IoT in Fish Farming: How Cloud-Based Innovation Improve Aquaculture Operations
Aquaculture, also referred to as fish farming, is globally recognized as an essential component of ensuring that future generations do not suffer from food insecurity. While current operations allow for high yields, researchers and fish farm managers are looking for ways to update operations to be more productive and efficient. One key component of this involves automating the water quality monitoring process through the implementation of IoT technology.
Traditional approaches are time-consuming and labor-intensive as staff manually sample the farms by conducting in-situ measurements or collecting samples for lab analysis. The alternative involves the integration of IoT sensors and cloud data.
The Future of Fish Farming
Implementation of IoT technology can help solve many of the existing problems surrounding aquaculture, ranging from operation complications to environmental impacts. In particular, a 2023 study published in the Research Journal of Computer Systems and Engineering emphasizes the importance of immediate data access as well as real-time alerts that increase efficiency and production.
Aside from the time-consuming nature of discrete sampling, trips occur on a scheduled basis, meaning that the onset of water quality events can be missed. Continuous, real-time data collection helps to bridge this gap, showing data from before, during, and after an event.
The deployment of a small, compact data buoy or mounted monitoring system collects data over time, transferring data to the cloud and then to a designated database where operators can observe conditions.
Regardless of the chosen platform, operators can choose from a variety of sensors to connect to a telemetric data logger. Common parameters include dissolved oxygen, temperature, nitrogen, and turbidity. For a more complete view, additional sensors can be added to observe drivers of complications with these critical measurements.
Additionally, cloud-based data centers, like NexSens’ WQData LIVE, display the information collected by any IoT-based monitoring system and send managers alerts when water quality conditions exceed a set threshold.
These alarms allow managers to react quickly and help mitigate any possible losses by correcting the exceedance. For example, hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen, in a pen can lead to fish kills—however, if the managers can respond quickly enough, dissolved oxygen can be increased through bubblers or treatments like the use of hydrogen peroxide.
This quick response and continuous management of water quality also ensure that fish farming operations do not contaminate nearby waters with poor water quality. The environmental impacts of aquaculture can also be measured via a system placed near the output area, where waste is expelled.
Conclusion
Moving forward, if fish farming is to be the future of food security for a growing global population, sustainability has to be at the forefront of considerations—implementation of IoT technology is a key component of this.
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