A Novel Platform to Control Biofouling in Pearl Oysters Cultivation

This paper presents a simple yet effective design of a platform to automate the task of shellfish aquaculture, specifically pearl oysters. Compared to traditional methods, our platform can eliminate the tedious task of cleaning the pearl oysters due to fouling. Inspired by the low and high tide characteristics of the intertidal zone, our platform employs an air-water displacement mechanism to periodically float pearl oysters above the water’s surface, exposing fouling organisms to air and sunlight. While pearl oysters have developed the ability to stay alive during low tide, these fouling organisms cannot survive after prolonged exposure, thus preventing them from developing. Additionally, the platform provides an alternative approach to grow not only pearl oysters but also various types of shellfish, consequently benefiting the aquaculture industry. We introduce the design of the platform and provide a compre- hensive analysis. We also demonstrate the practical deployment of the platform for cultivating pearl oysters.