Our expert research team at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) has successfully completed groundbreaking hydrodynamic testing of the innovative SeaFisher offshore aquaculture fish pen. This cutting-edge research is pioneering the future of developing open ocean aquaculture systems capable of withstanding the harsh marine environment.
The 1:50 experiment was completed in the Towing Tank at AMC, where the model was constructed from carbon fibre tubing, 3D printed joiners and carefully netted with a realistic nylon net. The rigid model was deployed with a simplified single point mooring system and subjected to comprehensive wave testing across a spectrum of conditions.
Tested conditions included severe seas where the full-scale significant wave height (Hs) was approximately 7.5 m, moderate conditions (Hs = 5.0 m), and operational seas (Hs = 2.5 m). Regular wave periods spanning 5 s to 20 s across the full spectrum were evaluated. The model was rigorously tested both at the surface and when submerged 30 m below the still water line (noting that the total water depth was 75 m), providing crucial insights into survivability strategies.
The below video footage demonstrates the SeaFisher’s response to a massive 15.95 m high wave (built on a JONSWAP irregular spectrum with target Hs of 7.58 m and Tp of 12.38 s). The results are striking: when surfaced, the wave breaks directly onto the structure causing potential damage, but when submerged, structural motions are dramatically suppressed, significantly increasing system survivability.
SeaFisher surfaced
Wave Conditions: Hs = 7.58 m, Tp = 12.37 s at full-scale
SeaFisher submerged
Wave Conditions: Hs = 7.58 m, Tp = 12.37 s at full-scale
These hydrodynamic testing results will directly inform critical design improvements and validate numerical models for continued development of robust offshore aquaculture systems. This research represents a major step forward in developing open ocean aquaculture technologies that can operate safely in challenging marine environments.
This exceptional work was led by our world-class experimental modelling team: Eric Gubesch, Nick Johnson, Damon Howe, Benhur Raju, and Jean-Roch Nader from the Australian Maritime College – experts in hydrodynamics of floating-moored structures, offshore renewable energy systems, and offshore aquaculture structures.
We were honoured to host distinguished attendees during testing, including Irene Penesis, Nick Elliott, Angela Williamson, Donna Wilson, Simon Willcox, Leslie Cowdery, Nikki Radford – all from the Blue Economy CRC, Hossein (Behrooz) Enshaei (AMC), Yunil Chu (University of Queensland), Ng Quo Hseng (Ivan) (TCOMS), Jord Wiegerink (BMT), and Adam Smark (Huon Aquaculture).
