Establishing a baseline of physical conditions was a critical foundation for the environmental monitoring component of this research project.

Before the demonstration farm was constructed, researchers characterized the water column and the bottom of the inner shelf in the vicinity of the proposed fish farm site. This work included extensive bottom sediment sampling, collection of water samples, a geophysical survey using side scan sonar and sub-bottom seismic techniques, and the observation of the physical characteristics of the water column, such as salinity, temperature, and currents.