January 7, 2021 — The researchers plan to use small fleets of unmanned vehicles to monitor water quality in areas that are difficult and dangerous for people to access.
It’s a step, they say, that could help the state’s shellfish farming sector grow into a $100-million-a-year industry by 2030.
The researchers say the project will provide valuable data to inform management decisions that are key to unlocking sustainable growth of nearshore production of shellfish in North Carolina and beyond.
The four-year project was funded in late 2020 by a $1 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture through the multiagency National Robotics Initiative 2.0.
It is being led by Sierra Young, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. She says that the team is focusing on water quality because it has important implications for the safety of consumers’ food and for producers’ profitability.