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Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms
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Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 5490

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Chien Ming Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: offshore floating fish farms; infrastructure for offshore seaweed farms; development of new structural models for analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenhua Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
Interests: offshore structures; offshore renewable energy infrastructure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global expansion of offshore aquaculture—encompassing both seaweed cultivation and fish farming—necessitates the development of resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable infrastructure to address the challenges posed by deeper waters, energetic ocean conditions, an unreliable supply of renewable energy and environmental sustainability. This Special Issue delves into the latest advancements in engineering, design, and integration strategies for offshore aquaculture systems. The primary scope of this Special Issue includes innovative floating structures, mooring systems, and net cage designs tailored to open-ocean environments; the adoption of digital twins and autonomous monitoring technologies to enhance operational efficiency and structural integrity; and the exploration of co-location opportunities with offshore renewable energy installations, such as wind farms, to optimize spatial utilization and reduce costs. Additionally, this Special Issue examines the role of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems in promoting ecological balance and nutrient recycling, as well as the potential ability of marine permaculture techniques to restore and sustain marine ecosystems. Through a compilation of research articles, case studies, and reviews, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the infrastructural innovations driving the sustainable growth of offshore seaweed and fish farming industries.

Prof. Dr. Chien Ming Wang
Dr. Wenhua Zhao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • offshore aquaculture
  • seaweed farming
  • fish farming
  • aquaculture infrastructure
  • digital twins
  • autonomous monitoring
  • integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA)

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 9331 KB  
Article
Numerical Investigation on Hydrodynamic Characteristics of Variable Flexible Tube Underwater Object Suction Robot
by Yida Zhu, Fenglei Han, Qing Chang, Wangyuan Zhao, Shuxuan Liang and Jiaqi Yu
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(7), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14070624 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 440
Abstract
Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) play a significant role in the domain of underwater robotics, as observed in the field of deep-sea aquaculture. However, conventional stationary suction-tube underwater collection robots often struggle to efficiently collect target organisms located within complex reef environments. To [...] Read more.
Remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) play a significant role in the domain of underwater robotics, as observed in the field of deep-sea aquaculture. However, conventional stationary suction-tube underwater collection robots often struggle to efficiently collect target organisms located within complex reef environments. To address this limitation, this paper proposes an underwater object suction robot with a variable flexible tube. For vision-based object recognition tasks, stable vehicle motion is essential, as hydrodynamic disturbances can significantly degrade visual accuracy. Therefore, a systematic numerical investigation is conducted into the hydrodynamic characteristics of the ROV under different suction-tube shapes. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to evaluate the resistance acting on the vehicle. The results provide guidance for motion control strategies aimed at reducing disturbance effects and improving the robustness of underwater robotic vision. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms)
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20 pages, 8043 KB  
Article
Development of a Cost-Effective UUV Localisation System Integrable with Aquaculture Infrastructure
by Thein Than Tun, Loulin Huang and Mark Anthony Preece
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14020115 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 642
Abstract
In many aquaculture farms, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are being deployed to perform dangerous and time-consuming repetitive tasks (e.g., fish net-pen visual inspection) on behalf of or in collaboration with farm operators. Mostly, they are remotely operated, and one of the main barriers [...] Read more.
In many aquaculture farms, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) are being deployed to perform dangerous and time-consuming repetitive tasks (e.g., fish net-pen visual inspection) on behalf of or in collaboration with farm operators. Mostly, they are remotely operated, and one of the main barriers to deploying them autonomously is the UUV localisation. Specifically, the cost of the localisation sensor suite, sensor reliability in constrained operational workspace and return on investment (ROI) for the huge initial investment on the UUV and its localisation hinder the R&D work and adoption of the autonomous UUV deployment on an industrial scale. The proposed system, which leverages the AprilTag (a fiducial marker used as a frame of reference) detection, provides cost-effective UUV localisation for the initial trials of autonomous UUV deployment, requiring only minor modifications to the aquaculture infrastructure. With such a cost-effective approach, UUV R&D engineers can demonstrate and validate the advantages and challenges of autonomous UUV deployment to farm operators, policymakers, and governing authorities to make informed decision-making for the future large-scale adoption of autonomous UUVs in aquaculture. Initial validation of the proposed cost-effective localisation system indicates that centimetre-level accuracy can be achieved with a single monocular camera and only 10 AprilTags, without requiring physical measurements, in a 115.46 m3 laboratory workspace under various lighting conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms)
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24 pages, 3544 KB  
Article
Preliminary Feasibility Study of Using Hydrogen as a Fuel for an Aquaculture Vessel in Tasmania, Australia
by Hongjun Fan, Peggy Shu-Ling Chen, Andrew Harris, Nagi Abdussamie, Evan Mac A. Gray, Irene Penesis and Javad A. Mehr
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(11), 2037; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13112037 - 24 Oct 2025
Viewed by 2164
Abstract
Decarbonising aquaculture support vessels is pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across both the aquaculture and maritime sectors. This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of deploying hydrogen as a marine fuel for a 14.95 m net cleaning vessel (NCV) operating [...] Read more.
Decarbonising aquaculture support vessels is pivotal to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across both the aquaculture and maritime sectors. This study evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of deploying hydrogen as a marine fuel for a 14.95 m net cleaning vessel (NCV) operating in Tasmania, Australia. The analysis retains the vessel’s original layout and subdivision to enable a like-for-like comparison between conventional diesel and hydrogen-based systems. Two options are evaluated: (i) replacing both the main propulsion engines and auxiliary generator sets with hydrogen-based systems—either proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) or internal combustion engines (ICEs); and (ii) replacing only the diesel generator sets with hydrogen power systems. The assessment covers system sizing, onboard hydrogen storage integration, operational constraints, lifecycle cost, and GHG abatement. Option (i) is constrained by the sizes and weights of PEMFC systems and hydrogen-fuelled ICEs, rendering full conversion unfeasible within current spatial and technological limits. Option (ii) is technically feasible: sixteen 700 bar cylinders (131.2 kg H2 total) meet one day of onboard power demand for net-cleaning operations, with bunkering via swap-and-go skids at the berth. The annualised total cost of ownership for the PEMFC systems is 1.98 times that of diesel generator sets, while enabling annual CO2 reductions of 433 t. The findings provide a practical decarbonisation pathway for small- to medium-sized service vessels in niche maritime sectors such as aquaculture, while clarifying near-term trade-offs between cost and emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms)
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24 pages, 6670 KB  
Article
Development of Novel Offshore Submersible Seaweed Cultivation Infrastructure with Deep-Cycling Capability
by Chenxuan Huang, Chien Ming Wang, Brian von Herzen and Huu-Phu Nguyen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(10), 1958; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13101958 - 13 Oct 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1569
Abstract
This paper presents a novel submersible seaweed cultivation infrastructure designed to enhance seaweed growth through deep cycling. The system consists of a square grid of ropes for growing seaweed, supported by buoys, mooring lines, and innovative SubTractors—movable buoys that enable controlled submersion. The [...] Read more.
This paper presents a novel submersible seaweed cultivation infrastructure designed to enhance seaweed growth through deep cycling. The system consists of a square grid of ropes for growing seaweed, supported by buoys, mooring lines, and innovative SubTractors—movable buoys that enable controlled submersion. The grid ropes are stabilized by four SubTractors, an array of small buoys, intermediate sinker weights and mooring lines anchored to the seabed. The SubTractors facilitate dynamic positioning, allowing the seaweed rope grid to be submerged below the thermocline—at depths of 100 m or more—where nutrient-rich deep water accelerates seaweed growth in offshore sites with low surface nutrient levels. Small buoys attached to the grid provide buoyancy, keeping the seaweed rope grid planar and near the surface to optimize photosynthesis when not submerged. This paper first describes the seaweed cultivation infrastructure, then develops a hydroelastic model of the proposed cultivation system, followed by a hydroelastic analysis under varying wave and current conditions. The results provide insights into the system’s dynamic behaviour, informing engineering design and structural optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infrastructure for Offshore Aquaculture Farms)
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