Sensors improve prawn feeding efficiency
Researchers in CSIRO’s Tasmanian ICT Centre in Australia are developing automated image sensors and software to assist the prawn aquaculture industry and improve feeding efficiency.
The two major inputs into prawn farming in Australia are
feed pellets and labour. The efficiency of the industry can be improved by
reducing these costs. Researchers are therfore studying the use of sensors in
aqua ponds. These sensors provide continuous information about feed consumption
in prawn ponds and thus will:
?
reduce overfeeding of farmed prawns
? reduce
nutrient levels in farm effluent, reducing the environmental impact of prawn
farming
?
provide better information on the feeding efficiency of farmed
prawns
?
improve the health of farmed prawns and reduce the use of
antibiotics in countries that permit their use (antibiotics are not used
routinely in Australian aquaculture)
?
enable better selection of brood stock for breed
engineering.
Image recording
The submersible sensor
contains a digital camera that records images of a feeding surface. The images
are processed by a computer and advanced processing algorithms are being
developed that can extract information from the images.
This research
project is one of a group of CSIRO prawn aquaculture projects. The combined
impact of CSIRO’s prawn projects is expected to double the value of the
Australian prawn industry by 2020.
Related website:
CSIRO prawn
research
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