Environmental forces on marine cages on Trabzon coasts

SUMMARY Environmental Forces on Marine Cages on Trabzon Coasts. The aim of this study to determine environmental parameters which may effect the marine cages used in fish aquacutture on Trabzon coasts and forces produced by environmental parameters. Firstly, the maximum, mean and minimum values of wind, current and waves have been determined as environmental parameters and their effects on cages. In this research, the heighest wave heights which may occur in every 10, 25 and 50 years on Trabzon coasts were found as 10.02 m, 11.38 m and 12.39 m respectively. Then the biggest unit wave forces on the cylindirical cage collars on Trabzon coasts are estimated as 1284 N/m, 1536 N/m and 1644 N/m respectively. In Trabzon coasts, the direction of dominant fastest winds were determined as WNW and design wind velocity was as 25.92 m/sn. The forces on freebord cage net and solid structure caused by winds was found as 3.20 kg/m2 and 64.88 kg/m2 respectively. The fastest wind-driven currents sea surface current was found as 0.52 m/sn and the forces caused by these currents on net bags of cage was found as 448 kg/m2. Key words: Environmental impacts, Wave forces, Marine cages, Hydrodynamic loads, Offshore fish farming.