Smart Mussel Farm
An aquaculture research site at a mussel farm, with sensing and ROV deployment in real Krka River estuary conditions.
The Smart Mussel Farm sits on a 200 m² moored research platform within an active shellfish concession in the Krka River estuary, approximately 600 metres downstream from the Šibenik Bridge. A fish farm sits right next to the mussel farm, so both aquaculture types are within reach from the same platform. The site is a research and test environment for aquaculture technology, built in collaboration with AgriFood Croatia.
For partners testing aquaculture technology, the environment matters. Trials run at a mussel farm site next to a fish farm, in real estuarine conditions, with the sensing infrastructure to capture what happens.
What’s on site.
Everything required to run a multi-week aquaculture or sensing trial without staging from off-site.
The platform
- 16 × 12 m HDPE-hulled research platform, permanently moored
- 200 m² total footprint, including a 70 m² office and workshop unit
- 16-tonne maximum load capacity
- Smart-lock access with video surveillance
- Solar panel and battery system for long-term energy autonomy
- Four 500-litre silos for pelletised feed
- Crane: 2.6 tonne-metre minimum lifting moment, 3.7 m hydraulic reach
- Four-cage experimental aquaculture pontoon
- Raft for longline suspension
- Small connecting raft for personnel transit
Scientific equipment
- Multi-parameter water quality probe
- Acoustic fish tracking system
- Cameras and imaging sonar for continuous monitoring
- ROV deployment from platform, with crane-and-winch launch and recovery
- Acoustic positioning system for ROV navigation
What gets tested here.
The Smart Mussel Farm is the right site for partners working on:
Aquaculture technology validation (sensing, monitoring, automation)
Water quality monitoring across seasonal variation
Biomass and growth monitoring methods (acoustic, optical, sonar-based), once stock is in place
ROV inspections in shellfish-farm conditions
Acoustic tracking and underwater imaging
Environmental sensor testing in living estuarine conditions
What makes this site different.
The Krka River estuary creates a unique testing environment.
The site sits where freshwater outflow meets marine water, with salinity, temperature, and turbidity shifting across seasons. For partners whose technology needs to perform in variable estuarine conditions, this is the kind of environment real aquaculture deployments will face.
Partnership context
The Smart Mussel Farm operates inside an active shellfish concession in collaboration with AgriFood Croatia. Equipment placement follows the layout of the concession, giving an authentic setting for aquaculture research.
Access conditions
Access is tied to research activities approved in advance and runs under agreed conditions. On-site MARBLE technician available. The platform runs on its autonomous solar-battery system, with a high-bandwidth data link back to MARBLE HQ.
A look around the site.
The estuarine farm, sensor buoys, and the biological monitoring rig.
The other two sites.
MARBLE operates three Adriatic pilot sites.
Run your trial at the Smart Mussel Farm.
A mussel farm research site instrumented for water quality sensing. Tell us the system and the window, and we will come back with availability and what the trial involves.