Lab Testing and Hardware

Wave Tanks

To better simulate how macroalgae performs in high energy environments such as the open ocean the Running Tide engineering team designed and built numerous wave tanks (see figures below). These tanks generate controlled waves that can be modified via computer interface. The tanks are also equipped with custom LED light fixtures to provide optimum lighting for macroalgae. Not only was Running Tide able to observe the effect of wave action on growing macroalgae, but also observe the effect of waves on substrate float times.

ORCA (Onshore Research Camera Aquarium)

Although we were able to observe growth of macroalgae on substrate in the open ocean with our deployed camera buoys, quantifying that growth for the sake of carbon quantification would be more difficult. We needed to build a dataset that would help us determine the amount/mass of the macroalgae biomass from visual imagery. Estimating algae growth from sensor data with quantifiable uncertainty became a priority.

The engineering and macroalgae teams developed a lab based system used for taking in-water images of macroalgae growth on substrates to create datasets needed to implement machine vision weight models and to inform offshore camera buoy hardware development.

The macroalgae team would attach macroalgae spores to ORCA compatible substrates, cultivate the substrate/macroalgae until growth had become significant enough to mount it in ORCA as shown in the figures here above. After taking these pictures, the macroalgae biomass was harvested off the substrate, biomass wet weight data collected, biomass dried and dry weight data collected. This data would then be correlated with the image data, processed and analyzed using computer modeling.