Overview Section
The Modular Aquafarm Cluster grows seaweed, mussels, and oysters in Tuvalu’s lagoons using 16 floating rings. Built locally and stewarded by youth, it produces clean food while restoring ocean health—without using land or freshwater. Monitored by Guardian, it strengthens food security and community resilience.
System Benefits
No Soil Required
High-Yield, Low-Footprint
Youth-Powered Stewardship
Ocean-Based, Land-Free
Cleans the Lagoon
Monitored by Guardian
How It Works
The 16-ring Modular Aquafarm Cluster is a floating food system anchored in Tuvalu’s lagoon. Each circular HDPE ring holds suspended ropes seeded with seaweed, mussels, or oysters. Seaweed grows in 30–45 days, while shellfish filter the water as they mature over 10–18 months.
Rings are locally built and anchored using eco-friendly mooring. The entire system is monitored by Guardian sensors and maintained by youth stewards through the Arbor platform. Harvests are synchronized with cultural cycles, ensuring food sovereignty, ecosystem health, and community resilience—all without using land.
Dimensions (recommended)
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Outer ring: 4–6 meter diameter
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Depth: 1–2 meters growing depth
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Floatation: keeps frame just above surface
1. Frame Construction
Materials:
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2–3 × HDPE pipes (110–160 mm diameter), heat-bent or elbow-joined into a circle
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Stainless steel brackets, U-bolts, or rope to secure joints
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Optional: small walkway frame using HDPE decking or marine plywood
2. Floatation
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Use sealed HDPE pontoons or reused 200L barrels strapped beneath frame.
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Ensure equal buoyancy across all sides.
Floatation only needs to keep frame slightly above waterline, not raised platform height.
3. Growing Lines
For Mussels & Oysters:
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Drop vertical rope lines from ring every ~50 cm
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Attach shells or seed collectors (e.g., coconut husk or rope fibers)
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Add weighted ends to keep lines vertical
For Seaweed (e.g., Kappaphycus, Caulerpa, or Gracilaria):
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Use horizontal nylon ropes suspended in grid across center
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Tie seed fragments or cuttings every 20–30 cm
4. Anchoring
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Use 3-point mooring system:
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Concrete blocks, helix anchors, or reef pins
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Marine rope or shock-cord to allow flex in swells
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Ideal location: calm lagoon zone, shallow reef edge, or protected inlet (1.5–3m deep)
5. Maintenance Plan
Clean ropes and frame weekly (biofouling check)
Harvest seaweed every 35–45 days
Rotate oyster/mussel drop lines every few months
Train youth groups as stewards (supervised by elder or Arbor system)
