Determining variability in insect flight height to inform barrier construction for insect-abatement in a high-value marine plant product.

Acadian Seaplants Limited is a Canadian company that produces a marine-plant products for a variety of global*markets. One arm of their company produces a high-value human food product from Irish moss (Chondrus*crispus) through on-land aquaculture. Customers demand 100% seaweed product free of any foreign material*and despite numerous technological and labour-intensive quality control measures implemented by ASL,*customers perform additional quality control practices. The number one customer complaint is insect*fragments. A randomized sampling protocol carried out in the summer of 2017 through the support of an*NSERC Engage grant made two conclusions. First, we determined that rotting wood on tanks is providing*ample habitat for terrestrial isopods - which are commonly recorded as a customer complaint. Second, we*determined that tanks located on the site perimeter contributed disproportionately to insect capture, and*suggested barrier-fencing may be an effective means of reducing insect abundance in production tanks. The*company is using this information to take preventative measures. Currently, ASL is in the process of replacing*wooden supports with composite to remove this resource. In the future, ASL plans to erect fencing around*tanks to prevent insects from inadvertently entering the tank. However, before implementation, ASL must*determine a barrier height which prevents insect entry that simultaneously has little interference with harvesting*equipment. This summer, we propose a continuation of our initial project to determine how insect flight height*is vertically stratified via the use of a randomized passive sampling approach. We believe that analysis of this*data will inform the height of future barriers used to exclude insects and improve product quality.