Recipient Organization
TWIYO INC.
146 HAVEMEYER ST APT 1
BROOKLYN,NY 11211
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
It is important to encourage new and expanded shellfish aquaculture operations in the US because by 2050 the UN estimates that the world food supply must double and the US trails the rest of the world in the adoption of an important source of clean food: aquaculture. Aquaculture is an important source of food moving forward due to its more efficient conversion of energy into meat, eliminatedreliance on fresh water for irrigation, carbon sequestration, and environmental restorative effects. These traits make it an important solution to feeding the world while also fighting climate change.The development of the 3D-COAST system will address specific roadblocks for oyster aquaculturefarmers in the US, including:High rates of injury and labor-intensive processes, difficulty scaling, achieving social license, and inconsistent product quality and profit margins. The 3D-COAST system is a three-dimensional, solar powered, oyster growing raft.TWIYO's solution for growing oysters is different from current alternatives because we will use the sun to automatically clean and tumble the oysters while also taking advantage of three-dimensional water space rather than the two-dimensional nature of surface or bottom culture. These factors reduce labor time and increase growing density while also improving product consistency and quality.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
Phase I Technical Objectives:1)Build one prototype 3D-COAST raft, using the smallest available aquaculture lease type in Maine (an LPA license, for 400 square feet).2)Record KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as labor hours per oyster, season growth, system reliability (hours of down time), maintenance cost, growth density, bio-fouling growth, and shell-shaping effectiveness.3)Compare system performance with traditional oyster cultivation techniques and quantify commercialization improvement potential for new and existing farms (including for TWIYO).
Project Methods
TWIYO proposes developing a three-dimensional oyster cultivation raft that incorporates automated, solar-powered, cleaning and tumbling of the oysters. TWIYO envisions oyster baskets hung on vertical, rotating, conveyor belt-like mechanisms that would cycle the baskets through the water column and into the air. This solar system will provide gentle tumbling action to improve oyster shape and quality, and the cages will be exposed to the sun for several hours each day at the top of the cycle for bio-fouling purposes.