From Ocean to Plate: How We Grow Our Abalone

From Ocean to Plate: How We Grow Our Abalone

In the windswept sand dunes near Port Fairy, where the rugged coastline meets the pristine Southern Ocean, Ocean Road Abalone has been pioneering sustainable abalone farming since 1996. Our journey began with a band of abalone divers who fished the bays we draw our water from today. Back then, the shore was only accessible by boat, so one of those divers bought a parcel of neighbouring land, carving a road to the inshore bays for days when the ocean was too wild to fish.

It wasn’t lost on these divers that the spot was perfect for more than just fishing. They saw a local and export demand for abalone that wild stocks couldn’t sustainably meet. Some of these divers, part of South West Seafoods; the local wild abalone processor, came together with a bigger idea. They envisioned an abalone farm to complement the processor, ensuring steady work year-round beyond just the dive days. From that vision, Southern Ocean Mariculture was born, and its current Board carries forward that legacy of grit and foresight.

Over the next years, the divers and their deckhands set about constructing the farm by hand as some of the pioneers of Australia’s abalone industry.  

Today, we invite you behind the scenes to discover the process that transforms microscopic larvae into the abalone you know and love.

Our Perfect Location: Where the Southern Ocean Meets Port Fairy

Our farm’s location is no accident. Nestled along the spectacular coastline of southwest Victoria, we benefit from the pristine waters of the Southern Ocean, the cleanest, coolest, and consistently tempered waters in Australia, these ideal conditions ensure our abalone maintain exceptional quality year-round.

The journey of our abalone begins with the ocean itself. We pump 600 liters of seawater per second from Taylors Beach Bay, running through four suction lines under the dunes to our two pump houses, two of the lines are 630mm pumping seawater to a majority of the farm and another two 300mm lines for the smaller pump house that supplies our nursery and weaning areas. This water, carrying all the natural elements of the Southern Ocean, flows through our tanks in a simple yet effective flow-through system before returning to the sea at Little River Beach Bay via settling ponds that ensure the water leaving our farm is as clean as when it arrived.

As one visitor remarked during a recent tour, “Standing at the edge of Taylors Beach and knowing this is where it all begins gives you a profound appreciation for the connection between the ocean and the plate.”

The Abalone Lifecycle: From Microscopic to Market

The life of our abalone begins in our nursery, where science and nature work in perfect harmony. Our breeding program follows the natural rhythms of the ocean, with spawning conducted around the moon phases, either full or new moon when abalone are naturally inclined to reproduce.

Spawning: Following the Moon

In our spawning room, carefully selected broodstock are conditioned in 16°C water. On spawning day, water flowing into the broodstock tanks runs through UV generators, which, along with the moon phase, triggers the abalone to release their eggs and sperm into the water column.

Ten days before spawning, we start preparing the nursery tanks by washing algae “seed” plates and spreading them through the tanks, allowing the algae to spawn and settle on bare baskets in the tanks.

From Larvae to Juveniles

After fertilisation, the eggs are transferred to larval rearing tanks, where they hatch after approximately 8 hours into microscopic free-swimming larvae. These tiny creatures undergo multiple developmental stages over 8-10 days before they’re ready to settle in the nursery tanks.

We carefully count larvae numbers (larvae/ml) and pour the correct volumes into each nursery tank, aiming to settle 25,000-35,000 abalone per tank. The larvae sense the algae and settle on the sheets and sides of the tanks, beginning to form their distinctive shells.

For the first five months of their lives, these juvenile abalone remain in the nursery, initially feeding on algae before transitioning to an artificial diet supplement in their final three months. This specially formulated diet is predominantly made from land-based wheats and lupins, providing essential proteins and amino acids with small additions of fish meal/oil for essential nutrients.

Growing Phases: The Journey to Maturity

After five months, the juvenile abalone are carefully collected for grading. Large and medium grade abalone move to the weaning tanks.

The weaning tanks are where the abalone continue their growth journey. These intermediate tanks help them reach the size needed for the final grow out phase. At nine months old, they’re split again, with large-grade abalone moving to the slab tanks for their final development stage.

The slab tanks represent the culmination of years of research and refinement. Here, in dark sheds that help the abalone stay settled on the tank surface, they grow to harvest size. We begin harvesting at 2.5 years old, with some abalone continuing to grow for up to 3-4 years, reaching sizes of up to 200g.

Throughout this journey from microscopic larvae to market-ready abalone, our team monitors every aspect of their development, ensuring optimal conditions and addressing any health concerns immediately.

Our Unique Tiger Abalone: The Best of Both Worlds

Tiger abalone are a cross between a Greenlip male and a Blacklip female. This breeding combines the best traits of both species: the growth benefits of blacklip abalone, which thrive in cooler waters, and the behavioral benefits of greenlip abalone, which are comfortable in open environments like our grow-out concrete tanks.

This crossbreeding also results in a higher meat-to-shell ratio, providing more of the delicious, tender flesh that makes abalone such a prized delicacy. But our commitment to quality doesn’t stop there. We maintain different families of both greenlip and blacklip abalone to ensure genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding. In collaboration with James Cook University, we conduct genetic testing on all families to ensure we’re not crossing closely related individuals.

The result is a premium product that embodies the best of both abalone species, a testament to our dedication to innovation and excellence in abalone farming.

The People Behind the Abalone: Our Greatest Asset

While our location and sustainable practices are crucial to our success, it’s our people who truly make Ocean Road Abalone special. Many of our early investors were deeply hands-on, personally managing every aspect of our setup, from installing suction lines into the bay and building the hatchery and pump house to welding frames for tanks and concreting drains. Their legacy continues today, with many still serving on our board of directors, either themselves or through their sons and daughters.

Our dedicated staff members are the backbone of our farm. Just six of our team members have accumulated over 124 years of experience here, a remarkable testament to their commitment and passion for what we do. We maintain strong ties with Deakin University, providing invaluable work experience to students and graduates, many of whom have become integral to our team.

This combination of experience and fresh perspectives has helped us overcome challenges and continue innovating. When we began, abalone farming was in its infancy. While growing abalone to one year of age was understood overseas, advancing them to market size was a matter of trial and error. We spent years perfecting the survival rate of 3-week-old abalone, tiny as a grain of sand, improving survival rates from 1% to 50%, and eagerly shared this breakthrough with the industry.

Even when faced with setbacks, like the devastating virus that wiped out all our stock in 2006, the unwavering support from our investors, board, and dedicated staff helped us rebuild from the ground up, continuing our pursuit of excellence.

From Our Ocean to Your Plate: The Ocean Road Abalone Promise

Every piece of Ocean Road Abalone carries with it a story of dedication, innovation, and respect for the environment. From the moment microscopic larvae settle in our nursery tanks to the day our abalone reaches your plate, our team ensures that every step of the process maintains the highest standards of quality and sustainability.

The result is more than just a growing premium abalone, it’s a reflection of our spirit and connection to our environment. Each abalone carries with it a piece of the Southern Ocean and the dedication of our team. It represents moments of joy, nourishment, and celebration, rooted in our commitment to sustainable farming.

We invite you to experience the difference that comes from abalone raised in Australia’s cleanest waters by a team that cares deeply about quality, sustainability, and the future of our oceans. Ocean Road Abalone isn’t just seafood; it’s a taste of our pristine Southern Ocean, cultivated with care and delivered with pride.

Ocean Road Abalone –Gather, Nourish, Celebrate.