Offshore fish farming in exposed seas: Challenges, potential solutions and numerical modelling

Norges tekniske vitenskapsakademi og TEKNA inviterer til åpent møte onsdag 25. november 2026 kl. 19:00 på Jernaldergården besøkssenter, Madlamarkveien 152.

Møtet er gratis og åpent for alle interesserte. Det serveres kaffe, te og lapper før og etter presentasjonen.

Prof. Muk Chen Ong, UiS:

Offshore fish farming in exposed seas: Challenges, potential solutions and numerical modelling.

Abstract:

Global warming has accelerated the shift from nearshore to offshore aquaculture, where colder waters, enhanced water exchange, lower stocking densities, and reduced risks of inter-pen infection can provide more favourable conditions for sustainable fish production. However, offshore fish farming faces significant challenges associated with high waves and strong currents, which can affect cage structural integrity, station-keeping performance, and fish welfare. This presentation addresses the key challenges associated with offshore aquaculture and summarizes potential engineering solutions, including surface, submerged, and submersible cage systems. Recent advances in numerical modelling for offshore fish farming are also presented, covering the characterization of environmental conditions, wave modelling, cage-frame modelling, net and mooring-line dynamics, wake effects, and fish welfare, as well as physical experiments for model calibration and validation. By identifying critical operational risks, highlighting emerging engineering solutions, and providing a comprehensive overview of numerical modelling approaches, this presentation offers valuable insights into improving the safety, reliability, and sustainability of offshore fish farming.

Bio:

Muk Chen Ong er professor i marinteknologi og marine operasjoner ved Universitetet i Stavanger (UiS), og medlem av Norges tekniske vitenskapsakademi (NTVA). Han er for tiden leder for Ocean Technology Innovation Cluster Stavanger (http://www.uis.no/otics). Han er også Executive Editor for The Innovation Energy, rådgiver for China Ocean Engineering, associate editor for Maritime Engineering, Journal of Ocean Engineering and Marine Energy og Coasts, samt medlem av redaksjonsrådet for Ocean Engineering, Applied Ocean Research, Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, Marine Energy Research, Ocean, Technology Review of Carbon Neutrality, Deep Energy, Journal of Marine Science and Application, Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology og Ocean Systems Engineering.

Professor Muk Chen Ongs forskningsinteresser omfatter dynamisk analyse av havvindmøller, dynamisk analyse av offshore fiskemerder, marine løfteoperasjoner og installasjoner, virvelinduserte vibrasjoner, beregningsvæskedynamikk med turbulensmodellering, strømning rundt offshore- og undervanns konstruksjoner, intern strømning i undervanns rørsystemer, sedimenttransport, scour erosjon rundt offshore-konstruksjoner, bølgekinematikk, samt karbonfangst, -utnyttelse, -lagring og -transport.