The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures

This study investigates the relationship between an ocean site's Exposure Index and the required capacity of finfish, shellfish, and seaweed aquaculture structures. This study provides insights into the efficacy of combining the design significant wave height, peak periods, horizontal wave orbi...

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Main Authors: Tobias Dewhurst, Samuel Rickerich, Michael MacNicoll, Nathaniel Baker, Zachary Moscicki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Aquaculture
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/faquc.2024.1428299/full
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author Tobias Dewhurst
Samuel Rickerich
Michael MacNicoll
Nathaniel Baker
Zachary Moscicki
author_facet Tobias Dewhurst
Samuel Rickerich
Michael MacNicoll
Nathaniel Baker
Zachary Moscicki
author_sort Tobias Dewhurst
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the relationship between an ocean site's Exposure Index and the required capacity of finfish, shellfish, and seaweed aquaculture structures. This study provides insights into the efficacy of combining the design significant wave height, peak periods, horizontal wave orbital velocity amplitudes, horizontal current speeds, and water depth into a single index representing exposure. The research builds upon exposure indices proposed previously, and uses Hydro-/Structural Dynamic Finite Element Analysis (HS-DFEA) to quantify the required structural capacities for cultivation structures as a function of exposure index based on representative sites in the German Bight of the North Sea. The selection of 36 sites in this region was based on extreme hydrodynamic and mean bathymetric conditions, utilizing a k-means clustering approach to identify a collection of sites within a broad range of environmental conditions. Through a detailed analysis of the dynamic simulations of each farm type under 50-year storm conditions, we calculated the required capacities of each system for each site. We then evaluated the performance of significant wave height, depth, distance to shore, and the proposed exposure indices as linear predictors of the normalized required capacities. No meaningful linear relationship existed between structural loads and water depth or distance to the nearest coastline. While there is still uncertainty about the utility of exposure indices as a linear predictor of structural loads, this research found that Exposure Velocity was the best linear predictor across structure types by a slim margin, followed closely by the Specific Exposure Energy, Exposure Velocity at a Reference Depth of 5 m, and the Structure-centered Drag-to-Buoyancy Ratio (R2 = 0.69, 0.61, 0.60, 0.60 respectively). This investigation indicates that these exposure indices can be used to communicate what physical ocean conditions mean for an aquaculture structure's required capacity.
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spelling doaj-art-8e450d992ad644d3a9690f7f480ec64a2025-01-30T13:56:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Aquaculture2813-53342025-01-01310.3389/faquc.2024.14282991428299The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structuresTobias DewhurstSamuel RickerichMichael MacNicollNathaniel BakerZachary MoscickiThis study investigates the relationship between an ocean site's Exposure Index and the required capacity of finfish, shellfish, and seaweed aquaculture structures. This study provides insights into the efficacy of combining the design significant wave height, peak periods, horizontal wave orbital velocity amplitudes, horizontal current speeds, and water depth into a single index representing exposure. The research builds upon exposure indices proposed previously, and uses Hydro-/Structural Dynamic Finite Element Analysis (HS-DFEA) to quantify the required structural capacities for cultivation structures as a function of exposure index based on representative sites in the German Bight of the North Sea. The selection of 36 sites in this region was based on extreme hydrodynamic and mean bathymetric conditions, utilizing a k-means clustering approach to identify a collection of sites within a broad range of environmental conditions. Through a detailed analysis of the dynamic simulations of each farm type under 50-year storm conditions, we calculated the required capacities of each system for each site. We then evaluated the performance of significant wave height, depth, distance to shore, and the proposed exposure indices as linear predictors of the normalized required capacities. No meaningful linear relationship existed between structural loads and water depth or distance to the nearest coastline. While there is still uncertainty about the utility of exposure indices as a linear predictor of structural loads, this research found that Exposure Velocity was the best linear predictor across structure types by a slim margin, followed closely by the Specific Exposure Energy, Exposure Velocity at a Reference Depth of 5 m, and the Structure-centered Drag-to-Buoyancy Ratio (R2 = 0.69, 0.61, 0.60, 0.60 respectively). This investigation indicates that these exposure indices can be used to communicate what physical ocean conditions mean for an aquaculture structure's required capacity.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/faquc.2024.1428299/fullexposure indexaquacultureocean engineeringshellfishmacroalgaefinfish
spellingShingle Tobias Dewhurst
Samuel Rickerich
Michael MacNicoll
Nathaniel Baker
Zachary Moscicki
The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
Frontiers in Aquaculture
exposure index
aquaculture
ocean engineering
shellfish
macroalgae
finfish
title The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
title_full The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
title_fullStr The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
title_full_unstemmed The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
title_short The effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
title_sort effect of site exposure index on the required capacities of aquaculture structures
topic exposure index
aquaculture
ocean engineering
shellfish
macroalgae
finfish
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/faquc.2024.1428299/full
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