Farming the High Seas: an Adaptive Approach for the Inhabitation of Oceanic Recirculation Gyres
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Farming the High Seas: An adaptive approach for the inhabitation of oceanic recirculation gyres by Anna Katrina Davies Jarvis A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulllment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Architecture (Water) Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020 © Anna Katrina Davies Jarvis 2020 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. is is a true copy of the thesis, including any required nal revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract Ocean management authorities predict that global sh stocks will be severely depleted by mid- century unless commercial shing practices are greatly modied. is thesis considers aquatic architecture in general, and explores in particular an experimental design for oating colonies that follow oceanic circulation gyres for the development and management of high sea sheries. Because these colonies would be isolated from other human communities for much of the time, they would need to be capable of being self-sustaining. e colonies could provide all of their own power, shelter, food and water, but they have been designed to generate a surplus of energy and protein. In the interest of diversifying the resources available to their inhabitants and reducing pressure on wild sh stocks and non-renewable energy sources, the colonies could trade sh and power with coastal nations as they travel around the gyres. Geopolitical ramications of High Seas inhabitation are also considered. A range of books, journals, websites and documentaries were studied in order to gain a broad understanding of the historical, ecological, and political context of driing High Seas resource and research stations. e design of the structures presented is informed by environmental factors such as wavelengths in stormy weather, psychological and physiological concerns such as isolation from society, exposure to an extreme and highly changeable environment, sh behaviour and nutritional requirements of aquatic species at various trophic levels. e location of the project has been chosen based on current and historical environmental and political conditions such as sh migration patterns and the slow rate of change for international law. iii Acknowledgements Many thanks to my supervisor, Elizabeth English, for guidance, patience and support, to my committee member, Simon Courtenay, for insight and encouragement, to my readers, Terri Meyer Boake and Margaret Ikeda, for generously agreeing to examine this thesis, and to Val Rynnimeri for suggesting ocean sheries as a research subject. Much gratitude to Eddy Edgar for technical and emotional support throughout the thesis writing and assembling process, and to Susan Davies and Bentley Jarvis for editing and encouragement. iv Table of Contents Author’s Declaration ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv List of Figures vii Quotations xiii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review and Analysis 5 Fishing and Fish Habitat 5 Early Fishing 5 Large-scale Fishing 7 Aquaculture 7 Modern Industry Reviews 9 Philosophical and geopolitical concerns 10 Biota Considerations 14 Plankton 15 Herring 16 Bluefin Tuna 17 v Monitoring and Research 21 Integrated Global Observing Strategy 21 Global Ocean Observing System 22 Argo 22 Opportunities for Enhanced Monitoring 23 Precedents and Design Influences 24 Precedents 25 Unrealized Floating Communities 25 Experimental O˛shore Fish Farms 29 Buoyant Ecology Float Lab 31 Existing Isolated Communities 32 Design Influences 33 Siphonospheres 34 Self-suÿcienc y and Redundancy 35 Chapter 3: Design 37 Study Site 37 Ocean Currents 38 Adapability 40 Go with the Flow 40 Materials/Biorock 42 Meshes for Durable, Watertight Construction 45 vi Modular Adaptive Design 47 Wave Test Experiment 51 Form 56 Plans and Sections for Central Spindle 62 Plans for Outrigger Spindles 66 Power Generation 69 Propulsion: Sails and Motors 70 Chapter 4: Recommendations and Conclusions 71 Further Thoughts on Adaptability 71 Ecological Responsibility 72 Future Applications 74 Bibliography 77 Glossary 88 vii List of Figures Page Figure Description (All figures produced by author unless otherwise noted.) Chapter 2 2.1: Modern aquaculture netted enclosures. Photo credit KZO Fish Farms 9 2.2: Plankton range. Adapted from Roxana Tiron et al. Retrieved from https:// 15 www.researchgate.net/figure/World-plankton-levels-blue-low-olive-medium- green-high-and-wave-capacity_fig3_286355312 2.3: Herring range. Adapted from Misigon. Retrieved from https://commons. 16 wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clupea_harengus_harengus_mapa.svg 2.4: Tuna range, including spawning grounds. Adapted from Tag-A-Giant 17 Foundation and Stanford University. Retrieved from https://ocean.si.edu/ conservation/fishing/atlantic-bluefin-tuna-distribution-map 2.5: Bluen tuna. Photo credit Tono Balaguer 18 2.6: Exclusive economic zones. Adapted from Flanders Marine Institute. 18 Retreived from https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=3962 2.7: Bluen tuna next to sherman. Photo credit Steve Brackmann Retrieved 19 from https://www.figfishesoftheworld.blogspot.ca/2013/07/tuna-bluefin- page-2.html 2.8: Bluen tuna sushi. Photo credit Ethan Miller Retrieved from https:// 19 www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/01/07/375366742/why-some-chefs- just-cant-quit-serving-bluefin-tuna 2.9: Healthy, bleaching and dead coral. Photo credit The Ocean Agency / 24 XL Catlin Seaview Survey. Retrieved from https://reef-world.org/blog/ introduction-to-coral-reefs 2.10: Freedom Ship. Photo credit Freedom Ship. Retrieved from https://www. 26 thrillist.com/cars/freedom-ship-will-be-the-largest-most-ambitious-ship-ever viii Figure Description Page 2.11: e Aquarius Project. Illustration credit The Living Universe Foundation. 27 Retrieved from http://www.luf.org/aquarius.php 2.12: Seastead conceptual rendering. Illustration credit The Seasteading 28 Institute 2.13: Antarctic laboratory. Photo credit World Meterological Association. 32 Retrieved from https://news.ubc.ca/2016/03/08/from-antarctica-to-outer- space-studying-the-impact-of-isolation/ 31 2:14 Space station and Canadarm. Photo credit NASA. Retrieved from https:// 32 www.nasa.gov/image-feature/cygnus-remotely-guided-with-the-canadarm2 2.15: Portuguese Man-of-War. Photo credit Aaron Ansarov 34 2.16: e Spray. Illustration credit Joshua Slocum 35 2.17: Groupe LG 2. Photo credit Jacques Vapillon 36 Chapter 3 3.1: North Atlantic surface currents. Adapted from Encyclopaedia 38 Brittanica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Atlantic- OceanHydrology#ref33289 3.2: Oceanic conveyors. Photo credit NASA/JPL 39 3.3: Tuna and plankton ranges. 41 3.4: Wetland at edge of lake. Cross Lake, Ontario 42 3.5: Biorock coral-growing medium Photo credit EunJae Lin 43 3.6: Biorock system. Image credit: Biorock Indonesia. Image retrieved from 44 http://www.biorock-indonesia.com/about/biorock-technology/ ix Figure Description Page 3.7: Biorock grown on loose mesh 45 3.8: Biorock grown on dense mesh 45 3.9: Sample section of biorock growth mesh 46 3.10: Topography of Atlantic ocean sea oor. Image credit: NASA/CNES. 47 Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/geology/chapter/18-1-the-topography-of- the-sea-floor/ 3.11: Potential monthly locations of colonies 48 3.12: Base unit, plan view 49 3.13: Four colony base units, joined 50 3.14: Four colony base units, detached for storm management 50 3.15: Aerial view of model control joint 51 3.16: Elevation view of model control joint 51 3.17: Diagram of two connected base units in still water 52 3.18: Diagram of two connected base units in moderate wind 53 3.19: Diagram of base units breaking apart in high winds 54 3.20: Diagram of base units riding at a distance from each other 55 3.21: Video stills of model breaking apart in turbulent conditions 55 3.22: Oceanographic drier buoy 56 3.23: Elevation of central central spindle of a colony base unit 56 3.24: Axonometric views of base unit an internal connecting walkways 57 3.25: View of sh enclosure 58 3.26: Surface view of a colony base unit 59 x Figure Description Page 3.27: Canoe with outrigger. Photo credit Ken Marks. Retrieved from 59 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (2018) https://www. livingoceansfoundation.org/traditional-dugout-canoes-solomon-islands/ 3.28: Elevation of one base unit, showing compression member walkways 59 and tension cables above and below 3.29: Plan of 2-unit formation 60 3.30: Plan of 3-unit formation 60 3.31: Plan of 4-unit formation 60 3.32: Plan of 7-unit formation 60 3.33: Plan of 16-unit formation in process of connecting or disconnecting 61 3.34: Key section of central spindle 63 3.35: Central spindle plans A, B, C, D, E and F 64 3.36: Central spindle sections G, H, J and K 65 3.37: Key section of outrigger spindle 67 3.38: Outrigger spindle plans a, b, c, d, and e 68 3.39: Section of central spindle of a colony base unit 69 3.40: Mainsail positions 70 3.41: Mainsail and spinnaker 70 xi Quotations There is something immediate about living on water. It is the constant motion of waves, currents, tides, and winds. A motion not so much observed as it is felt. One is not surrounded by it, but is part of it, in it. Because of the ever-changing character of water – whether it be daily tides, flood conditions, drought or seasonal weather changes – one’s houseboat is always responding to its environment. Mark Gabor, Houseboats, p.6 “What we’ve got up here is an entire industry in a mad scramble to cut its own throat.” A Scottish fisherman’s opinion on the North Sea fisheries, as quoted on p. 216 of Seven Tenths, by James Hamilton-Paterson “We feel that the sea age is soon to come.” Jacques Cousteau, The Silent World, p.