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10 st / August 2016 www.sea-technology.com of free flowing water and dependence on the tidal flow, meaning that it can literally take hundreds of years to com- pletely "change out" the water. In such cases, it's all too easy for discarded nutrients and feces, as well as other cage debris, to concentrate and settle on the seafloor, thereby disrupting the local ecology. Similarly, there is often a prevalence of sea lice, parasites and other forms of pollution in such inshore fisheries, lead- ing to an increase in waste, more chemicals used to treat the fish and subsequently less healthy fish. Fish that escape from the enclosures can also have a negative impact on wild populations, particularly through the spreading of sea lice and potential breeding with wild salmon. The case for offshore fish farms has therefore become increasingly attractive. It is in these deeper, free-flowing waters—with currents limiting fish exposure to lice infec- tions and other contaminants—that healthier fish can be fostered. Free-flowing offshore currents also have a steadier and consistent direction than the "back and forth" tidal flows typically found in the Norwegian fjords. There remain significant engineering and marine chal- lenges to offshore fish farming today. Such challenges consist of the logistics of supporting such fish farms (main- tenance, feeding, harvesting, etc.) and the stability of the F rom data analytics to medical imaging, pipeline and water treatment technolo- gies, solids handling techniques in mining, chemicals and wireless-based technologies, the oil and gas sector is well-known for adopting technologies from other sectors to improve efficiencies. Not so well known, though, is how the oil and gas sector is transferring its technol- ogy expertise to other sectors. One such example of this technology transfer can be found in aquaculture. The Growth in Aquaculture Aquaculture—the farming of fish and other aquatic organisms—represents the world's fastest expanding food industry and is responsible for half of the seafood con- sumed around the world. Yet, it is more than just an industry. As populations grow (the world's population is predicted to in- crease to 9 billion by 2050) and agricultural land struggles to keep pace, offshore fish farming remains a vital element of future food production and human nutrition. Today, aquaculture provides a large proportion of the animal protein consumed in China, Bangladesh, Indonesia and other countries. Furthermore, fish, such as salmon, is one of the most efficient converters of food to edible meat with less energy, waste and feed required than other forms of food. The World Bank estimates that aquaculture will provide up to 62 percent of global fish consumption by 2030, and a recent report by Transparency Research predicts that the global market for aquaculture will be valued at $195 bil- lion by 2019. Inshore, Offshore Challenges There is a growing interest in offshore rather than just inshore fish farms. The majority of aquaculture operations today are located inshore or in sheltered areas just offshore; the Norwegian fjords, for example. There is a strong busi- ness case for this, with facilities relatively inexpensive to run and easily accessible. Such relatively calm water in these traditional areas can lead to pollution with the lack Transferring Oil, Gas Technologies to Aquaculture Designing the World's Largest, Automated Offshore Fish Farm By Bernt Ege • Karl Strømsem The offshore salmon farm facility is to be permanently moored in a semisubmersible structure.