01 · North Bali
Oysters started dying. Nobody could say why.
Atlas Pearls reported mortality above historical levels at its nursery, two years in a row. It reviewed its own hatchery and found nothing wrong.
We cannot control the ocean.But we can change how we respond.
Climate-adaptive depth management for pearl oyster farms.
02 · The suspect
“Environmental conditions are the most likely major contributor.”
The water itself is changing. The ocean’s surface is about 30% more acidic than before industry, and marine heatwaves add to the stress.
03 · A way out
A few metres down, it is different water.
Temperature and oxygen change with depth. Somewhere in the column there is often a layer that suits your oysters better. It moves with the weather and the season.
The science behind this
- The water column is layered. Surface water may be warmer, with cooler water below the thermocline. It varies by site and season. (NOAA Ocean Service)
- Heat stresses Pinctada maxima. Marine-heatwave experiments found physiological stress and rising mortality at severe temperatures. (Xu et al., 2021)
- Depth and season interact. A North Lombok field study linked juvenile oyster survival to both season and culture depth. (Hamzah & Nababan, 2011)
Warm surface
heat exposure
Suitable layer
cooler, enough oxygen
Deep water
oxygen can run low
Conceptual. Deeper is not automatically safer.
04 · The catch
Knowing is not enough if you cannot act in time.
Today the water is checked by hand, now and then. Baskets stay at one depth, and are moved manually, usually after conditions have already turned.
05 · Meet Pearlora
It finds the better water, and moves your oysters there.
A retrofit for the longlines you already have. Nothing is replaced.
What is in the system
Control pontoon and winch
A solar-powered float with a winch that moves every lift line equally, so the batten stays level.
Controller
Sealed electronics that decide on site and report to shore. Emergency stop and manual override included.
Batten and verification node
Your nets hang from an adjustable batten. A node on it reports the real depth after every move.
And a dashboard that gives you:
- Water quality by depth, through the day
- A suitability score for each depth, from your own thresholds
- Depth recommendations that wait for operator approval
- Before-and-after readings for every move
- Reminders for cleaning, oyster checks and calibration
06 · How it works
Four steps, on repeat.
01 · Sense
A sensor line reads the water at several depths.
You get: A picture of the whole water column.
02 · Decide
Pearlora suggests a better depth. Your operator says yes or no.
You get: An approved target depth.
03 · Act
A winch raises or lowers the baskets, within safe limits.
You get: Oysters in better water.
04 · Verify
A node on the batten confirms where the baskets ended up.
You get: Proof that it worked, kept on record.
Nothing moves without your operator’s approval, and every move is checked afterwards.
07 · Your turn
Change the water. Watch it respond.
Drag a slider, then approve the move the way your operator would.
- Suitable layer
- Temperature (°C)
- Dissolved O₂ (mg/L)
Illustrative simulation with made-up thresholds. Not site measurements.
- 01 Sense
- 02 Decide
- 03 Act
- 04 Verify
- Batten depth
- Temp there
- O₂ there
Recommendation
Intervention log
- No movements yet.
08 · What it costs
Lease the hardware. Subscribe to the platform.
- Hardware lease
- Rp7M
- per deployment / month
- Platform subscription
- Rp5M
- per productive hectare / month
- Setup
- Rp15M
- one-time, per new deployment
What each one covers
- Hardware lease: Control pontoon, winch line-set, water-profile sensor and verification node, installed on your existing longline.
- Platform subscription: Dashboard, depth recommendations, alerts, intervention log and maintenance advisories.
- Setup: Site survey, installation, sensor calibration and operator training.
Indicative, in Indonesian rupiah (M = million). To be validated with pilot farms.
09 · What happens next
Help us prove it on your water. Join the pilot.
Pearlora is a working prototype, not yet validated at sea. We are looking for P. maxima farms to trial it on a small area and measure the results with us.
Request a demo