Technology & Equipments

Shanghai Ocean University has made a groundbreaking debut with the unveiling of Wen Yao, an intelligent soft-bodied bionic fish designed in the shape of a manta ray. This remarkable creation, developed after over a decade of research and development, showcases significant advancements in marine technology.

Wen Yao, boasting a wingspan of 1 meter and weighing 35 kilograms, represents a pinnacle of bionic engineering. With all key components produced domestically, this bionic fish offers numerous advantages, including high efficiency, low energy consumption, versatility, and exceptional mobility.

Chen Xinjun, head of the university’s School of Marine Living Resources and Management, highlighted the meticulous bionic efforts that went into Wen Yao’s design and development. Drawing inspiration from the behavior of real fish, the team focused on replicating not only its form but also its movement, structure, and materials.

The applications of Wen Yao are vast, ranging from ocean fishing to deep-sea exploration. Its superior features, including high efficiency, energy saving, low noise, and concealment, make it an invaluable asset for the development of the marine economy and the safeguarding of national sovereignty.

Equipped with high-precision sensors, imaging sonar scanning devices, and other artificial intelligence technologies, Wen Yao facilitates underwater monitoring and analysis with unparalleled flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Beyond its manta ray form, the research team has also developed bionic fish resembling dolphins and moray eels. Furthermore, the university has partnered with a Shanghai-based company to further develop soft-bodied bionic fish and expand their market applications.

In the future, Wen Yao is set to be enhanced with smart chips, further augmenting its capabilities and functionality. As a testament to Shanghai Ocean University’s commitment to innovation and excellence, Wen Yao represents a significant step forward in the realm of bionic marine technology.

Aquaculture, the silent force behind seafood production, finds an unexpected ally in drones. These technological wonders are reshaping fish farming, paving the way for a future where the sky becomes a tool for sustainable harvests from the depths.

Picture a farm without fields, where drones soar above swaying waves, replacing traditional methods with precision and insight. Google Discovery explores this innovative fusion of nature and technology, ushering in a new era in aquaculture.

Drones offer a bird’s-eye view, identifying issues with unparalleled accuracy, from temperature fluctuations to water quality. Fish farmers now engage in a dialogue with their aquatic charges, using drone data to prevent disease outbreaks and ensure a thriving marine ecosystem.

Farmers transition into roles as drone pilots and data analysts, maximising safety and efficiency. With drones, they navigate the waters from solid ground, steering marine harvests towards sustainability.

This partnership between drones and aquaculture symbolises a leap into a future where man’s intervention is subtle yet powerful. It promises a world where food security is ensured through innovative solutions and respect for the ecosystem.

As technology evolves, drones and aquaculture offer hope for a harmonious coexistence. Each flight represents progress towards sustainable food production, challenging old norms and embracing new horizons over the oceanic pastures.

For those curious about the future and passionate about the environment, the collaboration between drones and aquaculture paints a promising picture. It signals a new age where drones become the unlikely shepherds of the sea, safeguarding our marine resources for generations to come.

Source-Ytech

John Diener, CEO of an aquaculture company, was troubled by the environmentally unsustainable practices prevalent in shrimp farming. Concerns deepened when he realized his own family’s health was at risk due to shrimp imported from regions known for their use of antibiotics. Determined to make a change, he founded Vertical Oceans, a startup revolutionizing seafood production.

Vertical Oceans grows sustainable shrimp in massive “aqua towers” located within urban settings, potentially even within buildings. These towers incubate shrimp without chemicals or antibiotics, offering a solution to out-of-season production challenges. With the global shrimp market valued at $50 billion annually, the potential impact of Vertical Oceans is substantial.

Securing a $3.5 million seed round led by Khosla Ventures, Vertical Oceans stands out as a pioneer in aquaculture investment. Notably, this marks Silicon Valley’s first direct investment in an aquaculture startup. The startup has already demonstrated success with ten harvests in the past six months from its proof-of-concept facility in Singapore.

While competition exists, Vertical Oceans’ focus on high-quality, fresh shrimp sets it apart. Diener emphasises that their product rivals fresh wild-caught shrimp, commanding higher prices that offset the costs of vertical and urban farming.

Designed to thrive in urban environments, Vertical Oceans’ system is location-agnostic, catering to cities worldwide, including those with cold winters like Chicago. Expansion plans include a full-scale facility adjacent to downtown Singapore to further develop their innovative technologies.

With Diener and co-founder Enzo Acerbi’s experience in scaling agritech, Vertical Oceans is poised for success in transforming the shrimp farming industry. Their commitment to sustainability and quality ensures a brighter future for both consumers and the environment.

Indonesian aquaculture   company eFishery has made a strategic move by acquiring DycodeX, a local AI-powered IoT startup, to bolster its artificial intelligence ambitions. While the terms of the deal remain undisclosed, this acquisition paves the way for eFishery to launch its upcoming AI brand, eFishery.ai.

Under this arrangement, the DycodeX team will integrate into eFishery’s artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) and cultivation intelligence team, enhancing the unicorn’s product division. Andri Yadi, co-founder and CEO of DycodeX, will assume the role of vice president, leading the newly integrated team.

With the addition of DycodeX’s expertise, eFishery plans to embark on an ambitious two- to three-year roadmap, introducing 10 new products. These innovations will encompass IoT devices and platforms, a generative AI product, and various aquaculture intelligence solutions.

Currently, eFishery’s portfolio includes eFeeder, its flagship AI-powered product facilitating automatic feeding for fish and shrimp cultivation. Additionally, the company offers a feed marketplace and a B2B platform for fish trading.

Gibran Huzaifah, CEO of eFishery, expressed confidence in the synergies brought by the DycodeX team, anticipating a significant acceleration in product development cycles. He highlighted expectations for a threefold to fourfold increase in speed with Yadi and his team on board.

The acquisition aligns with eFishery’s expansion strategy, notably marked by its entry into the Indian market last year. Concurrently, the company secured $200 million in Series D funding, propelling its valuation to an impressive $1.4 billion.

As of January 2024, eFishery boasts a client base of 200,000 fish farmers, signalling its strong foothold in the aquaculture industry. This strategic move underscores eFishery’s commitment to leveraging AI and IoT technologies to drive innovation and growth in the sector.

In a significant stride towards promoting citizen science initiatives in marine fisheries research, the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has unveiled the innovative mobile app, ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’. This user-friendly application, launched on Monday, aims to engage the public in contributing valuable data towards understanding and conserving marine biodiversity.

‘MARLIN@CMFRI’ empowers users to effortlessly upload photos of marine fish species encountered within the vast Indian Exclusive Economic Zone. Through this collective effort, the app aspires to build a comprehensive visual repository of marine fishery resources, enriching scientific knowledge and aiding in species identification.

One of the distinguishing features of the app is its emphasis on scientific accuracy. Users are encouraged to provide detailed species information, ensuring the integrity of the database. This meticulously curated data will serve as the foundation for developing an advanced AI-powered system for automated identification of marine fishery resources.

Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI, hailed the app as a collaborative platform uniting individuals passionate about marine conservation. He highlighted how ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’ bridges the gap between citizen science and cutting-edge technology, transforming every user into a vital contributor to the preservation of marine biodiversity.

The development of the app was spearheaded by Dr. Eldho Varghese at the Fishery Resources Assessment, Economics, and Extension division of CMFRI. Dr. Varghese underscored the app’s potential in revolutionizing marine fishery research, particularly in estimating fish landings through visual images captured at landing centres, leveraging advanced AI-driven Deep Learning algorithms.

With ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’, CMFRI envisions a future where scientific research is democratized, with public participation driving meaningful contributions to marine conservation efforts. This innovative initiative promises to enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems and foster sustainable management practices for the benefit of present and future generations.

Captain Fresh, a seafood company, gets CenSea, a US-based frozen fish and marine product importer, as its merger partner. In terms of the ET, Captain Fresh has bought out CenSea in the deal, which consists of cash as well as stock, with 90% of the payment made in cash exclusively.

As one of the biggest importers of frozen seafood in America, CenSea has a wide variety of fish to offer to its customers on a daily basis. This company serves practically all types of customers, from large restaurant chains to small food service distributors, retailers, and wholesalers, in over 80 countries with various high-quality seafood products. This purchase of a 40-year-old U.S. company is just one part of Captain Fresh’s bold plan to grow not only by exporting seafood but also by distributing it in markets like these—the United States and Europe. The acquisition of Senecrus, a French shrimp-distributing company, was only one of the latest expected developments.

Captain Fresh, having talked over it, is now negotiating for further acquisitions into the European market, where it can benefit from and enhance the North Atlantic supply pipelines. Our five-year-old company has sought a $25 million series C round extension. With the existing round nearing its end, investors will have to hurry to put in the additional $48 million.

NaturalShrimp Incorporated has filed patents in the major market countries, which is an important milestone in the direction of sustainable aquaculture. As for patent protection in Japan, Thailand, Australia, and the European Patent Convention (EPC), the company demonstrates its efforts to lead in the development of eco-friendly systems in shrimp farming. NaturalShrimp’s technology, which is groundbreaking, is at the very core of the electrocoagulation process, which aims at boosting the quality of shrimp and reducing the environmental impact at the same time. 

The company can protect its intellectual property and can also create a new standard for sustainability in aquaculture via these patents. These patents are more than mere legal instruments; they characterize NaturalShrimp’s perseverance in designing green solutions in the seafood production chain. In the context of its repositioning for global expansion, the company has undertaken the protection of more than forty patents in Europe, in addition to its presence in vital markets in Asia and Oceania. This enterprise-wide expansion is the realization of the vision of NaturalShrimp to pave the way for the aquaculture sector towards a more sustainable future.

By thoughtfully filing patents in these regions, the company plans to consolidate its world-wide market position, thus guaranteeing that its cutting-edge technology is the number one in sustainable seafood production. What drives the success of NaturalShrimp is the highly talented scientific staff working for the company in continual research. With continuous growth and improvement of electrocoagulation technology, it not only benefits the company itself but also pushes the standard of improvement for the whole aquaculture industry.

With a proactive strategy in place, NaturalShrimp is poised to secure more patents, which in turn will enable it to expand its portfolio, positioning itself as a solid leader in sustainable seafood production. NaturalShrimp Incorporation’s strategic patent filings have revealed a remarkable breakthrough in aquaculture. The company promotes this as well as other sustainable practices by ensuring that it protects its innovative technology. But it also leads the way towards a future where high-quality shrimp production becomes the default way to practice environmental stewardship.

Hatch Blue is proud to inaugurate the receipt of applications for its unique Ocean Foundry platform, positioned in the picturesque backdrop of Hawai’i. The purpose of this initiative is to empower rising entrepreneurs and researchers in aquaculture by developing new technologies and sustainable methods.

Nestled within the distinguished HOST Park (Hawai’i Ocean & Science Technology), in partnership with the NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai’i Authority), the Ocean Foundry is a talent resource center that tackles essential aquaculture dilemmas. Entrepreneurs, industry experts, and researchers, whoever they may be, whether from Hawai’i or elsewhere in the world, are welcome to apply. The platform is a vital tool when it comes to shaping ideas and boosting businesses, through Hatch Blue’s experience. Part of the high-tech 900-acre space of HOST Park, participants have the benefit of a large co-working space, R&D laboratories, both wet and dry labs, and multi-species systems. They can do that, which enables them to carry out innovation trials in a safe environment without red tape.

Masaki Nakada, founder of NeuralX, who was propelled to success with the assistance of the Ocean Foundry, presents his success story. With the help of Hatch, NeuralX directly and quickly approved its product in real-world settings, a process that would have taken months. The Ocean Foundry provides a range of services that include aquaculture coaching, global mentorship, networking events, and introductions into the Hatch Blue Pipeline, all of which are free of charge.

The only requirement? Subscribing to the presence at the Hatch Blue office in Hawaii assures the collaboration will happen. Hatch Blue welcomes applications on a rolling basis from its local and international talent. If you are working on an advanced IP or on research that is innovative and significant to aquaculture, now is the time to shine on a global level. To obtain further information, please contact Dylan Howell at dylan@hatch.blue or apply through the Hatch Blue website.

A specialized training program focusing on innovative technologies for fishing and marine applications was recently conducted in Malpe, Udupi district, offering invaluable insights into enhancing the efficiency and safety of fishermen’s operations.

Jointly organized by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), and Malpe Meen Pvt. Ltd., in collaboration with the Malpe Meenugarara Sangha, the event addressed critical topics including potential fishing zone advisory services, ocean state forecasts, and search and rescue aid tools.

Inaugurating the program, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna praised the collaborative efforts and pledged support for initiatives aimed at introducing cutting-edge technologies and progressive practices to benefit the fishing community economically and socially. He commended Malpe Meen for its significant contributions to strengthening the fishing sector.

Esteemed scientists from ISRO and INCOIS provided invaluable insights during the training session. ISRO Bengaluru Deputy Director Babu Govindha Raj, along with ISRO Ahmedabad scientists R.K. Sarangi and Amitkumar Sinha, shed light on topics such as tsunami early warnings, distress alert transmitters – second generation, and satellite information tailored for fishermen. INCOIS Hyderabad scientist R.S. Maehndra highlighted the SAMUDRA app, designed for the identification, forecasting, and monitoring of potential fishing zones.

The event saw the participation of esteemed individuals from the fishing community, including Malpe Meenugarara Sangha president Dayanand Suvarna and Deep Sea Fishermen Association president Subhash Mendon.

Malpe Meen, led by Shammi Malpe, Ramesh Thingalaya, Ravi Bangera, Prabhakar Kundar, and Lakshmeesha Karkera, is dedicated to leveraging digital technologies, partnerships, and training initiatives to enhance the productivity and margins of the Malpe fishing community.

Under the mentorship of Sri Ravi Haldipur of Udupi eSamudaay Digital Services Pvt. Ltd., the collective remains committed to driving innovation and sustainability in the fishing sector through collaborative efforts and technological advancements.