The seascapes and the use of various anchor systems in the marine farms of The Crimea

Abstract

Seascape complexes are decisive in choosing of technologies for growing different species of fish and mollusks, as well as in designing and installing farms on the Black Sea shelf. Marine farms, as hydrotechnical installations, play the role of artificial underwater seascapes and have a mutual influence on natural local systems. This article describes the main elements of mussel-oyster farms, the criteria for choosing a location for them, technological solutions of anchor systems, taking into account the peculiarities of the marine seascapes of the Crimean peninsula. In the Black Sea, it is advisable to install farms of the long-line type, which satisfy almost all the requirements for growing mollusks: they are quite stable during strong storms and wind impacts, allow changing the depth of mollusk placement if necessary, and are easy to install and maintain. The depths at the site which was selected for the installation of the marine farm should be in confines 10...30 m, and 15...20 m is the optimal depth for it. The permissible depth must be at least 10 m under the marine farm in consequence. The choice of optimal depths is associated with the need to save materials also. The characteristics, applicability and installation features of several types of anchors (concrete, screw and plow) for grounds of different composition and density are proposed. Promising areas for the development of the Black Sea mariculture are the western and eastern coasts of the Crimean peninsula.