Know your waters (video)

[mike_spranger]

I'm in the final stages of getting permitted for a 10 acre farm in Washington state. If all goes well in the next few weeks I'll be putting gear in the water in October and planting sugar kelp in November.
My farm site is in an area that has some tricky currents. For me, understanding the currents and general conditions of the site was important for a variety of reasons. The video covers using an ADCP to get current data (speed/direction) as well as how my marine engineer used that data to determine the anchoring system.

[lindsay_olsen]

@mike_spranger Thanks for sharing, Mike! I particularly liked the diagrams of the funky current pattern you're contending with at your site!

[jorgen_nicholls]

@mike_spranger Did you talk to any tribal organizations in the process of getting your site permit?

[mike_spranger]

@jorgen_nicholls Hi, Yes.. of course. The Puyallup Tribe has the Usual and Accustomed rights to the waters around Vashon Island. They were the first group I contacted when I began the process. They had no issues and have been supportive of my proposal as I’ve moved forward.

[mike_spranger]

@jorgen_nicholls Hi, Yes.. of course. The Puyallup Tribe has the Usual and Accustomed rights to the waters around Vashon Island. They were the first group I contacted when I began the process. They had no issues and have been supportive of my proposal as I’ve moved forward.

[jack_mason]

@mike_spranger very smart and practical video, thanks for sharing and keep them coming. As for data, data everywhere, are the current issues for your site unusual? Is this kind of ADCP study typical? How did the data analytics influence your site selection and farm design, anchor requirements?

[mike_spranger]

@jack_mason Hey Jack, thanks for watching the video.. I enjoy making them and am glad that they can add a little bit of value. Kind of a long response but you asked good questions..
Regarding currents in my site.. I have another video where I list the 5 things that I took into account when selecting my site. This was my first video before my daughter told me I needed to hold my phone horizontally so the framing isn't ideal. (link below)
Regarding your question..

1. Is the current in my site unusual? - I don't know much about specific current conditions elsewhere but I'll say that there is definitely decent current in the Puget Sound. There are certainly bays and inlets where it is less but those areas have other issues. The current is stronger than I would have preferred but having said that it does offer some benefits:
   1. Good nutrient availability
   2. Colder water is brought up from deeper surrounding water
   3. Farm detritus that may have settled on the substrate and disrupted the benthic community will likely be largely blown away. (Incidentally, those benthic species may want and thrive with some of that detritus.. I believe that more science is needed on this topic although I have read one study that suggests that they do indeed benefit from farm "waste")
2. Is this kind of ADCP study usual? - I can't say if it's normal or not. For me, having my farm not get blown away was a priority (duh!) and thus worth the effort and expense. I hired a marine engineer to help design it. In order for him to do the design a variety of factors went into the calculus including substrate material, current speed and direction, wave action, wind, weight and drag coefficient of the seaweed, etc.. He then used a conservative "best practice" factor to size the anchors and chain. Using an ADCP is the only way that I know of to get an accurate measurement of the current over an extended period (full lunar cycle). It wasn't cheap but for me it was money well spent.
3. How did Data Analytics influence site selection and farm design? - I'm a big believer in science and data and have relied upon it during my permitting process. Among other things, I have a background in IT and supported a team that developed an analytics platform that, for a decade, led the industry I was in. With that said, I used "data analytics" (small "a") in the site selection. The video lists the criteria that I used to select the site.. there was data involved that I analyzed but not in the capital A, Analytics sense. My engineer definitely relied upon hard data and established science to develop the farm design.

[mike_spranger]

@jack_mason Hey Jack, thanks for watching the video.. I enjoy making them and am glad that they can add a little bit of value. Kind of a long response but you asked good questions..
Regarding currents in my site.. I have another video where I list the 5 things that I took into account when selecting my site. This was my first video before my daughter told me I needed to hold my phone horizontally so the framing isn't ideal. (link below)
Regarding your question..

1. Is the current in my site unusual? - I don't know much about specific current conditions elsewhere but I'll say that there is definitely decent current in the Puget Sound. There are certainly bays and inlets where it is less but those areas have other issues. The current is stronger than I would have preferred but having said that it does offer some benefits:
   1. Good nutrient availability
   2. Colder water is brought up from deeper surrounding water
   3. Farm detritus that may have settled on the substrate and disrupted the benthic community will likely be largely blown away. (Incidentally, those benthic species may want and thrive with some of that detritus.. I believe that more science is needed on this topic although I have read one study that suggests that they do indeed benefit from farm "waste")
2. Is this kind of ADCP study usual? - I can't say if it's normal or not. For me, having my farm not get blown away was a priority (duh!) and thus worth the effort and expense. I hired a marine engineer to help design it. In order for him to do the design a variety of factors went into the calculus including substrate material, current speed and direction, wave action, wind, weight and drag coefficient of the seaweed, etc.. He then used a conservative "best practice" factor to size the anchors and chain. Using an ADCP is the only way that I know of to get an accurate measurement of the current over an extended period (full lunar cycle). It wasn't cheap but for me it was money well spent.
3. How did Data Analytics influence site selection and farm design? - I'm a big believer in science and data and have relied upon it during my permitting process. Among other things, I have a background in IT and supported a team that developed an analytics platform that, for a decade, led the industry I was in. With that said, I used "data analytics" (small "a") in the site selection. The video lists the criteria that I used to select the site.. there was data involved that I analyzed but not in the capital A, Analytics sense. My engineer definitely relied upon hard data and established science to develop the farm design.