OSH Mobile Oyster Hatchery Concept
By creating a relatively inexpensive and simple to install mobile shellfish hatchery; hatchery production could become more decentralized, effectively reducing product shortages thought redundancy while allowing more participation in the seed market, promoting diversification. This technology could not only be used on every coast of the United States, but could also be adapted to shipping containers that could service seed markets world-wide.
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The mobile oyster hatchery – MOH – is a departure from the norms of shellfish hatcheries and something OSH has been working on and improving steadily since 2015, when the original prototype was built. OSH received a phase I SBIR award in 2020 to further improve systems in the prototype MOH.
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Phase I was followed by a phase II award to test the concept at a pseudo-commercial scale, resulting in our SBIR MOH (3 links below) model deployed in three US east coast locations. These models were homemade by OSH from used 53’ reefer trailers. The SBIR “experiment” runs through 2024.
In the first step to commercialization, we had an MOH professionally fabricated by a professional seawater lab builder (Moving Waters) and the assistance of a seawater system engineer from WHOI, for a client in Texas. This model represents our Beta (3 links below) commercial version and is also outfitted from a 53’ reefer.
The concept of mobile operations of a hatchery do not have to be limited to growing oysters. Because of our ability to custom engineer and build mobile units, other functions can be envisioned on other platforms. For example, a prototype has been designed for general hatchery instruction (teaching) or simply, an algal production module. They are fitted into 40’ sea containers that offer the possibility of shipping them internationally.
The original MOH concept itself is amenable to modular compartmentalization in 40’ containers, highlighting the various uses that miniaturized hatchery technology affords.