How to Install Aquaculture Cage Moorings
Aquaculture has been practiced for thousands of years, and today provides for a large part of the global supply of fish, crustaceans, aquatic plants, and mollusks. Generally, an aquaculture system must be moored to the seafloor to keep it in one continuous location. Anchors (or moorings) themselves are usually simple dead weights. The line connecting the anchor to the rest of the aquaculture system is either linked chain or a combination of linked chain and rope. The length of connecting lines and number of lines per mooring depends on the site-specific needs of each aquaculture system.
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Things You'll Need
- Boat
- Moorings
- Heavy galvanized steel chain
- Nylon rope
- Dockside crane
- Boatside crane
- Aquaculture tanks or other devices
- Dive equipment
Instructions
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1
Mark the areas for the moorings on a map. If your boat has GPS, enter the coordinates into the system.
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2
Connect the cables for the moorings. Make sure you have the proper amount of cable or combination of rope and cable for you aquaculture location and project. Measure every cable line on each mooring to make sure you have the right lengths.
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3
Connect the mooring to the boat, by using the crane to hoist it from the staging area to the water near the boat.
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4
Proceed to the mooring location as marked on the GPS or map.
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5
Lower the moor into the water using the onboard crane.
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6
Connect the cables or ropes to the aquaculture cages or other system.
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7
Check that the moors are all in suitable locations and that all connections are tight by diving around the system and inspecting both visually and physically.
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Tips & Warnings
If you use rope, make sure it can withstand damage from the water and organisms in your aquaculture location.
Thoroughly research your aquaculture system design and related mooring placement before installing the moorings.
References
Resources
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