"Hawaii is already a global leader in innovative techniques for ocean farming. Kampachi Farms co-founder Neil Sims’ Velella Mariculture Project, named one of Time magazine’s “25 Best Inventions of 2012,” demonstrated how fish could be raised cleanly and sustainably in cages miles from the Hawaii coast, moving around the eddies away from the reef, out in the open sea.
Such offshore farms, however, present risks for humans who need to monitor the cages and feed the fish. “There are rough conditions, big waves. You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. You don’t have the protection of a river basin or land mass to protect you from the pounding that a hurricane or natural weather pattern can bring,” says Goldsborough.
That is where technology comes in. Forever Oceans, based out of the Natural Energy Lab on Hawaii Island, has continued and expanded Sims’ work. Today, video cameras monitor the fish and a robotic system orchestrates feedings and even the removal of dead fish. While humans do need to physically get out to the aquafarms from time to time, much of the daily operations happen with the touch of an iPad app.
“It’s tech from start to finish. At every step of the way, we’ve implemented ways to remove humans from the loop. We’re able to reliably communicate with the cages, monitor and accomplish all of the tasks that a human would normally need to do,” says Goldsborough."
Such offshore farms, however, present risks for humans who need to monitor the cages and feed the fish. “There are rough conditions, big waves. You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. You don’t have the protection of a river basin or land mass to protect you from the pounding that a hurricane or natural weather pattern can bring,” says Goldsborough.
That is where technology comes in. Forever Oceans, based out of the Natural Energy Lab on Hawaii Island, has continued and expanded Sims’ work. Today, video cameras monitor the fish and a robotic system orchestrates feedings and even the removal of dead fish. While humans do need to physically get out to the aquafarms from time to time, much of the daily operations happen with the touch of an iPad app.
“It’s tech from start to finish. At every step of the way, we’ve implemented ways to remove humans from the loop. We’re able to reliably communicate with the cages, monitor and accomplish all of the tasks that a human would normally need to do,” says Goldsborough."