Hydraulic and earth engineering – Bank – shore – or bed protection – Wave or flow dissipation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-12-04
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Bank, shore, or bed protection
Wave or flow dissipation
C119S221000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325569
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of invention
This invention relates to the cultivation of seaweed and shellfish for the creation and exploitation of aquatic habitats.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The creation of new aquatic habitats to compensate for man-caused losses of natural habitats is in great demand. The plantation of kelp forests and shellfish reefs have been proposed to replace fish shelter, food, and spawning grounds which are depleted. Also, the aquacultural exploitation of these man-made habitats has been proposed in order to make their construction profitable for the private investor. In my patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,782 of Oct. 10, 1989 and in my patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,585 of Mar. 23, 1999 I proposed artificial substrates for the construction of mussel habitats, and in patent application Ser. No. 09/206/276 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,476 filed on Jun. 23d, 1998 I proposed artificial substrates for the plantation of kelp forests. Also, some aqualculturists cultivate shellfish in mesh bags placed on intertidal racks to prevent predation from bottom organisms.
Nevertheless, I recognized the difficulty to cultivate in the same marine habitat kelp and mussels together. Mussels colonize kelp substrates and kelp colonizes mussel substrates. However, I wanted to create an habitat with both mussels and kelp, because in the California sea these two remarkable marine organisms are complementary, and cultivated in symbiosis have a synergic effect resulting in greater diversity and production of marine species. Mussels and kelp can live well together as long as substrates are available for both species. Mussels and kelp do not compete in the food chain. Phytoplankton feeds mussels which feed carnivorous fish. Dissolved nutrients feed kelp which feeds herbivorous fish. Mussels and kelp compete only for their fixation on solid substrates which often are rare. The Prior Art did not solve the problem of shellfish and seaweed competing with each other for limited substrates, and as a result limiting the diversity and productivity of marine habitats.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, besides the objects and advantages of the kelp and mussel habitats described in my above-mentioned inventions, several advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide an aquatic habitat with kelp and mussels living together;
(b) to provide a synergic effect increasing marine life;
(c) to provide removable buoyant ropes for the recruitment of kelp embryos;
(d) to provide removable buoyant ropes for the cultivation of kelp;
(e) to provide self-cleaning buoyant ropes for the cultivation of kelp;
(f) to provide buoyant ropes for the recruitment of mussel embryos;
(g) to provide removable racks for the cultivation of mussels.
Further objects and advantages are in the possibility of recruiting in the same habitat species of seaweed other than kelp and species of shellfish other than mussels. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing descriptions and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4130994 (1978-12-01), Van Moss, Jr.
patent: 4337007 (1982-06-01), Smith
patent: 4657432 (1987-04-01), Rentrop et al.
patent: 4872782 (1989-10-01), Streichenberger
patent: 4950104 (1990-08-01), Streichenberger
patent: 5309672 (1994-05-01), Spencer et al.
patent: 5884585 (1999-03-01), Streichenberger
patent: 6056476 (2000-05-01), Streichenberger
patent: 63-293215 (1988-11-01), None
patent: 4-146313 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 85/03539 (1985-08-01), None
Bagnell David
Lagman Frederick L.
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