines and researching how those biofouling organisms could affect the composite and kelp growth. Comparing the kelp growth, attachment of holdfasts and biofouling on common line types to the composite lines was also explored. Engineering objectives focused on the mechanical ability of the TUF-BAR rods, which included laboratory fatigue and tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy, and field-testing.

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