Seaducer, a French startup, has developed Roll’Oyster – an innovative system for oyster production in coastal areas. This invention was introduced as climate change challenges and low survival rates are threatening the oyster farming industry – both in France and worldwide. Furthermore, survival rates in oyster farming are usually very low, with up to 80% of oysters being lost in the production cycle, something Seaducer aims to improve with its system.
Operating principle of the Roll’Oyster system in oyster farming
The Roll’Oyster system combines various tools and technologies. The operating principle is to artificially recreate tides, winds, and currents combined with alternating the submergence and emergence of oyster baskets. As the name suggests, it is a rolling system programmed to change the duration and frequency of the cycles.
Each module contains 16 oyster baskets, with a maximum capacity of 10 kg per basket. This technology can also be combined with other tools to create an overall automatic system. These include: Remote connection, sustainable energy sources (solar panels), oxygen and temperature sensors, wind meters, air lifts, and paddle wheels to create movement and water circulation for better and more stable water quality.
All these technologies can be controlled from the control room – the “heart of the system”. This is a small room measuring 120
x80x70 cm, located next to the pond for remote control. A control room can control 16 Roll’Oyster modules, which is 256 oyster baskets, equivalent to 2.5 tons of oysters per farming cycle.
“The control room creates low-pressure air and controls the entire distribution in each active Roll’Oyster module thanks to the ballast principle. Control room management is done through a simple and intuitive interface, with a touchscreen allowing data visualization and controlling the rolling and exposure cycles daily,” explained Mr. Silvain Charbonneau, CEO of Seaducer.
Benefits that the Roll’Oyster system can bring to oyster farmers
After successful pre-development and internal operation cycles, it is now time for farmers to test the entire oyster development cycle. The company’s goal is to significantly increase quality and survival rates, and then productivity in oyster farming.
This system can be deployed in closed ponds. Farmers can have better overall control of water parameters. Specifically, such as temperature, salinity, oxygen… At the same time, the system helps with growth and food sources. Or it can also be integrated into the Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system, for example with shrimp. Roll’Oyster is a technology adaptable to any area with a minimum water depth of 0.6 m such as coastal ponds, reservoirs, small lagoons…
This technology was patented in 2018, in France and internationally. Seaducer began commercialization 18 months ago. The initial goal focused on ensuring “customers are ambassadors” to increase their recognition and credibility in the oyster farming field.
According to Vietnam Fisheries.
