Systems and methods for transferring, grading, and/or harvesting aquatic animals

A service vessel for grading or harvesting aquatic animals from an aquaculture system, the service vessel comprising:

• a pair of hulls to allow the vessel to float over the aquaculture system;
• a transfer system configured to remove a plurality of aquatic animals from the aquaculture system;
• a grading system configured to receive the plurality of aquatic animals from the transfer system and sort the plurality of aquatic animals based on a characteristic;
• and
• a return system disposed on the vessel and configured to transfer at least a portion of the plurality of aquatic animals back to the aquaculture system.

A method, comprising:

• removing a plurality of aquatic animals from an aquaculture system;
• transferring the plurality of aquatic animals to a grading system disposed on a service vessel;
• sorting the plurality of aquatic animals based on a characteristic of the aquatic animals;
• discarding a first portion of the plurality of aquatic animals that fall below a first predetermined size threshold;
• and
• returning a second portion of the plurality of aquatic animals that are above a second predetermined size threshold to the aquaculture system.