Aquaculture Structures Research Articles

Hydrodynamic exposure – on the quest to deriving quantitative metrics for mariculture sites

This work attempts to define metrics for hydrodynamic exposure, using known oceanographic variables to provide a universal site assessment method for mariculture structures. Understanding environmental conditions driving open-ocean mariculture siting is crucial in establishing consistent ocean governance, minimizing adverse environmental impacts, and facilitating economically sustainable farm operations. To provide a metric of oceanic conditions and associated requirements for structural design and operation of aquaculture systems, six Exposure Indices (EI) are proposed that consider physical energy levels related to hydrodynamic forces at a site. Four of the proposed indices consider only environmental conditions, while the other two also consider the dimensions of the gear that is exposed to the external loads. These indices are: Exposure Velocity (EV), Exposure Velocity at Reference Depth (EVRD), Specific Exposure Energy (SEE), Depth-integrated Energy Flux (DEF), Structure-centered Depth-integrated Energy (SDE), and a Structure-centered Drag-to-Buoyancy Ratio (SDBR). While these indices are derived with a focus on aquaculture structures, they may also have applications for estimating biological stressors and operational challenges. The proposed exposure indices were evaluated for a range of known aquaculture sites around the world. A sensitivity analysis was conducted that quantified the relationship between the exposure indices and storm event return period. At a regional scale, hindcast numerical data for the German Bight combined with calculations of 50-year extreme values were used to calculate and map each proposed index spatially. Resulting maps showed that exposure is not simply a function of distance from shore. The six indices show plausible performance regarding the objective assessment of aquaculture sites. The authors herein present the indices to the aquaculture and ocean engineering communities for discussion, application, and potential adoption of one or more of the proposed indices.

Hydrodynamic interactions between the cylinder and nets of a typical offshore aquaculture structure in steady current: Numerical investigation and coupling mechanism

The expansion of aquaculture fish farms into deep sea has become a trend today. Several new types of offshore fish farming structures have been designed and tested in real sea, a typical of which is the semi-submersible structure. To ensure structural safety in harsh sea environment, detailed investigations on the hydrodynamic characteristics of offshore aquaculture structures are necessary and meaningful. The study focuses on the basic components of a semi-submersible net cage, namely the combined cylinder-net structure, and conducts CFD-based numerical research on its hydrodynamic coupling characteristics under uniform flow. The net structure is numerically simulated based on the porous media model. The drag and lift force and corresponding flow field of only the cylinder, only the nets, and the combined cylinder-net structure are measured under different inflow angles and solidity ratios of nets. The results indicate that the presence of the cylinder increases the drag of nets, and its impact on lift force of nets is closely related to the inflow angle. On the other hand, the presence of the net structure also amplifies the resistance of the cylinder. Meanwhile, the disturbance law of the flow field caused by the cylinder and the net structure is analyzed. By combining numerical and existing experimental results, the hydrodynamic coupling mechanism between the cylinder and the net structure is preliminarily revealed. This study indicates that when conducting hydrodynamic analysis of offshore structures such as the new semi-submersible net cage, the hydrodynamic interaction between the columns and the net structure should be considered.

Hierarchical mussel farm reconstruction from video with object tracking

ABSTRACT As the mussel farming industry expands, particularly in regions such as New Zealand, there is a growing need for advanced monitoring and management solutions to ensure sustainability and operational efficiency. The current reliance on manual infrequent observation of aquaculture structures limits farmers' ability to monitor them in real time. Addressing these challenges, large-scale 3D reconstruction provides a practical solution by facilitating the creation of replicable depictions of mussel farm scenes and floatation buoys derived from recorded video, supporting off-site evaluation and enabling precise decision making. This paper introduces a novel approach to enhance the visualisation and monitoring of mussel farm floatation through a hierarchical reconstruction process. In contrast to earlier studies, we focus on recovering not only the overall environment (background) but also the finer details of key elements such as buoys to create a comprehensive representation of mussel farm geometry and appearance. We propose to segment the scene into the background and granular object instances and reconstruct them separately in a multi-stage process. The initial 3D scene reconstruction is performed using the Structure-from-Motion (SfM) technique, leveraging video footage captured by a vessel-mounted camera. This coarse reconstruction serves as the foundation for subsequent fine-grained enhancements. To recover finer details, object tracking is applied and the trajectories obtained are then conjunct with geometry triangulation to determine the real-world positions of individual buoys. A multiple-scale denoising method, grounded in dominant direction correlation, is implemented to eliminate non-reliable tracking objects and reduce reconstruction artifacts, ensuring the accuracy of the final results. This hierarchical reconstruction approach contributes to the advancement of mussel farm management by offering a powerful technology for comprehensive visualisation, enabling farmers to make informed decisions based on a detailed understanding of the mussel farm's geometry and dynamics.

Analysis sedan vehicle structure in frontal impact using computer model

This paper presents an overview of Sedan vehicle structure based on frontal impact. The analysis results include parameters on the degree of deformation, the collision absorption ability of the Sedan vehicle structural model in accidents. The purpose is based on the comparison results to simulate the Sedan vehicle structure model that collides with other car chassis models at different speed levels, based on that, compares the crash analysis simulations to find the textures the frame absorbs the maximum impact energy and minimizes the deformation so as not to affect intrusion into the safe space of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The results of this paper show that the frame structures such as the A-Pillars and Horizontal brace between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment need to be improved to increase the safety for the passengers inside. The study results are expected to be expanded in to optimize the engineering structures and improve the efficiency in various fields included shipbuilding, offshore structures, marine aquaculture structures, etc. Keywords: Structural, analysis, Sedan, vehicle structure, fontal impact.

Feasting in mussel farms fattens up snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) compared to snapper in adjacent natural habitats

AbstractThe presence of wild fish in and around aquaculture habitats is often assumed a response to food resources within these habitats, either from input feed, the presence of cultured species, and/or the assemblage of biofouling that naturally colonises aquaculture structures. The nutritional quality of the food resources consumed by wild fish in aquaculture habitats is also important in determining their nutritional condition and subsequent productivity. Few studies have investigated the nutritional quality of prey in aquaculture habitats, and these have mostly focused on fed aquaculture by tracking manufactured fish pellets into the diets of wild fish. However, in non‐fed aquaculture, the assemblage of cultured and biofouling species may also provide a nutritional benefit to fish feeding in these habitats. The Australasian snapper, Chrysophrys auratus, are commonly present as adults within coastal mussel farms in New Zealand and tend to become a resident species. This study investigated the nutritional quality of the gut contents of snapper in soft‐sediment habitats within and outside of New Zealand green‐lipped mussel farms. Total lipid, protein, carbohydrate and total calorific content were measured from the gut contents of snapper sampled from mussel farm and natural (i.e. control) habitats. Snapper in mussel farms had double the dietary intake of lipid (16% vs. 8%) from consuming lipid‐rich bivalves and barnacles which are in abundance in mussel farms. Higher lipid intake can contribute to improved nutritional condition, reproduction and growth in snapper. However, the higher dietary lipid intake of snapper in mussel farms did not increase their overall body condition (i.e. Fulton condition index). This may be due to the coarse nature of this measure, or the use of the additional lipid in more rapid somatic growth or reproductive outputs, possibilities that warrant examination through further research. Overall, this study shows for the first time the potential ecosystem benefits of shellfish aquaculture in provisioning nutritionally valuable prey for coastal fish populations.

Hydroelasticity analysis of a vessel-shaped fish cage under incident, diffraction and radiation wave fields

Vessel-shaped fish cages are promising large aquaculture structures developed in recent years, with an overall length of nearly 400 m. In this paper, a coupled hydroelasticity model of a vessel-shaped fish cage is used to calculate the motion and structural response in the time domain. First, the floating body of the cage is discretized into a multimodule system to calculate the frequency-domain hydrodynamic loads. Then, the multimodule system is connected by equivalent elastic beams to consider the hydroelastic behavior in the time domain. The hydrodynamic loads of the multimodule system are transformed from the frequency-domain loads. Moreover, based on the velocity field transfer functions and the motion of the multimodule system, coupling wave fields considering incident, diffraction and radiation waves are built and used to calculate the loads on the net and steel frame. By iterating the motion response of the multimodule system and the hydrodynamic loads on the net and steel frame in the time domain, the balanced hydroelasticity response of the whole cage is finally obtained. The results show that the hydroelasticity effects have a significant influence on the vertical displacement and cross-sectional load effects of the vessel-shaped fish cage.

Experimental investigations on the hydrodynamics of a multi-body floating aquaculture platform exposed to sloping seabed environment

The coastal area near islands has become a key area for aquaculture because of the long offshore distance and suitable wave conditions. There is a topographic change near the islands, and the reflected waves generated by the topography modify the wave field in the aquaculture area, which may cause structural damage to the offshore net cage. Most studies on the hydrodynamic characteristics of aquaculture structures do not consider the effects of topography. Therefore, we investigated the hydrodynamic characteristics and wave field of a multi-body floating aquaculture platform under the influence of sloping seabed by leveraging a physical model approach. The results show that the low-frequency component of the surge motion of the cage on the weather side increases significantly under the influence of sloping seabed. However, the heave and pitch motions change slightly. Considering the presence of the sloping seabed, the wave elevations inside cages have been changed too., The wave breaking inside the cage on the weather side becomes more evident when the incident wavelength is equal to the width of the cage. And its wave response gradually shifts from wave frequency to high frequency. Regarding the cage on the lee side, the wave response inside it is positively correlated with the incident wavelength. The results of this study provide a reference for the design and optimization of aquaculture structures anchored near islands.

Methodology for multidimensional approximation of current velocity fields around offshore aquaculture installations

Consistent growth of the marine aquaculture industry over the past decades calls for potential deployments of large-scale aquaculture structures to produce finfish, shellfish and macroalgae in varying inshore and offshore environments. Numerical simulations for engineering design applications become more challenging with increase of scale since current velocity fields are no longer uniform, complicating accurate hydrodynamic load calculations. Horizontal and vertical velocity profiles in this case are spatially (depth and particular location within the deployment site) and temporary (date and time) dependent. Thus, proper representation of the current velocity field in numerical models becomes crucial for accurate predictions of structural performance of aquaculture installations. In this paper, an advanced multidimensional approximation method based on discrete current velocity data is formulated. The approach implies presenting the continuous current velocity function as a superposition of weighted radial basis functions extended by a linear polynomial. To address overfitting issues, the thin plate regularization is applied in the method. The approximation is then constrained in order to fit the velocity values on the domain boundaries. The method is implemented in finite element software Hydro-FE and its performance is compared to other approximation methods on the example of a kelp grow line deployed at the Wood Island research site, Maine, USA. It was found that the difference between regular (mean or linearly interpolated) velocity profiles and the velocity profiles approximated with the radial basis function method can reach up to 34–38 % in terms of grow line mooring tensions, and 6–18% in terms of grow line displacement.

Monitoring of Coastal Aquaculture Sites in the Philippines through Automated Time Series Analysis of Sentinel-1 SAR Images

With the unprecedented expansion of aquaculture around the world, there is a critical need to monitor its progress. In Palawan, Philippines, coastal aquaculture is gaining momentum towards increasing fish production, a pressure that presents a challenge to the sustainability of these areas. In this paper, we explore the application of Earth observation methods to map coastal aquaculture development in Palawan and evaluate the extent of its change. The European Space Agency Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar and Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument sensor data were applied in fully automatic mode to build maps of Palawan coastal aquaculture. The maps were validated using Google Earth high-resolution optical images and in situ observations in Malampaya Sound, and demonstrated a successful detection rate of 72%, while the false alarm rate was less than 7.5%. Objects only 5 m across, four times smaller than the spatial resolution of the Sentinel-1 sensors, were successfully detected using the developed methodology, thus exceeding the capabilities of other published methods that are limited to detecting large groups of aquaculture structures. The maps revealed aquaculture structures in high quantities in Malampaya Sound, Taytay Bay, and other locations in the coastal waters of Palawan, Philippines. A significant change of aquaculture spatial distribution was identified by comparing aquaculture maps generated with an interval of three years. This new automated methodology was validated as robust for mapping aquaculture objects in Palawan, Philippines, and can be applied to aquaculture studies in other regions worldwide.

Short-term exposure to concurrent biotic and abiotic stressors may impair farmed molluscs performance

Global warming, through increasing temperatures, may facilitate the spread and proliferation of outbreak-forming species which may find favourable substrate conditions on artificial aquaculture structures. The presence of stinging organisms (cnidarian hydroids) in the facilities fouling community are a source of pollution that can cause critical problems when in-situ underwater cleaning processes are performed. Multiple stressor experiments were carried out to investigate the cumulative effect on farmed mussels' functional traits when exposed to realistic stressful conditions, including presence of harmful cnidarian cells and environmental conditions of increasing temperature and short-term hypoxia. Exposure to combined stressors significantly altered mussels' performance, causing metabolic depression and low filtering activity, potentially delaying, or inhibiting their recovery ability and ultimately jeopardizing organisms' fitness. Further research on the stressors properties and occurrence is needed to obtain more realistic responses from organisms to minimize climate change impacts and increase ecosystem and marine economic activities resilience to multiple stressors.

Influence of an Offshore Mussel Aquaculture Site on the Distribution of Epibenthic Macrofauna in Îles de la Madeleine, Eastern Canada

Mussel farming influences benthic environments by organic loading and the addition of physical structure within aquaculture leases. This study evaluated near-field (distance to mussel aquaculture structures, line-scale) and bay-scale (inside vs. outside a blue mussel, Mytilius edulis, farm) effects of an offshore mussel farm in Îles de la Madeleine (Canada) on epibenthic macrofaunal communities. Benthic communities were evaluated by underwater visual counts using SCUBA in June and July 2014. The mussel farm influenced benthic communities at line- and bay-scales. Overall, crabs (Cancer irroratus, Pagarus pubecsens, Pagarus acadianus), sea stars (Asterias rubens), Northern moon snails (Polinices heros), and American lobsters (Homarus americanus) were more abundant in farm sites than outside of farm sites and ocean quahogs (Arctica islandica) were more abundant outside. No clear spatial trend was observed for winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and the sand dollar (Echinarachnius parma) but both species differed (flounder) or showed a trend to differ (sand dollar) between sampling dates. Spatial structure in the distribution of macrofauna was evident within the aquaculture lease as most species were more abundant directly below and close to mussel lines and anchor blocks. There was no spatial structure in non-farm sites. Further investigation is needed to evaluate if mussel farms serve as ecological traps for the species that congregate within them. The long-term effects of the observed spatial effects of offshore mussel culture on macrofauna fitness remains unknown.

Potential for Coastal and Offshore Aquaculture in Portugal: Insights from Physico-Chemical and Oceanographic Conditions

Physico-chemical and biological parameters along the Portuguese coast were analyzed to evaluate the potential to produce aquatic species of economic interest. Water samples were collected in 2018 and 2019 in five different areas of the Portuguese coast. Currents data were collected between 2018 and 2020 and historical waves height data from 1988 to 2019. According to the results, there is a wide variety of species that can be considered for production. The northernmost area presented the lowest temperature, as well as the highest levels of chlorophyll a, and nitrate. Under such conditions, the rearing of salmon Salmo salar, mussel Mytilus edulis, scallop Pecten maximus, macroalgae Porphyra umbilicalis, and Undaria pinnatifida can be considered. Regarding the southernmost area, due to the highest temperature, this area seems appropriate for the production of meager Argyrosomus regius, sea bream Sparus aurata, sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax, and greater amberjack Seriola dumerili. This study highlights the challenges in deploying aquaculture structures on the Atlantic coast due to its oceanographic conditions. Site selection for aquaculture is a complex process and pilot studies are essential to analyze the feasibility of developing offshore aquaculture along the coast of Portugal.

Modelling Open Ocean Aquaculture Structures Using CFD and a Simulation-Based Screen Force Model

The numerical framework of the open source CFD solver REEF3D is utilised to study the fluid–structure interaction of an open ocean aquaculture system and waves. The presence of the net is considered in the momentum equations of the fluid using a forcing term based on Lagrangian–Eulerian coupling and the hydrodynamic loads on the net. They are defined semi-empirically using a screen force model. Here, the hydrodynamic force coefficients are calculated from the net geometry and fluid velocity. The necessary force coefficients are predicted from a new simulation-based screen force model. Here, CFD simulations are performed to obtain the hydrodynamic loads on net panels for varying net geometries, angles of attack and velocities. Then, a Kriging metamodel is applied to fit a polynomial to the data. The proposed net model is validated against measurements for waves and current through rigid net panels and applied to simulate the dynamics of an open ocean aquaculture cage in waves. In current, the model predicts the drag forces and velocity reduction within a 10% error band, whereas it tends to under-predict the lift forces by up to 20%. In waves, the model tends to over-predict the crests with increasing wave height, but the deviations are also within a 10% error band.

Modelling Open Ocean Aquaculture Structures using CFD and a Simulation-based Screen Force Model

Modelling Open Ocean Aquaculture Structures using CFD and a Simulation-based Screen Force Model

Generating Water Waves on Steady Currents Using Mass Source Wave Maker Coupled with Analytical Relaxation Wave Absorber

In order to numerically simulate the wave-current interaction problems frequently encountered by aquaculture structures, a two-dimensional numerical wave-current tank model was established here based on a mass source wave maker coupled with an analytical relaxation wave absorber. The wave-maker model and the wave-absorber model were embedded into a two-dimensional RANS solver, which was closed with RSM turbulence scheme. The volume of fluid (VOF) method was adapted to accurately capture the free surface between water and air. To generate a steady uniform current flow, the uniform current flow velocity was calculated at the left-hand-side (LHS) and right-had-side (RHS) outflow boundaries, respectively. Once the steady uniform current flow was generated over the whole computational domain, the target water wave was marked within a specified region by embedding the mass source function based on wave theory into the mass conservation equation and then propagated on the generated uniform current flow. To verify the accuracy of the numerical wave-current tank established here, some of the obtained numerical results were then compared with the experimental results and the analytical solutions, and they agreed well with each other, indicating that the model developed here has great ability in simulating water waves on uniform currents over constant water depth. The established numerical wave-current tank was then used to study the optimal layout of the mass source region and the effects of water current velocity on water surface wave parameters during regular wave coupling with uniform water currents. Meanwhile, the established model was extended to generate steep wave and apply in deep water conditions. Finally, the proposed methods were applied to investigate the wave-current-structure interaction problems and the propagation of solitary waves traveling with coplanar/counter currents. Model-data comparisons show that the developed model here is potentially useful and efficient for investigating the inevitable wave-current-structure interaction problems in aquaculture technologies.

Large-Scale Laboratory Experiments on Mussel Dropper Lines in Ocean Surface Waves

The rapid growth of marine aquaculture around the world accentuates issues of sustainability and environmental impacts of large-scale farming systems. One potential mitigation strategy is to relocate to more energetic offshore locations. However, research regarding the forces which waves and currents impose on aquaculture structures in such conditions is still scarce. The present study aimed at extending the knowledge related to live blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), cultivated on dropper lines, by unique, large-scale laboratory experiments in the Large Wave Flume of the Coastal Research Center in Hannover, Germany. Nine-months-old live dropper lines and a surrogate of 2.0 m length each are exposed to regular waves with wave heights between 0.2 and 1.0 m and periods between 1.5 and 8.0 s. Force time histories are recorded to investigate the inertia and drag characteristics of live mussel and surrogate dropper lines. The surrogate dropper line was developed from 3D scans of blue mussel dropper lines, using the surface descriptor Abbott–Firestone Curve as quality parameter. Pull-off tests of individual mussels are conducted that reveal maximum attachment strength ranges of 0.48 to 10.55 N for mussels that had medium 3.04 cm length, 1.60 cm height and 1.25 cm width. Mean drag coefficients of CD = 3.9 were found for live blue mussel lines and CD = 3.4 for the surrogate model, for conditions of Keulegan–Carpenter number (KC) 10 to 380, using regular wave tests.

Experimental analysis of hydrodynamic forces on net panel in extreme waves

As fish farms move from nearshore region to open sea, understanding the hydrodynamic force on net structures in extreme waves plays a significant role in the design of offshore aquaculture structures. In this study, a series of experiments on different types of net panels in extreme waves were conducted in a wave flume. The dispersive focusing method with the constant steepness spectrum was adopted to generate extreme waves and the effects of the net solidity, the net material and the knot pattern of net panels were experimentally analyzed. The experimental results indicated that the force on the net panel in extreme waves was heavily dependent on the net solidity and the KC number, and it was slightly dependent on the net material. A concept of quasi-static forces was adopted to establish the wave force model to predict the forces on net panels in extreme waves, and then, a quadratic function describing the dependence of the drag coefficient on the solidity and the KC number was obtained. The results indicated that the wave force model could simulate the loading process of the submerged net panels in extreme waves very well.

A numerical framework for modelling the dynamics of open ocean aquaculture structures in viscous fluids

This paper presents a complete numerical framework for modelling open ocean aquaculture structures in waves and current using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). A structural dynamics model is incorporated to account for the motions and deformations of the net. It is based on the lumped mass method, a non-linear material law and implicit time step advancing. The presence of the porous net is considered in the momentum equations of the fluid using a forcing term based on Lagrangian-Eulerian coupling and the acting forces on the net. The proposed framework is suitable for simulating the interaction of nets of arbitrary geometry and under large motion with fluids including complex free surfaces. This is in contrast to existing models which either neglect important non-linearities, the physical interaction with the fluid or are limited to certain net geometries. In addition, the fluid-structure interaction of floating objects with mooring lines, nets and fluid is accounted for in the model. A new floating algorithm is presented for the interaction of the fluid and the rigid structure. It is based on a continuous direct forcing immersed boundary method and a level set representation of the object in the Eulerian fluid domain. This effectively avoids computationally expensive reconstruction processes of existing approaches and enables the application to large three-dimensional structures. The complete numerical framework is first validated against existing measurements for forces on rigid and flexible nets, net deformations and moored-floating structures with and without a net in waves. Then, a semi-submersible and a mobile floating open ocean aquaculture structure are investigated, and the possibilities of the numerical approach are highlighted.

Emersion and relative humidity control resettlement success of juvenile marine mussels

The successful resettlement of marine mussels is an essential but overlooked process in their early life. A major challenge facing the mussel aquaculture industry is the extreme inefficiency of the seeding process, with most mussels being lost soon after seeding due to mortality or secondary settlement behaviour. Extended periods of nursery culture have been proposed as a method to reduce these losses by culturing juveniles to a larger size. The ability of mussels to resettle to suitable aquaculture structures is critical to the success of nursery culture. This study assessed the ability of juvenile mussels (Perna canaliculus) to resettle to a commonly used aquaculture substrate (coir ropes) following emersion (0−20h) and variations in relative humidity (RH), stressors that are intrinsic to the transfer of mussels among aquaculture sites. Across the experiments, increased emersion time either reduced or slowed resettlement success. Increases in RH had strong positive effects on the resettlement success of juvenile mussels even at long emersion durations (20h). Low (~ 40%) and mid (~ 60%) RH reduced resettlement to <7.1% ± 3.5 SE after a 5-h emersion compared to 61.7% ± 3.2 SE in samples held at high (>90%) RH. Staining procedures indicated that mussels failing to resettle after longer emersion and low RH treatments were non-viable. Aquaculture operators should strive for high RH conditions and shorter emersion durations whenever their juvenile mussels are emersed. If these conditions can be achieved, the results of the study suggest that juvenile mussels can be successfully resettled for use in aquaculture, representing a first step toward extended nursery culture and a more efficient use of juvenile mussel resources.

Assessing conservation conflict: Does intertidal oyster aquaculture inhibit foraging behavior of migratory shorebirds?

AbstractConservation is increasingly in conflict with human activities due to global human population growth, particularly in areas that support threatened species. Conflicts often impede effective implementation of needed conservation measures and also have implications for social inequality, resource use and economic development. Bivalve molluscan shellfish aquaculture is commonly considered one of the least impactful forms of protein production worldwide but, in some locations, may interfere with essential activities of threatened species such as the stopover ecology of migrating shorebirds. Here we assess the impact of oyster aquaculture as practiced in Delaware Bay (New Jersey, USA) on the presence and foraging behavior of migratory shorebird species of conservation concern. We conducted counts and behavioral observations of shorebirds across a 4.8‐km stretch of the Delaware Bay and tested the effect of regulated aquaculture structures and activities on shorebird presence relative to various environmental factors. We also evaluated differences in mean peck rates for each species within and away from aquaculture areas, and we examined multiple factors influencing foraging rates for each species. For all species, we found that oyster tending reduced the probability of shorebird presence by 1–7%, whereas the untended aquaculture structures had no detectable impact. Foraging rates were mostly influenced by environmental conditions, particularly the presence of competitors (gulls or other shorebirds), and the foraging substrate. None of the focal species substantially altered their time budget or foraging rates in the presence of tended or untended oyster aquaculture. This evidence suggests that intertidal oyster aquaculture and migrating shorebirds can co‐utilize the resource rich intertidal areas on which they occur.