Network of Nano chemical sensors and Nano water cleaning/energy generating technology for supporting eco-intensive aquaculture

Worldwide, aquaculture has superseded fishery production. Central European aquaculture production is more or less stagnant due to limited access to freshwater resources combined with stringent environmental regulations. Norwegian aquaculture industry, is also facing challenges, related to fish health and emissions of nutrients. Eco-intensive aquaculture is needed to meet the high demands for fish and seafood. Fish is, highly susceptible to pollutants in water, and keeping up the eco-intensive aquaculture production, requires therefore good operational production routines to avoid the occurrence of unfavorable harmful conditions for the fish. In this project we aim at developing an efficient sensor and computer-based control system providing the capability to monitor and adjust many operations independently and simultaneously. The advances in nano material science, has resulted in access to cheap sensors, low power generators and water cleaning technologies, mobile computing, and wireless communications. This now allow water quality scientists to acquire, process and transmit an array of data while still in the field, or remotely from off-side laboratories. Real-time remote monitoring technologies offer several advantages over historical monitoring techniques by streamlining the data collection process, potentially minimizing human errors and time delays, reducing overall cost of data collection, and significantly increasing the quantity and quality of data on temporal and spatial scales. This project includes utilization and development of an innovative array of in-situ sensors and a water cleaning (anti biofouling monitoring and control systems) with in-situ power generation adapted to the needs of the aquaculture industry (inland and coastal zone). One of the major challenges in the project includes documenting the cost savings/benefits of monitoring/controlling the environmental quality in aquaculture production systems.