REMODELING OF SMALL SHIPS AS SARGASSUM COLLECTION BOATS

Abstract

A module for retrofitting a vessel for collecting floating biomass has a telescopic beam that spans the width of the vessel and connects to the aft ends of booms resting on the gunwale. The telescopic beam extends beyond both gunwales, allowing external net supports to be attached to it. The nets are secured and held open by net forks. The nets are at least partially submerged and fill with sargassum as the vessel moves forward. Longitudinal drag forces are resisted by chains connecting the booms to the bow. Torsion around the telescopic beam is resisted by prestressed straps that pass under the vessel and over the aft ends of the booms, extending forward to minimize strap tension and reaction force against the gunwale.The horizontal moments in the outer portions of the telescopic beam are absorbed by the inner portion of the telescopic beam.

Description

Remodeling small vessels into sargassum collection vessels CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 62 / 977,215, filed February 15, 2020; 63 / 014,393, filed April 23, 2020; and 63 / 063,979, filed August 11, 2020. The contents of those applications are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the harvesting of sargassum seaweed using a modernized vessel. Floating macroalgae, organisms, and other pelagic debris have caused serious problems for the fishing and tourism industries worldwide. In particular, Caribbean beaches are being inundated by pelagic sargassum, a type of holo-pelagic (floating) macroalgae that has been growing in unprecedented quantities in the Western Central Atlantic (CWA), more specifically in the North Equatorial Recirculation Region (NERR), and causing significant economic, social, ecological, and environmental damage in the Caribbean region. This explosion of growth is believed to be caused by warmer ocean temperatures, increased ocean alkalinity, increased nutrient upwelling off the coast of West Africa, increased deposition of iron dust from the Sahara (due to deforestation of the Saharan borders), and increased agricultural runoff from the Amazon and Congo Rivers.Rooted in climate change and human land use, these blooms appear destined to recur in the coming years. When sargassum reaches land, it dies, rots, turns the water dark brown, creates an unsightly appearance, emits a terrible odor, and inhibits swimming. This has significantly affected tourism in Caribbean nations, where the industry directly contributes over 4% of the combined GDP and supports over 700,000 jobs (WTTC, 2017). Furthermore, sargassum has directly impacted life on the islands: fumes and dust from rotting sargassum can cause nausea, respiratory irritation, and corrosion of machinery. Direct contact with sargassum corrodes boats, breakwaters, and other man-made infrastructure. Thick mats of sargassum can stop small outboard motors, disrupting coastal villages and commercial activities.Fishermen are particularly harmed by sargassum because their gear is damaged, and fishing has severely declined due to changes in fisheries (species populations and travel patterns) resulting from sargassum blooms. Eutrophication from sargassum decomposition suffocates shallow-water animals, and the mulching of the area obstructs photosynthesis in benthic plants (i.e., corals). Finally, decomposing sargassum in coastal waters, on beaches, and in disposal / landfill areas emits large amounts of methane into the Earth's atmosphere. Current cleanup methods are costly, visually polluting, and ineffective. At the time of this request, the dominant management method throughout the Caribbean, in both civilian and high-value tourist areas, is manual beach cleanup (after sargassum has made landfall). High-value tourist areas have begun using heavy machinery and some specialized machines to remove sargassum from beaches. In even more select locations, large stretches of floating barriers have been installed off beaches. Specialized carrier barges are used to clear sargassum from the barriers. However, these machines cannot clean continuously and are very expensive to clear small amounts of sargassum. Therefore, the sargassum builds up against the barriers, damaging them and / or passing underneath and landing on the beaches.Even beaches with millions of dollars' worth of barriers and equipment still experience sargassum washing ashore. In most places (on the civilian coast), there are no means of managing sargassum, so locals must deal with the negative effects on their health and living standards while compromising their own economic well-being to undertake manual cleanup efforts at their own expense. A decade has passed since the beginning of the sargassum floods in the Caribbean, and little progress has been made toward a comprehensive solution in the region. A solution is urgently needed to quickly address the sargassum problem throughout the Caribbean region. It is extremely difficult to clean sargassum from beaches once it has washed ashore, and sand-laden sargassum cannot be transformed into marketable products to offset cleanup costs. Sargassum can be easily collected by sliding nets along the water's surface near the shore, and filled floating nets can be conveniently transported without sand contamination. The Caribbean has more than enough small boats and skilled operators to perform this type of cleanup operation at tourist and civilian locations. Therefore, it would be extremely useful to provide an adjustable device that could fit any small boat and deploy large nets, too large to hold by hand, that could skim sargassum from the water's surface as the boat moves.The nets must be kept open, at least temporarily restrained at the waterline while being towed, and located immediately alongside the boat, one on each side, so that the nets can be filled efficiently and ergonomically and replaced with empty nets kept on board. As the nets fill, towing causes large longitudinal forces, and the axial eccentricities give rise to a large moment, which must be stopped or transferred through the device to the vessel. This is challenging because the vessels used for this purpose will be of various builds and conditions. These vessels will not be designed to absorb large forces, so the device must be carefully designed to reduce the applied forces and apply them in such a way that they do not overload any component of the vessels, or else the safety of the operators could be seriously jeopardized. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect, generally, a device is used to retrofit a small vessel in minutes, without any modification to the vessel, and safely stops or transfers cargo to the vessel without relying on the existence or strength of any specific or special vessel components. This device offers the potential for rapid deployment throughout the Caribbean, to tourist and civilian locations, providing immediate relief for tourism and opportunities for fishermen to participate. This device allows for continuous cleanup at low marginal cost, even for small amounts of sargassum, which will help keep beaches cleaner (perhaps ~100% clean for the first time) than is possible with current water-based and conveyor-based cleaning machinery, which is expensive, can only be used periodically, and is visually unsightly.This device is also applicable to other types of floating biomass or detritus in different parts of the world, such as algae, jellyfish, and plastic. In another aspect, a harvesting module is generally adapted to a vessel (vessel, ship, and boat may be used interchangeably). Said harvesting module holds nets on both sides of said vessel, which fill with sargassum seaweed as said vessel moves through a body of water. The harvesting module comprises channel levers that fit over the gunwales on both sides of said vessel. Midtubes attach to said channel levers and extend to both sides of said vessel. An inner tube extends through both midtubes and allows the midtubes and channel levers to be adjusted to the widths of different vessels (this assembly of midtubes and inner tube may be collectively referred to as a telescoping beam). The outer tubes slide over the side midtubes and have insertion tubes.The vertical posts are secured within said insertion tubes. Said vertical posts have net retainers at their ends, which secure the nets, hold them open, and fix them in the water on the port and starboard sides of said vessel. The nets are towed simultaneously (or one at a time while changing one of the two nets) on the port and starboard sides of the vessel, and sargassum floating on the surface of the water is collected in said nets in the process. The inner tube, intermediate tubes, outer tubes, and vertical posts (ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛA) have a plurality of holes to fit the beam and freeboard of different vessels. The components are secured together with pins inserted through said holes.These channel levers are secured to the vessel by straps passing underneath them and slings / chains securing the entire harvesting module to the front / rear of the vessel. The vessel may also be equipped with a structure around the propellers so that the booms, other infrastructure in the harvesting area, and the propellers themselves are not accidentally damaged, a particular risk when operating in the dark. The vessel may be equipped with lights for operating in the dark (often required to ensure beaches are clean at the beginning of the day for tourist use). The vessel may be equipped with an engine of at least 60 hp for operation in thick sargassum mats. In addition, reused nets are stored in various spaces available around the vessel for rapid / sustained replacement of full nets.The nets can be opened / closed at least at one end, are designed to be buoyant / neutrally buoyant, are reinforced with circumferential and / or longitudinal structural lines so that they can be towed (perhaps chained together) through the water, then lifted and unchained from the bottom so that they can be gravity-unloaded onto a barge or truck or back into the water, etc. Floating towlines located near the collection area could be used to accumulate sargassum-filled nets. The tow cables (or individual filled nets), carrying such sargassum-filled nets, could then be periodically towed, perhaps by several of the tow cables chained together, to open waters for disposal (e.g., scuttling or dumping into the ocean) or to land-based access points (en route to a landfill or processing plant).Alternatively, individual nets or tow cables carrying full nets could be emptied onto a barge located near the collection area, which is periodically taken out to open waters for final disposal (e.g., sinking or dumping into the ocean). This system is also applicable to other types of floating biomass or detritus in different parts of the world, such as algae, jellyfish, and plastic in the Great Garbage Patch. In another aspect, an apparatus (100) is generally used for retrofitting a vessel (1) for collecting floating biomass (e.g., sargassum) (2) from a body of water. The apparatus includes a securing structure (99), a plurality of net supports (101), which in operation are coupled to the securing structure. The securing elements (5, 6, 7) of the securing structure transfer forces from the securing structure to structural elements (e.g., the keel) of the vessel during harvesting. The plurality of net supports includes a first net support and a second support, which during harvesting are arranged at least partially submerged on opposite sides of the vessel to maintain openings in the respective harvesting nets (4) for harvesting the floating biomass during forward movement of the vessel.The securing structure comprises an extension member (110, 106) for transverse securing across the vessel, and two elongated mounting members (107) (e.g., channel levers) for joining along the gunwale of the vessel to couple the extension member to the gunwale (e.g., by acting as levers). The securing structure further comprises securing elements (e.g., straps and / or chains), including at least one of a first securing element (5) and a second securing element (6, 7). The first securing element is for attaching the elongated mounting members to the gunwale, such that during harvesting, the first securing element is configured to oppose twisting forces transmitted through the net supports and the extension member to the elongated mounting members. The second securing element serves to couple the support structure to a central structural element of the vessel (e.g.,, The keel), such that in operation, the second securing member is configured to resist longitudinal forces transmitted through the net supports, the extension member, and elongated mounting members, induced by drag forces acting on the nets. Horizontal moments on the outer portions of the extension member may be absorbed by the inner portion of the extension member via rotatable connections to the elongated mounting members. The first net support and the second net support may form rigid openings for securing the respective collecting nets. The apparatus may further comprise at least two nets for securing to the respective net supports. In another aspect, in general, an apparatus for retrofitting small vessels to collect sargassum seaweed from a body of water includes: A. Mounting elements that fit onto the side of said vessel, which are secured with lashings, straps, chains, cables, ropes and / or slings; B. Adjustable length extension member(s) spanning the width of said vessel and attached to the mounting members, conforming to said variable width vessel; C. Adjustable net supports attached to the outer ends of said adjustable-length extension member(s); and D. Removable nets that are attached to said net supports and slide through the body of water as the vessel moves, thus collecting sargassum seaweed. Aspects may include one or more of the following: The mounting members comprise channels that fit over the side of said vessel. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The mounting members are secured by straps that pass underneath the vessel. The mounting members are secured by tensioning members that bear against the bow of said vessel. Slings surround the nose of the vessel and chains are connected between the slings and mounting elements. The adjustable length extension member comprises nested pipes / tubes that are folded. The adjustable length extension member comprises nested pipes / tubes that are folded and secured through a plurality of holes along their lengths. The adjustable length extension member is attached to said mounting members by closed loop features that fit over vertical posts attached to the top of said mounting members. The net supports are attached to said adjustable length extension member by vertical posts which are inserted / nailed into insertion tubes, said insertion tubes being attached to the adjustable length extension member. The net supports are attached to said adjustable length extension member by vertical posts which are inserted / nailed into the insertion tubes, said insertion tubes being attached to outer pipe sections which can be gripped / unhooked and slid along said adjustable length extension member. The net supports are attached to an adjustable length extension member by vertical posts that are inserted / nailed into insert tubes, the vertical posts having a plurality of holes along their lengths to adjust to the freeboards of different vessels. These net supports are rigid, closed-loop shapes with large openings in their centers to allow the passage of sargassum seaweed. Net fasteners secure nets by means of hooks that hold loops at the ends of the nets. These net supports are equipped with rolling elements on their outer sides. The net supports are equipped with funnel-shaped structures on the inner and outer sides. All components are adjustable via a plurality of holes and pins to lock the components in place. All adjustable components are secured by pins inserted into holes. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The mounting members are secured by an interference plate that is inserted through the mounting members and engages the underside of the vessel's gunwale. The net supports are designed to fail, before any other component fails, in the event of excessive loading. In another aspect, in general, a device for storing nets filled with sargassum includes: A. A floating towline moored near the area where sargassum is collected in the filled nets, the nets filled with sargassum being attached to said floating towline along their length; and B. A vessel that periodically tows that floating towline, carrying said nets filled with sargassum, to open the water for its removal. Removal may include hauling such nets full of sargassum and opening their lower ends so that the sargassum contained therein is discharged by gravity into open waters. Removal may comprise opening the sargassum-filled nets while they are still attached to the floating towline, and towing said floating towline so that the sargassum-filled nets are emptied into open water. In another aspect, a general method for collecting sargassum using nets deployed from boats involves skimming long nets across the surface of the water where the sargassum is floating. The nets are deployed from boats using modules that fit many different types and sizes of vessels. When the nets are filled, each net is tied off and left floating on the barrier or beach (wherever the collection is taking place) for later collection and towing, perhaps in net chains, until storage or final disposal. One or more aspects may provide the following benefits. The approach can be used to retrofit a small vessel in minutes, without requiring any vessel modifications, and safely stops or transfers loads to the vessel without relying on the existence or strength of any specific or special vessel components. The device includes a simple, low-cost modular system that is quickly installed / deinstalled on many different types and sizes of vessels, from which nets are efficiently and conveniently deployed, skimmed, removed and replaced. Net holders secure the nets and keep them open. The device can use a mass-produced tubular net that is easily secured, filled, separated, closed, towed, lifted, emptied, cleaned, and folded for repacking within the vessel for reuse. ζζαΑηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The straps holding said levers down against said gunwales and / or slings attached to the bow of said vessel and the chains extending from said slings attached to the levers need not be permanently attached to the vessel. A nested set of pipes / tubes that fold to span the beam of a given vessel (a telescoping beam): a long inner pipe, two intermediate pipes that slide over said inner pipe and attach to said levers, and two outer pipes that slide over the intermediate tubes and have insert tubes for securing vertical posts attached to said net supports, these can provide adjustability as well as high strength. The use of pins to lock all rotational and linear degrees of freedom between the adjustable components provides ease of adjustment by providing a plurality of holes in said inner tube such that the position of said intermediate tubes, in said inner tube, provides a plurality of holes in said inner tube, intermediate tubes, such that the positions of said outer tubes, in said intermediate tubes, and / or providing a plurality of holes in the vertical post extending from said net supports, such that the vertical position of said net supports can be adjusted to accommodate the freeboard of different vessels. Providing insert plates that fit into the slots on the outer sides of said levers and slide under said gunwale provides easy and secure attachment to the vessel. Rolling elements on the outer sides of such net supports may provide rolling contact with any obstacles (i.e., barriers) against which sargassum accumulates (to prevent damage to such obstacles and / or the net supports themselves). A funnel-shaped structure on the inner sides of said net supports such that sargassum deflected by the hull of said vessel, when moving through a sargassum mat, is directed towards said nets, can increase the effective collection width of the system (by including the beam of the vessel) and improve collection efficiency (less leakage), decreasing the filling time of a single net for a given vessel speed. A net that can be opened / closed at least at one end and discharged by gravity by lifting it through its axis can provide efficient operation. A net with circumferential and / or longitudinal structural lines can provide a structure to support towing and lifting forces. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ A net with a sufficiently fine mesh and a diameter / length ratio large enough so that the sargassum can be discharged by gravity without the sargassum sticking / tangling / getting too stuck in the net. A net made of nylon / polyester / polyethylene or other manufactured materials (i.e. Dyneema), preferably one that is buoyant, or neutrally buoyant, and can float as much as possible when filled with sargassum. A collapsible / compactible net that allows many such nets to be stowed on board such vessels. Nets that can be chained together and towed through the water until their final disposal. The apparatus provides an efficient means for attaching / detaching said nets to / from said net supports in operation. The structure around the propellers of such a vessel is such that the booms, other infrastructure in the harvesting area, and the propellers themselves are not damaged, a particular risk when operating in the dark. Lights can be used for operating in the dark. A boat with engines over 60 HP can be used for the operation, even in thick sargassum mats. Such full nets can be towed, for example, in chains of multiple full nets, away from the collection area. Nets filled with sargassum can be stored on a floating towline located near the collection area. The nets can be towed on tow lines, carrying the sargassum-filled nets out to sea for disposal. The tow cables can be daisy-chained together to form longer tow cables carrying the filled nets. Sargassum inside full nets, attached to such tow lines, can be removed by hoisting / throwing such full nets into the ocean using a crane. Other features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A-B are perspective views of a system for retrofitting a vessel to function as a sargassum harvesting vessel, which collects sargassum by sliding nets across the surface of the water where the sargassum is floating. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a collection module to be adapted to a vessel so that a sargassum collection vessel can be reused. FIG. 3 is an expanded view of a net to be used with such a collection module; ζζαΑηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ FIG. 4 is a folded view of a net to be used with such a harvesting module (left) and a close-up view of the method of securing such a net during harvesting (right). FIG. 5 is an illustration of a method for towing such filled nets through the water by stringing them together. FIG. 6 is a diagram of the transport of collected sargassum through water to its final disposal; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method for final disposal in which a tow cable, carrying nets filled with sargassum, is wound up while the filled nets are hauled up and dropped into the water; DETAILED DESCRIPTIONFIGS. 1A shows an embodiment of a retrofit module for collecting floating biomass, in this example, floating sargassum. Module 100, which is used to retrofit a vessel 1, may be referred to below as the LCM. During harvesting, the vessel 1 moves relative to the sargassum 2 accumulated on the barrier 3 (barriers are not required; harvesting may also be performed offshore or along the beach provided the sargassum is in water of sufficient depth to accommodate the draft of said vessel 1) collecting said sargassum 2 into nets 4. The harvesting module 100 is installed on the vessel 1. The harvesting module 100 is attached to the vessel 1 by cross straps 5. The harvesting module 100 is secured to the bow of the vessel 1 by chains 6 attached to a sling 7. The chains 6 may be pretensioned by a strap 8 extending around the stern of the vessel 1.The nets 4 are held by net retainers 101 using rings 410 (see figure 3) and hooks 102 (see figure 2). As shown, the bow of vessel 1 splits the sargassum mat 2, forcing it to flow around the sides of vessel 1 and towards the two deployed nets 4. Alternatively, only one net 4 may be deployed from one side of vessel 1 (while the other net holder 101 is reloaded on the other side or left idle). Headlights 9 (and other cabin lights not shown) aid operation in the dark (which is often required to keep beaches clean for tourists at the start of each day). Vessel 1 is equipped with an outboard motor 10 with >60 hp for optimal operation, even in thick sargassum mats. Vessel 1 is equipped with a stern guard 11 to protect booms and other structures in the harvesting area from collision with the propeller of the outboard motor 10 (this also prevents the nets from becoming entangled in said propeller of the outboard motor 10 when making sharp turns with the nets 4 deployed). The additional 12 empty and folded nets are stored in various available spaces around the vessel 1 for quick / sustained / repeated replacement of the 4 nets, once the 4 nets are full. The sling 7 and chains 6 provide security for the harvesting module 100. Because the harvesting module 100 is secured to vessels of varying build quality and maintenance conditions, its security is subject to the integrity of the vessel 1, particularly in the attachment areas, which may be in especially poor condition in some cases. The primary safety risk for the harvesting module 100 is that it may become detached and strike the vessel operators. This is most likely due to the net fasteners 101 striking the ground / rocks / coral or because the operator is traveling with full nets at a speed greater than the maximum safe speed of ~1.0 to 1.5 m / s, for example. Thus, the sling 7 rests on the bow of the vessel 1 where the keel and rails meet, which forms the strongest part of the vessel 1. The sling 7 relies on the bulk strength of this area of ​​the vessel 1 (rather than relying on a specific area or component which may be missing or of poor construction / condition in many cases). This method of attachment also maximizes compatibility and speed of assembly of the harvesting module 100 because most artisanal boats have a tapered, V-shaped bow where the sling 7 can fit (rather than relying on a specific area / component which may be missing or vary greatly from vessel to vessel). The sling 7 and chains 6 are the primary components of the system that support the load and resist the drag of the nets 4 as they are towed through the water. Sling 7 may comprise an endless sling of synthetic round net ~3 feet long (~6 feet circumference).The chains 6 would be attached to the sling 7 and the collection module 100 via shackles and / or links. The use of a round endless sling for the sling 7 will allow rotation to reduce excessive wear in concentrated areas, will conform to the shape of different vessels' bows, and will give more control over the location of the shackle / chain connection points (compared to using two synthetic web flat eye slings which have non-adjustable lengths and may cause the shackles / chains to exert unwanted pressure on the vessel in a non-ideal location), and will be tolerant of large angular changes from multiple planes (compared to flat synthetic web slings which are vulnerable to tension concentrations if twisted or bunched within a shackle, for example).The chains 6 (and all other rigging fittings, such as shackles, connecting the sling 7, the chains 6, the straps 5 and 8, and the channel levers 107) must be rated for lifting (e.g., Grade 80) and must be galvanized / zinc plated (or stainless steel - although this is very expensive) for corrosion resistance in salt water. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ Note that the net supports 101 are designed to fail (i.e. they have the lowest safety factor compared to all other components of the harvesting module 100) before either the sling 7 or the chains 6 fail. This should prevent the sling 7 and chains 6 from approaching their maximum safe loads and will also require reporting of any safety related incidents to the operations managers (the net supports 101 need to be repaired) so that the causes of such an incident can be determined and appropriate action taken to ensure it does not happen again. The LCM is a safety-critical device. Designing the LCM to absorb large operational forces, regardless of the condition of the host vessel, is not straightforward. Production designs for the LCM are supported by a closed-loop spreadsheet that calculates internal and contact stresses throughout the entire structural lifecycle. The selection determines the shape, member size, material selection, rigging accessories, weld quality, and proper assembly and maintenance instructions and training are critical to the safe operation of the LCM. Figure 1 shows a free-body diagram of the LCM. The lashing straps 5 prevent the LCM from tilting forward due to the eccentricity of the loads Fd acting at the waterline. Lifting-capacity chains 6 are attached with shackles to the LCM 100 and to an endless round sling 7 which is placed over the bow of the boat 1 to resist the drag forces Fd. The free-body diagram shows the drag forces Fd acting on the net fasteners 101. These forces are finally stopped by the chain tension Te. The overturning moment due to the eccentricity of the drag forces Fd about the fulcrum axis A is stopped by the rear lashing tension T5. Note that the reaction forces Ri and Rb, where RB <Ri, son extremos en la distribución de presión de A B, que depende de la planitud / contorno de la borda. Rb > 0 assuming the preload is not exceeded. The drag force Fd on a net filled with sargassum (d,l)=(1m, 3m) towed at the maximum operating speed vLgm=3 m / s can be as high as: d27 [N] Where Cd = 2 is the maximum drag coefficient on a full sargassum net, assuming complete loss of momentum from displaced seawater. Even assuming no extreme chain angles, chain tensions could be > 2,000 lb. The channel levers increase the moment arm between the channel lever fulcrums and the back ties. Even so, with freeboard f = 0.75 m, the bending moment acting on the LCM could be: ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ M,ip= FD*f >5,000 [Nm] With the length of the channel lever / canai (channei)=0.75mm, the rear tie tension could be as high as: M T5=—^>7,000 [N] ^channel Classified and certified pins, lashings, chains, shackles, links, slings, aluminum, and filler material are required. UV rays, salt water, and mechanical wear can significantly affect the integrity of these components and must be inspected before each day of operation. The net holders are designed with the lowest safety factor, so that at excessive operating speeds or in the event of a collision (e.g., with shallow rocks), the net holders will fail predictably, protecting personnel and the rest of the LCM. For repairs to be carried out, all incidents must be reported, allowing the causes to be identified and prevented in the future. The endless round sling that runs over the bow of the vessel, and the lifting-rated shackles and chains that connect the channel handle to the sling, rely on the bulk strength of the keel and gunwale to secure the LCM during regular operation and prevent it from shifting and striking operators during a collision. Other securing mechanisms can put excessive stress on specific, potentially damaged, components of the vessel being used and are therefore unsafe. We strongly discourage any attempt to simply imitate the LCM device because if substandard parts are used or if different design decisions are made, serious harm to people and / or equipment could occur. FIGS. 1B and 2 show views of the harvesting module 100. The module includes a securing frame 99 having an extension member to which the net supports 101 are secured during harvesting. The net supports 101 have upright posts 103 which are secured within insertion tubes 104. The upright posts have a plurality of holes along their lengths such that they may be pinned, by means of pins 111, at different locations within the insertion tubes 104 to adjust the height of the net supports 101 to accommodate the freeboard of different vessels. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ The extension member includes a plurality of tubes and pipes (these terms are used interchangeably to refer to tubular and / or cylindrical structures unless otherwise distinguished in context). Insert tubes 104 are attached to outer tubes 105 which are secured in intermediate tubes 106. Intermediate tubes 106 have a plurality of holes along their lengths so that the outer positions of said outer tubes 105, as well as said net holders 101 and the nets 4 secured thereto, can be adjusted (and secured with pins 111). Said intermediate tubes 106 are secured to the channel levers 107 by triangular sections 108 (the triangular section 108 is attached to said intermediate tubes 106) which fit over the vertical pins 109 (the vertical pins 109 are attached to the channel levers 107) and fixed in place by pins 111.An inner tube 110 runs through said intermediate tubes 106, which has a plurality of holes along its length so that the spacing between the triangular sections 108, in the intermediate tubes 106, can be adjusted to suit the beam of different vessels. The inner tube 110 is held within one or both of said intermediate tubes 106 by pins 111 (in Figure 2 there is only one pin 111 in an intermediate tube 106 and the holes only cover this half of the inner tube 110 - one pin 111 on one side is all that is required to retain the inner tube 110 and this reduces the number of holes and pins 111 required). These triangular sections 108 can rotate around the vertical pins 109 (this helps to fit over the gunwales of different vessels) so that the drag-induced moment on the nets 4 and the net supports 101 is stopped by the inner tube 110. Shearing caused by drag on the nets 4 and the net supports 101 is stopped by the vertical pins 109, connected to the channel levers 107 which are held by chains 6 and sling 7 (Figure 1). The twisting caused by drag on the nets 4 and the net supports 101 is stopped by the intermediate tubes 106, which apply a moment to the channel levers 107. This moment is stopped by the cross straps 5 (Figure 1) which hold the channel levers 107 to the gunwales of the vessel 1.The channel levers 107 have an extended length in the direction of the bow of the vessel 1 to move the pivot further away from the rear cross strap 5 reducing the tension required therein to resist twisting of the harvesting module 100 and reduce the forces applied to the gunwale of the vessel 1. All parts of the harvesting module 100 are symmetrical / reversible, so they can be used on either the port or starboard sides of the vessel 1. The front and rear of the channel levers 107 have guides 112 to guide the cross straps 5 and protect them from cuts / abrasion. All components are adjustable to suit vessels of different spans and freeboards. All components are secured with pins 111 inserted through the aforementioned holes. Mounting the harvesting module 100 on the vessel 1 requires no tools or permanent modifications to the vessel 1. Assembly takes less than 10 minutes and can be done on a dock or on the beach. During transit of the vessel 1, or while new nets are being reloaded onto the net holders 101, the net holders 101 are removed from the water by unhooking the outer tubes 105 (and optionally the vertical posts 103 as well) and rotating said net holders 101 upwards by 180 degrees, and / or sliding them towards the vessel 1. Alternatively, the vertical posts 103 could be completely removed from the insertion tubes 104. As a further means of securing the channel levers 107 to the gunwale of the vessel 1, the legs of the channel levers 107 may also have slots into which insert plates 113 may be inserted and positioned beneath said gunwale of the vessel 1 to resist lifting of the channel levers 107 caused by torsion from trawling in the nets 4 (discussed above). The insert plates 113 are held in place by pins 111 and the resulting torsion in the channel levers 107 due to loading of the insert plates 113 is resisted by torsion stiffeners 114. Such lifting is primarily resisted by the cross straps 5 (Figure 1) as these straps may be preloaded, and the insert plates 113 are optional redundant features.Not to mention that relying on the insert plates 113 to resist lifting of the channel levers 107 would be subject to the shape, material and strength of said flanges on which the insert plates 113 would rest, which cannot be guaranteed. This system is best used alongside booms (it offers the advantage that these lightweight vessels can clean very close to the booms and can consistently clean even small amounts of Sargassum at low marginal cost, whereas other specialized carrier vessels currently in use cannot, meaning the Sargassum always sits alongside the boom where the biomass fouls the boom and dissolves / rots, turns the water brown, gives off a terrible smell and passes through the boom in small pieces, eventually landing on beaches and while moving upstream (to promote feeding at lower boat speeds and greater controllability alongside booms and other obstacles).However, these vessels could be used to clean immediately alongside beaches as long as the accumulated sargassum is still at a depth sufficient to accommodate the draft of vessel 1 (sargassum that has already washed ashore and been pushed onto the beach could also be pushed back into the water for collection with this system; this is better than trying to collect directly from the beach because it avoids collecting a lot of sand with the sargassum and compacting the sand with heavy machinery). This is especially important for cleaning civilian shorelines where it is too expensive to implement barriers. Overall, another benefit of this system is that the marginal cost of collection is very low, meaning many of these systems can operate continuously (whereas the specialized carrier vessels currently used only go out once or twice a day), keeping the beaches cleaner than ever.- perhaps even 100% clean. Furthermore, this system presents no visual or noise pollution and can be implemented with low capital expenditure / lead time. Instead of collecting sargassum from the ocean side of barrier 3 (FIG. 1), vessels 1 could use collection modules 100 to collect sargassum on the beach side of barrier 3. This would mean collecting sargassum that has already sunk / filtered through said barrier 3, in shallow waters on the beach side of barrier 3, or even in the intertidal zone. This can lead to higher cost-effectiveness because no time / money would be wasted on that percentage of sargassum washing up on the ocean side of said barrier 3 before said sargassum can pass underneath or filter through. In other words, collecting sargassum from the beach side of barrier 3 means collecting only the sargassum that has made it past the first defense of barrier 3, and is absolutely certain to land on the beaches.Hopefully, this means that collection efforts could be better spent and the beaches would be cleaner than they might otherwise be. However, on the beach side of Barrier 3, the seagrass, coral, rocks, and generally shallow waters mean that large hauling machines cannot operate there, whereas Vessel 1 and Collection Module 100 can. Furthermore, on the beach side of Barrier 3, the sargassum will be a moving target and may be more dispersed than when it was held on the ocean side of Barrier 3. Therefore, Vessel 1 and Collection Module 100 offer the distribution, collection capacity, and maneuverability needed to collect sargassum before it lands on the beaches (large hauling machines would not be able to do this). This system offers the added advantage that sargassum-filled nets can be towed through the water (as opposed to being wheeled through tourist areas or towns). Once towed away from beaches / barriers, the filled nets can be emptied onto barges moored offshore, or attached to floating towlines, for onward transport (or final disposal at sea), or loaded onto trucks for transport to suitable landfills (provided no toxicity is present) or processing facilities (for manufacturing products, provided no toxicity is present). The filled nets can also be loaded onto submersible modified boat trailers (towed by ATVs, for example), thereby removing such filled nets from the water in a similar way to how a boat is retrieved from a body of water at a boat ramp. 770AΩH / 77η7 / B / YILI Although not shown in Figs. 1-2, a further design evolution could provide rolling elements on the outer sides of the net holders 101 to provide rolling contact against any obstacles (e.g., barrier 3 in Fig. 1) against which sargassum accumulates (to prevent damage to said obstacles and / or the net holders 101 themselves). A further design evolution could also provide funnel-shaped structures on the inner and / or outer sides of said net holders 101 so that sargassum deflected by the hull of said vessel 1, as it moves through the sargassum mat 2, is directed towards the net 4, improving collection efficiency (less leakage), reducing the filling time of a single net for a given vessel speed.Such funnel-shaped structures may comprise hydrodynamic fairings and / or permeable wire meshes that allow water to pass through while pushing the sargassum towards the openings of the nets 4. The net supports 101 comprise a hoop 101 a and an opening 101 b therein. The hoop 101 a keeps the nets open during operation and sargassum flows through the opening 101 b into the nets. FIGS. 3 and 4 show details of the nets 4 (Figure 1) and the preferred method of attaching the nets 4 to the net supports 101, respectively. Note that the net supports 101 may be insert tubes / round tubes (as shown), square / rectangular insert tubes or insert bars, etc., as long as they have an opening for the sargassum to flow through and a hoop / rim for holding the nets to keep the nets open. Because the vessel 1 (FIG. 1A) can be lightweight / low displacement, the net holders 101 must have sufficient clearance / slope within the insertion tubes 104, and there are no snagging points / locations where either the net holders 101 or the nets 4 (FIG. 1A) can get caught, the collection module 100 presents minimal risk to floating booms (e.g., boom 3 in FIG. 1A machinery used today can be pushed against the booms by waves and / or an unskilled operator, causing expensive damage and liability for the operator). As mentioned above, this is one of the major advantages of the collection module 100 because it can immediately clean next to the booms and even come into direct contact with the booms to remove all sargassum.However, if the harvesting module 100 is frequently used to clean along piers, jetties, docks, breakwaters, or other rigid infrastructure, there is the potential for minor damage to the net carriers 101 and / or such rigid infrastructure. Skill, reduced speed, and caution should be able to avoid most incidents. Manually maintaining a physical displacement of such rigid infrastructure by means of a pole or other implement is another simple but effective measure to avoid collisions in these situations. Although not shown, the harvesting module 100 may also provide net holders 101 with spring-loaded breakaway mechanisms that reduce contact force in the event of a collision with such rigid infrastructure. FIG. 3 shows an expanded view of the preferred net 4 to be used with the harvesting module 100. Structural lines 402 are woven through the net 401. Cinch ropes 403 and 404 are woven through the ends of the net 401. The cinch rope 403 is tightened and tied so that the end of the net 4 is permanently closed. The cinch rope 404 is adjustable to open and close that side of the net 4 and also to tie the nets 4 to the net supports 101 (Figures 1, 2 and 4). The cutout 406 accommodates the vertical posts 103 (Figures 2 and 4) when the nets 4 are wrapped around the net supports 101 (see Figure 4 for the net attachment method). The webbing rope 404 has loose ends 407 that can be tied to close the net 4, once filled, or to tie the net 4 to the net support 101. It is always recommended to use slip knots to easily release all knots.The loose ends 407 have stevedore's knots and burnt ends to prevent the loose ends 407 from coming loose from the net 401 and unraveling / twisting (depending on the type of rope; braided rope is preferred for the webbing rope 404 and structural lines 402 for its strength, abrasion resistance, and ease of tying knots), respectively. The structural lines 402 comprise rope and have permanent eyes 408 and 409 formed at their ends. Each of the eyes 408 has a ring 410 captured therein. The eyes 409 are all attached to a single ring 411. These rings can be used to hoist nets 4 so that they can be gravity discharged onto a truck or barge, to chain the nets 4 together for towing (FIG. 5), and to attach the nets 4 to floating tow lines for towing (FIGS. 6 and 7). Although net 401 may be made of polyethylene, polyester, nylon, or any other material suitable for use in saltwater, it is preferable for nets 4 to be designed to be buoyant. Fluorescent colors are also recommended for increased visibility and safety. Nets 4 may also be reinforced with circumferential structural lines (in addition to the lengthwise structural lines 402). Nets 4 may also have solid / reinforced ends for structural purposes and to create longitudinal tension during initial towing (creating a parachute effect) such that nets 4 are parallel to vessel 1 (Figure 1) and said nets 4 remain open along their length to reduce resistance to sargassum refill (such solid ends are not necessary to create this effect, but they certainly enhance it). FIG. 4 shows a folded view of the net 4 where the net 401 is rolled into a tubular net with longitudinal structural lines 402 (one of the structural lines 402 is used to join the edges of the net 401 to form said tube). As mentioned above, one side of the net 4 is permanently closed and all of the eyes 409 (Figure 3) on that end are attached to a single ring 411. The open end of the net 4 is attached to the net holder 101 by inserting it through the opening 101b (Figure 2) in the net holder 101 and wrapping around the outside of the hoop 101a of the net holder 101 in a half turn (similar to a garbage bag being inverted / folded back over the rim of a garbage barrel 180 degrees). The rings 410 on the open side of the net 4 are attached to hooks 102, which face backward (preventing the net 4 from being pulled through the net holder 101 when skimming / collecting).Also shown is cutout 406 which accommodates vertical post 103 extending from net support 101. Cinch rope 404 is also tied off to further secure net 4 to net support 101 (it is recommended to use a slip knot for easy removal from net support 101 once the nets 4 are full). Rings 410 and hooks 102 are not absolutely necessary to attach nets 4 to net fasteners 101. As long as cinch rope 404 is tightened around the rear of hoop 101a, the nets 4 will be secured because the circumference of the tightened / tied cinch rope 404 will be less than the outside diameter of hoop 101a. There is also the frictional effect of the winch caused by the 180 degree wrap of the net around hoop 101a.If the hooks 102 are removed, there is also less chance of the nets 4 getting snagged when they are full and operators are trying to release the nets from the net holders 101 (this can sometimes be a nuisance). However, the rings 410 are useful for organizing the nets 4 on the net holders 101 (since otherwise the nets tend to slip during assembly). The method of attaching the net 4 to the net support 101 by inverting / wrapping around the hoop 101a also ensures that the net 4 is maximally open with minimal attachment points (e.g., hooks 102). If the net 401 is not inverted / wrapped around the hoop 101a, then many more hooks 102 and rings 410 would be required around the circumference of the hoop 101a to ensure that there are no strings / gaps between the opening of the net 4 and the inside of the hoop 101a, resulting in sargassum leakage (i.e., sargassum enters the opening 101b of the net support 101 but does not enter the net 4). As mentioned above, once the webbing rope 404 is tightened around the hoop 101a, the rings 410 lose tension and normally hang freely / disengage from the hooks 102. This aids in removing the nets 4 once filled because the slipknot securing the webbing rope 404 is simply pulled and the net 4 slides off the net holder 101. However, the hook 102 in the lower sector of the hoop 101a (the bottom defined as the net holders 101 are deployed in the water as in FIG. 1) can sometimes get caught on the net 401 and because this hook is underwater and hard to see, it can sometimes be a hassle to release the net 4.Therefore, said lower hook 102 could be (1) removed (with the understanding that arranging the net 4 and pulling the rope 404 over the hoop 101a without the net slipping may be more difficult), (2) shortened, or (3) operators must ensure that the ring 410 engaging said lower hook 102 is always disengaged once the cinch rope 404 is tightened / tied by intentionally disengaging said ring 410 on said lower hook 102 after said cinch rope 404 is tied around the hoop 101a. Note that the nets 4 are cylindrical, ~40” in diameter, and 10-15 feet long. This net size is ideal for manual net changing (operators can only reach so far outboard) and 60-90 HP engines (towing full or partially filled nets is limited by engine power). However, the nets 4 can be of any shape (rectangular prisms, triangular prisms, etc.), and the width / length can vary greatly. The forwardmost harvesting module 100 (Figures 1 and 2) is mounted on the vessel 1 (Figure 1), the longer nets 4 can be pulled in without getting caught in the propellers of the outboard motors. The net holders 101 can also vary in shape, depending on the shape of the nets 4. The net holders 101 can also be eccentric, with the vertical posts 103 offset from the center of the opening. 101b. In the preferred net design, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, net changes may take between 30 and 90 seconds (operator training and skill / experience are required to maximize efficiency). Alternatively, the preferred embodiment of the net holders 101, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be modified so that the net holders 101 do not have to be raised from the water to change nets. This could be achieved by having the hoop 101a not be a closed loop; for example, the hoop 101a could simply comprise the upper semicircle of the preferred embodiment and further comprise legs extending vertically downward from both ends of said semicircle (downward being defined when the net holder 101 is deployed in the water as in Fig. 1). Hooks 102 (FIGS. 1 and 2) would be removed and a single hook would be added at the base of vertical post 103 (FIG. 2), where it joins hoop 101a, facing the bow of vessel 1 (FIG.1 ) when network support 101 is deployed. Each net 4 (FIG. 3) would further comprise a rigid ring inserted around the circumference (perhaps spring steel tape or a coiled tube of small diameter ~ 1”), woven through the net 401 (FIG. 3), near the open end of the net 4. In this way, the net 4 can simply be hung from said added hook at the base of the vertical post 103, by said rigid ring, and said rigid ring will simply rest on the modified hoop 101a, behind it, when it slides through the water collecting the sargassum. When the net 4 is full, it can simply be pushed down and off the modified hoop 101a, because the hoop 101a is no longer a closed loop, and a new net 4 can be hung quickly, thus eliminating the need to take the net holder 101 in / out of the water. However, these modifications to the net fork 101 and to the net 4 would increase the cost of each one.Alternatively, the ring 101a of the net holder 101 may be left as a closed loop, as in the preferred embodiment ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and said rigid ring (spring steel tape or small diameter coiled tube) may be inserted around the circumference of the nets 4, through the net 401, near the open end. Said rigid ring must have a neutral axis diameter equal / greater than the hoop 101a, such that the net 4 can be thrown through the opening 101b of the net holder 101 and said rigid ring is retained by the hoop 101a (even an infinitesimally thin circular disc / ring cannot pass through another disc / ring of the same / greater diameter, unlike a square / rectangle whose side lengths can pass through its diagonals).This modification would also allow changes to be made to the net without removing the net support 101 from the water; when the net 4 is filled, it is pulled back through the opening 101b (there can be no snags, so the hooks 102 are removed). Adding the rigid ring to the nets 4 will further increase the cost of each net. All of the aforementioned modifications should be reserved for servicing operations when operational efficiency is absolutely critical. In the preferred embodiment of the harvesting module 100, the net holder 101 comprises a circular hoop 101a with an opening 101b. The circular shape is easy to manufacture and eliminates snagging points that could damage the barriers. Alternatively, the net holder 101 could comprise any shape, to aid harvesting from other different locations and the nets 4 could still be attached thereto by the same method as in FIG. 4. Specifically, the hoops could be flat-bottomed / square / rectangular for harvesting in extremely shallow areas or the hoops could be tapered towards the bottom of the vessel 1 ( FIG. 1 ) for harvesting in breakwaters and intertidal zones / near beaches. A hoop 101a made of rolled bar stock > 6” wide could be inserted into the openings of the nets 4 far enough so that the nets 4 inverted around the hoops 101a (as in Figure 4) are not needed to keep the nets 4 fully open at the entrance and thus the net 4 could simply fit over such a hoop of bar stock and the rings 410 could simply hook onto the hooks 102, which could face forwards (although this presents a risk of snagging if picked up near a barrier with a net for example). FIG. 5 shows the preferred method of towing filled nets 25 of sargassum through the water (by its longitudinal structural lines 402 (FIGS. 3 and 4). This is more cost effective and preferred to the current method of bringing sargassum through tourist areas (via narrow / limited access points, sometimes even tourist roads) to be loaded onto a truck (towing through the water eliminates visual pollution for tourists / civilians). Transport boats 27 are used to collect and tow filled nets 25, which are left to float against barriers / beaches after being filled (this allows collection and transport to continue at maximum speed without relying on any synchronisation between the two processes). The filled nets 25 are simply released from the net holders 101 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and then the transport vessels 27 recover them.Jet skis are the ideal transport craft 27 because they have a high power to drag ratio (no energy wasted moving the transport craft 27 itself), a wide power band (can move at high speed with low load and low speed with high load) which means that after finishing a tow they can return to the collection area very quickly / at high speed to collect more full nets 25 (meaning fewer transport craft 27 are required in a given area).Note that the transport vessel 27 could also be the harvesting vessel itself (not ideal as these vessels would need to continue harvesting, but since systems are usually built over capacity, harvesting vessels can often be made available), or another purpose-built vessel (as some resort areas prohibit jet skis due to noise pollution). If harvesting vessels are to be used to tow filled nets 25, then the filled nets 25 could be attached to the outside of the intermediate pipes 106 (FIG. 2) or such harvesting vessels used as transport vessels 27 could have lines attached to pre-existing pipes, cleats or slings 7 on the bow of the vessels 1 (FIG.1) so that vessels 1 can easily maneuver up to full nets 25, floating alongside booms for example, and attach such lines to rings 411 on full nets 25. Alternatively, a long tow rope could be towed behind a transport vessel so that many full nets 25 could be joined along its length (e.g., the floating tow cable 201 in FIG. 7; the tow cable could be attached to two ropes from the outer portions of the intermediate tubes 106 of FIG. 2 to arrest shock loads during towing). Care should be taken to ensure that the nets and / or webbing ropes do not get caught in engine propellers (jet skis do not have this problem). If towing from cleats on the rear of such harvesting vessels, care should be taken to ensure that the full nets 25 are well clear of propellers.The full nets 25 could be chained together by connecting the full nets 25 together by their rings 410 and 411 (Figures 3 and 4) at junctions 24. The transport vessel 27 should be separated from the nearest full net 25 by a suitable length of tow cable 26 such that momentum can be efficiently imparted to the water / transport vessel. While FIG. 5 shows full nets 25 being towed through the water (the full nets 25 float due to the sargassum they contain), the full nets 25 can also be pulled onto a raft (e.g., pulled onto a pontoon raft with a ratchet winch) for towing and this may allow a larger number of full nets 25 to be towed at once (using the same transport vessel 27). Once towed away from beaches / barriers, the filled nets 25 can be emptied onto barges moored offshore or connected to floating towlines (see Figures 6 and 7) anchored near collection areas, for storage, further transport, and final handling. Final management may comprise taking the collected sargassum to suitable landfills (provided no toxicity is present), to processing facilities (to manufacture products, again, provided no toxicity is present), or, preferably, such barges and / or towlines are towed to open the water for disposal by release into the ocean current (to continue on its way to the Sargasso Sea), or by scuttling and sequestering in the deep ocean. FIG. 6 shows an overview of how the sargassum collected by the collection modules 100 (FIG. 1), operating in the collection area 200, could be stored and transported, using Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as an example. The filled nets 25 (originally from FIG. 5) could be immediately towed to land access points for loading onto trucks (for transport to the landfill or processing facilities), or, preferably, the filled nets 25 could be connected to floating towlines 201 or emptied onto barges 202, moored offshore near the collection area 200 (Figure 6 shows a floating towline 201 moored by anchors 203).Such floating towlines 201 and barges 202 should be located near high activity collection areas (at hotels, these are often locations along their booms where there is exceptional leakage of sargassum through / under such booms due to stronger currents, for example), however, such towlines 201 and barges 202 may also be moved between multiple moorings to minimize the distance that full nets need to be towed at any one time, from any collection area. The floating towlines 201 and barges 202 could be connected together into chains 204 and 205, respectively, and towed en masse into open water, to a sinking / release zone 208. The chains 204 and 205 could be towed by the towing vessel 206. Alternatively, the barges 202 could be self-propelled.Strings 204 and 205 could be brought directly to the sinking / release zone 208, or first brought to a secondary storage 207, which may accumulate even more sargassum than strings 204 and 205, and is brought to the sinking / release zone 208 less frequently. In the sinking / release zone 208, the sargassum is either released into the ocean current (e.g., via the method of FIG. 7) or sunk by pumping the sargassum to a critical depth where the pneumatocysts of the sargassum are sufficiently compressed such that the entire macroalga becomes negatively buoyant and sinks to the ocean floor. The latest ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ removal method is described in the international publication number WO 2020 / 132673 A1. FIG. 7 shows the aforementioned method of returning sargassum to the ocean. The tow boat 206 (originally from FIG. 6) tows the chain 204 (comprising floating tow cables 201) to the sinking / release zone 208 (originally from FIG. 6). The floating tow cables 201 are then reeled onto the tug 206, being collected on the reeling spool / deck 209. As the floating tow cables 201 are reeled in, the filled nets 25 are separated and hoisted up by the crane 211 and the sargassum 2 is emptied into the water. The filled nets 25 may be hoisted directly from the water or first pulled aboard the tug 206 (depending on the specific design of the tug 206 and the ability of the rigging crew to access the filled nets 25 in the water). If the latter, a fairlead 210 may be included to reduce the pulling force and the risk of damaging the filled nets 25 as they are pulled aboard.Once the full nets 25 are emptied, the nets are stored on board the towing vessel 206 to be returned for reuse in the collection area 200 (Figure 6). The floating tow cables 201 are also returned to the collection area 200 and re-moored. Note that the spooling reel / pad 209 could be replaced by a wheel motor (with wheels that sandwich / pull the tow cable on board) and the tow cable could simply be arranged on the deck of the towing vessel 206. While FIG. 7 shows the preferred method for releasing sargassum from the filled nets 25 at the sink / release zone 208, another method may be to simply open the filled nets 25 while still attached to the floating tow lines 201 and simply tow the floating tow lines 201 through the water until the filled nets 25 have emptied (the filled nets 25 would be opened by using another smaller vessel to travel up and down the chain 204 to open each filled net 25 once at the sink / release zone 208). In that manner, any tugboat 206 (with sufficient towing power) can perform the removal without any equipment on board or a large storage space. Then, the floating tow lines 201 could simply be towed back to the collection area 200 and re-moored with the empty nets still attached.Harvesting vessels could then retrieve such empty nets from such moored floating towlines for reuse. In order for the full nets 25 to be emptied by simply towing them through the water while attached to the floating towlines 201, a larger diameter-to-length ratio in the nets, greater spacing between nets on the floating towlines 201, and finer mesh nets may be required to reduce sargassum clogging and entanglement. Repeatedly jerking such nets on the towlines 201 by stopping and restarting the jerk, rather than pulling them at a constant speed, also helps to dislodge the sargassum within such nets. Finally, if the nets are to be emptied simply by opening them and towing them while still attached to the floating tow lines 201, then the cinch rope 404 (FIG.3) can be removed and the filled nets 25 would be locked in place by a separate / independent quick release mechanism, ties around the outside of the net 401 at the entry sides of said filled nets 25. Such quick release ties could be cam clamps (e.g. like those for holding weights on bars), a tangle pin (e.g. like a hairpin), or a snap-on clip (e.g. like a bread bag clip). In this way such quick release ties can be easily removed from a secondary vessel once the towing vessel 206 arrives at the sinking / release zone 208 and the filled nets 25 would then be fully open without the risk of the webbing ropes 404 remaining tight or being re-tightened during towing, therefore preventing the sargassum from being emptied. Fig. 7 also shows a close-up section of a floating tow cable 201, comprising a tow / mooring cable 201a and collars 201b (filled nets 25 are attached thereto). The tow / mooring rope 201a may comprise Dyneema, polyester, nylon, or other suitable engineering material (many high strength synthetic ropes are available for towing). The collars 201b may be metal sleeves compressed / stamped over the tow / mooring rope 201a. It is important that each collar 201b is independently attached to the tow / mooring rope 201a; Otherwise, the distal collars 201b (further away from the tug 206) will support the drag of all proximal full nets 25. The collars 201b are provided with D-rings and clips (e.g., carabiners / latches) for quickly attaching / removing full nets 25 and / or empty nets, respectively.Such clips may be on the ends of short sections of rope extending from each D-ring to increase the range of motion and convenience / efficiency of attaching stuffed nets to tow lines. Instead of collars 201b being stamped metal sleeves on a tow / mooring rope 201a, such short sections of rope could be lashed through a tow / mooring rope 201a (skull ropes, for example, comprise large braided strands that allow a smaller rope to be threaded through the braid). Pairs of nylon ropes may be used between the floating tow cable 201 and the towing boat 206 in a bridle, to absorb shock during towing. In alternative manifestations of the harvesting module 100 (Figures 1 and 2), instead of deploying two nets 4 over the port and starboard sides of the vessel 1 (Figure 1), the nets could be deployed between two vessels or towed behind a single vessel. ζζαρηη / ζζηζ / Ε / γίΛΐ In such alternative embodiments, the harvesting module 100 may still be very similar to the preferred embodiment in Figs. 1 and 2 in terms of how it attaches to the vessels 1. However, with two vessels, the boats are connected to each other by a shared intermediate tube (recall intermediate tube 106 originally from Fig. 2) that spans between both vessels, and the outer tube(s) 105 / insertion tube(s) 104 / net holder(s) 101 (originally from Fig. 2) are joined at the midspan. If a net is towed behind a single vessel, the net would resemble a trawl whose tow lines are attached to the outer portions of such intermediate tubes (no outer tubes, insertion tubes, or net holders in this embodiment). Various embodiments of the invention have been described. However, it should be understood that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, other embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims. For example, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, some of the steps described above may be independent of order and, therefore, may be performed in a different order than described.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention as above, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following is claimed as property: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus (100) for retrofitting a vessel (1) for collecting floating biomass in a body of water, the apparatus comprising: a fixing structure (99); a plurality of net supports (101) configured to engage the fixing structure during collection; and wherein the fixing structure includes fixing elements (5, 6, 7) for transferring forces from the net supports to structural elements of the vessel during collection;wherein the plurality of net supports includes a first net support and a second net support, which during harvesting are arranged at least partially submerged on opposite sides of the vessel to maintain openings in the respective harvesting nets (4) for harvesting the floating biomass during forward / movement of the vessel; wherein the securing structure comprises an extension member (110, 106) for transverse attachment across the vessel, and two elongated mounting members (107) for attachment along the gunwale of the vessel to couple the extension member to the gunwale; wherein the apparatus further comprises securing members, including at least a first securing member (5) and a second securing member (6, Ό;wherein the first securing element is for attaching the elongated mounting members to the gunwale, said first securing element during harvesting being configured to oppose torsional forces transmitted through the net supports and the extension member to the elongated mounting members; and wherein the second securing element is for coupling the securing structure to a central structural member of the vessel, said second securing element being configured to oppose longitudinal forces during harvesting transmitted through the net supports, the extension member, and the elongated mounting members induced by drag forces acting on the nets.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the extension element is configured to arrest horizontal moments, induced by external drag forces on biomass filling nets, by means of rotating connections to the elongated mounting elements.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first net support and the second net support form rigid openings for securing the respective collection nets.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least two nets for securing them to the respective net supports.

5. A vessel adapted for collecting floating biomass having the apparatus of claim 1 attached thereto.

6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the securing elements include at least one of tethers, straps, chains, cables, ropes, and slings; and the extension member is configurable to adjust to span a vessel's width and to engage said mounting members, thereby being adjustable to accommodate vessels of varying width.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising removably attached nets (4) that are attached to said net supports such that, in operation during forward movement of the vessel, the nets slide through said body of water as said vessel moves, thereby collecting said floating biomass in the nets.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said mounting elements comprise channels configured to fit over the gunwale of said vessel and act as levers.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said mounting members are secured by straps passing beneath said vessel.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said mounting elements are secured by tensioning elements that bear against the bow of said vessel.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the slings surround the nose of said vessel and the chains are attached between said slings and said mounting elements.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said extension element comprises nested pipes / tubes that are folded.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said extension member comprises nested pipes / tubes that are folded and held through a plurality of holes along their folds.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said extension member is attached to said mounting members by closed-loop features that fit over vertical posts attached to the top of said mounting members.

15. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net supports are attached to said extension element by vertical posts that are inserted / fixed into insertion tubes, said insertion tubes being attached to said adjustable length extension element.

16. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net supports are attached to said extension member via upright posts that are inserted / fixed into insertion tubes, said insertion tubes being attached to outer pipe sections that can be fixed / disengaged and slid along said adjustable tube-length extension member.

17. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net supports are attached to said extension member by vertical posts that are inserted / fixed into insertion tubes, said vertical posts having a plurality of holes along their lengths to adjust to the freeboards of different vessels.

18. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net supports are rigid closed-loop shapes with large openings in their centers to allow passage of said sargassum algae.

19. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net fasteners secure said nets by means of hooks that hold loops at the ends of said nets.

20. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said net supports are equipped with rolling elements on their outer sides.

21. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said net supports are equipped with funnel-shaped structures on the inner and outer sides.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the components of the apparatus are adjustable by a plurality of holes and pins to lock the components in place.

23. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein all adjustable components are secured by pins inserted into holes.

24. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said mounting members are secured by an interference plate that is inserted through said mounting members and coupled to the lower portions of said gunwale of said vessel.

25. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said network supports are designed to fail, before any other component fails, in the event of an excessive load.

26. Apparatus for storing nets filled with sargassum, comprising: a floating towline moored near the area where sargassum is collected in said filled nets, said sargassum nets being attached to said floating towline along their length; a vessel that periodically tows said floating towline, carrying said nets filled with sargassum, out to open sea for disposal.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said arrangement comprises hoisting said sargassum-filled nets and opening their lower ends such that the sargassum contained therein is discharged by gravity into said open waters.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said arranging comprises opening said sargassum-filled nets while still attached to said floating tow line, and towing said floating tow line such that said sargassum-filled nets empty into said open sea.

29. A method for harvesting floating biomass, comprising: attaching the apparatus of claim 1 to a vessel; securing nets to the net supports of the apparatus; and propelling the vessel forward to force the floating biomass into the nets.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein while propelling the vessel forward, the method further comprises opposing twisting forces induced by the net supports on the extension member with the first clamping member.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein while propelling the vessel forward, the method further comprises opposing torque forces transmitted through the net supports and the extension member to the elongated mounting members through the first clamping member.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein while propelling the vessel forward, the method further comprises opposing longitudinal forces transmitted through the net supports, the extension member, and the elongated mounting members, induced by drag forces acting on the nets through the second clamping member.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein while propelling the vessel forward, horizontal moments are absorbed at outer portions of the extension member by an inner portion of the extension member via rotatable connections to the elongated mounting members.

34. A kit for forming the apparatus of claim 1, the fixing structure, the plurality of net supports for coupling to the fixing structure, and the fixing elements, suitable for adjustable fixing to a vessel for the collection of floating biomass.

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