Artificial intertidal or sub tidal aquaculture. An aquaculture assembly for culturing oysters in deep waters includes at least one structure for supporting and growing the oysters, floatation for the structure and an anchor to anchor the float to the sea bed. The floatation may be incorporated into the structure for supporting the growing oysters. By suitable selection of the anchoring and floatation arrangement the support structure is held: (a) above the water surface at low-tide, and at least substantially below the water surface at high-tide to maintain the oysters under artificial intertidal conditions, or, (b) just below the water surface at low-tide, and fully below the water surface at high-tide to maintain the oysters under artificial sub-tidal conditions. The species considered for culturing using assemblies and methods of the present invention comprise bivalve molluscs such as oysters, oyster spat, mussel spat (which benefit from some time spent in an inter-tidal/sub-tidal zone), clams, cockles, abalone, and conch. According to a further particular embodiment, the species considered for culturing using systems and methods of the present invention comprise inter-tidal bivalve molluscs and, in yet a further embodiment, oysters, in particular oysters of the genus Crassostrea or Saccostrea (such as Pacific or Sydney rock oysters). Sub-tidal species such as the Australian native flat oyster (Ostrea angasi) and European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) benefit from being locked in the sub-tidal zone just sub-surface, where they gain the benefit of the scouring action of the waves, which will help clean and harden their shells, while they experience the full range of depths in the artificial sub-tidal zone.
