Aquaculture & Design

What is aquaculture?

Aquaculture is a method used to produce food and other commercial products, restore habitat and replenish wild stocks, and rebuild populations of threatened and endangered species.

Why the interest in aquaculture?

Fall 2021, I attended a conference that asked the question, what are we doing today to ensure a healthy planet for the next generation?
This led me to pursue a statistic I heard of a single oyster having the ability to filter up to 50 gallons of water per day. Amid the throws of the pandemic, that was enough for me to pack my bags and head to Maine, the American epicenter of aquaculture innovation, and investigate.

Mere Point Oyster Co.

While working remotely as an Architectural Designer and Detailer in digital fabrication in miscellaneous metals, I took a part-time job working at Mere Point Oyster Company in Brunswick, Maine. Two to three days a week, on hot summer days, I hopped on the aluminum flat-bottomed boat and headed to the oystery in the middle of Maquoit Bay, where I would spend a good day’s work sorting and cleaning oyster seed up to market size. Summer 2022, I not only engaged in the hands-on experience it takes to grow an oyster, I also valued that time to experience what working with the tools used for the operation, and what impact a 38-acre farmed water lease would have on the surrounding environment. Stunned by the inherent benefits I witnessed; I was most impressed with the abundance of biodiversity the farm attracted in the bay.

Minorities In Aquaculture

Along this path of discovery, I became a member of Minorities In Aquaculture, an organization focused on educating underrepresented demographics about the environmental benefits of aquaculture by providing opportunities for hands-on learning. As a member, I regularly volunteer pro-bono hours towards outreach programs both digitally and in person, while continuing to build on my career in digital fabrication in architecture.

What’s next?

The next step is to merge my skills in digital fabrication with aquaculture with a focus on reef restoration through architecture. How do I expect to make this happen? By combining low-tech and natural materials with fast-paced technologies that are attention grabbing and are in danger of further harming environments if we are not too careful on how we utilize these tools.