Title
Olin College Aquaculture Profiler
Author(s)
Description
There has been a rise in demand for fish products in the US, leading to the need for more offshore aquaculture farms. These farms have been a source of controversy for many years. While some point to them as sustainable alternatives to land farms, there has been an outcry that aquaculture is bad for the oceanic ecosystem. Despite these arguments, not enough data exist to support either claim, particularly as to how damaging aquaculture is to the underwater environment. In response to this, we are developing a deployable, autonomous aquaculture profiler. The profiler is designed to be handled by two people, and can dive to varied depths, collect data, and return to the surface along a mooring line. It shows promise as a solution to the controversy surrounding fish farms, as it can help in data collection concerning the environmental impact. Additionally, it can act to monitor fish health on established aquaculture sites for more general use.