Gear & Husbandry

Gear for oyster and kelp aquaculture can usually be purchased from local dealers or marine supply stores. We've generated a list of common gear suppliers.

It depends. Commonly used floating cages such as OysterGro or Flow N Grow can be purchased as kits or pre-assembled. Pre-assembled are more expensive, but shipping costs are higher because the assembled cages take up more room on the truck. The best way to decide is by pricing out the different options including shipping, estimate the labor costs to build the cages, and consider if you even have the labor to build the cages. Be sure to include the cost of pneumatic tools, which can cost $700 upwards, and fasteners. Simple 2 x 4 jigs are handy to shape soft mesh bags.

If you’re growing oysters, probably. A tumbler/sorter helps you quickly sort oysters by size and chips the growing edge to produce a deep cup. You can find YouTube tutorials for DIY tumblers made from PVC tubing or wire mesh and a windshield wiper motor for $2,000 - $3,000; or purchase a commercial grade aluminum one for $10,000 - $30,000. These may seem expensive but will save you money on labor; and help you keep up with sorting, processing, and harvesting.

Mussel farming gear usually isn’t available locally and needs to be shipped internationally from Canada, New Zealand, or Europe at considerable cost. Other mussel farmers are probably your best source of information about purchasing gear.

If you’re growing mussels, probably. This will help speed up the production process and give a better-quality product.

If you are growing in Maine, you certainly do. Predator nets will help keep out eider ducks and other predators that will devour your mussels.

Specialized scallop gear such as lantern nets and ear-hanging equipment aren’t widely available but Hamilton Marine carry lantern nets; and groups such as Maine Sea Grant, Coastal Enterprises Incorporated, and the Maine Aquaculture Co-op may have some available through their scallop commercialization work.

Ropes/lines, anchors, chains, and floats can all be purchased at marine supply stores.

It is essential to monitor your kelp crop throughout the entire growing season, at a minimum every two weeks. Check farms more frequently in the 4 weeks leading up to harvest to ensure top blade quality and peak biomass. Check farms before and after any major storm event to prevent gear and crop loss.

Make sure all your gear is intact in good working condition and in the correct location. example: all your buoys are accounted for at the surface and inside your permit boundaries.

It is important to check that the seed twine is secure and touching the longline. Broken, loose, or unraveled seed twine can lead to crop loss.

Make sure your kelp longlines are straight, submerged, and untangled. It is possible to service longlines that get tangled in the early part of the growing season (Dec-Feb.) before significant biomass is on the longline. Untangling lines early in the season will improve harvesting operations. If kelp longlines become tangled later in the growing season (March - April) when there is significant biomass on the lines and they are heavy, it is best not to untangle them to reduce crop loss. Plan ahead to harvest multiple lines at once, they can be much heavier, harder to handle and take longer to harvest than a single longline.

Depending on the species you are growing, there are different tasks that might be necessary in the 4-6 weeks leading up to harvest season.

Sugar kelp can float to the surface if the stipes are hollow. Add weights along your kelp lines to keep the kelp crop submerged so that the blades do not get excessive sun exposure and become bleached. Submerged kelp lines also maintain safe water navigation.

Skinny kelp can require additional floatation when the kelp crop is very dense and heavy on the longline. Additional floatation helps to keep a consistent depth of the kelp longline to promote even growth across the farm and prevents the longline from “dipping” or “sagging” which can create bare or less dense sections of your crop come harvest season.