Aquaculture
Aquaculture is the cultivation of fish in controlled environments. These production systems require cost-effective water quality monitoring to protect the fish and wisely use water resources.
Goal: Environmental Monitoring around Sea Cages
Organization: INTESAL
Location: Chile
Challenge: Cultivation of fish species in near-shore or offshore sea cages is resource-intensive. Additionally, the environment can be volatile, and managers need to protect fish from low dissolved oxygen, noxious algal blooms, severe weather, and predators.
Solution: A rugged monitoring system - which includes water quality, current, and meteorological sensors as well as real-time telemetry - provides the timely data needed to manage the farming operation, particularly during fluctuations in the environment. A few hours can make the difference in survival.
Dollars and $ense:
A system which provides up-to-the-minute data and alerts provides insight into remote sites. Managers can act quickly to control conditions for fish. Actions may include relocating sea pens, reducing feed or even checking to see if external conditions are favorable enough to visit the site.
The cost of 1 YSI fixed vertical profiling platform to track water quality threats is a smart investment when compared to the cost of lost or compromised fish stock valued at $100,000 or greater.
