SBIR-STTR Award

Feeding fish represents about 50 to 60% of the direct production expenses of an aquaculture operation. Wasted feed during the feeding process can range from 10 to 40%. Feed waste has negative environmental impacts. Waste accumulated underneath fish pens is toxic and must be removed periodically, which translates into additional labor costs. Hand feeding methods are labor intensive while some automated or semi-automated systems can cause more waste feed. Acoustic systems are commonly used for monitoring fish and other objects in marine and freshwater environments. Previous attempts to apply acoustic technology to the fish farming industry for fish biomass estimates and feed monitoring have been made. However, no cost effective or efficient system for feed and waste monitoring exists. We propose to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative integrated acoustic system with the following key elements: digital sonar, current meter, decision making and operator display. Our preliminary experiments with sonar monitoring of feed pellets in fish pens have been successful. Direct comparisons of fish feeding with and without our monitoring system will be made at a local fish farm. A comparison evaluation will be made using a common existing monitoring technique (e.g., airlift). ANTICIPATED RESULTS & POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH We anticipate integrating and testing an acoustic system for fish feeding and waste monitoring. We expect that with this system, the fish feeding process can be automated and the quantity of waste reduced. Maximizing the efficiency of the feeding process will reduce feed costs and improve water quality. After a feasibility study as proposed in Phase I, and further development and testing in Phase II, this technique could be applicable to the national fish farming industry where salmon are produced in sea pens. The integrated acoustic-computer-sensor system will produce estimates of total pellet wastage by scanning an "acoustic window" underneath the net pen.

Net-pen aquaculture, in both freshwater and marine environments, is a large agricultural sector and produces a significant component of the world's fish for human consumption. Increasing pressure to generate profit and decrease production costs, plus pressure by the public and private sector to address ecological concerns associated with waste generated by these aquaculture operations, necessitates careful control of the fish feeding process. Fish feed is the major expense component of the production of fish in aquaculture operations. During the feeding process in net-pen aquaculture, a significant portion of the feed pellets, 10 to 40 percent, are not eaten by the fish and pass out of the net-pen. These wasted pellets pose both economic and environmental issues for the commercial net-pen operation. Feed waste also has negative impacts on fish health and product quality. There is strong demand from the industry for an efficient, reliable, and inexpensive system to monitor the feeding process, to minimize feed waste, and to maximize feeding efficiency. The Phase II pre-production prototype system will be integrated, compact, portable, and provide useful user interfaces, which will enable rapid modification of feeding operations to minimize wasting feed in net-pen aquaculture. The purpose of this project is to meet the needs of the aquaculture industry by producing the most reliable, cost effective, easily deployed and maintained system for enhancement of feeding efficiency and reduction of the associated negative environmental impacts. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of Phase II of the BioSonics SBIR project titled: Integrated Acoustic System for Monitoring Fish Feed and Waste in Aquaculture Pens, is to develop a fully functional pre-production prototype acoustic Fish Feeding Monitor (FFM). Phase II will physically integrate, into one system, a digital echosounder, scanning transducer, current meter, and control and display computers. Phase II will result in the integration of echosounder control software and user interface for modification of operational parameters. An additional software module for management control will be developed and implemented. This will enable data storage and review, for fish farm management purposes and will include advanced data storage, review, and reporting capabilities. The concept of FFM system is to create an acoustically monitored horizontal plane beneath an aquaculture net-pen to enable the detection of uneaten (waste) pellets that pass out of the net. Additionally, the system can provide recommendations for initial feed placement, to minimize the generation of waste feed and maximize feed exposure to fish in the net-pen. The objective of the scanning sonar system is to provide information on the position of the detected waste pellets and an indication of the quantity of pellets passing out of the net. The current meter provides information on water current and speed, important to determining the most likely sinking trajectory for the feed and the most likely position to monitor for waste feed. In a predictive mode, utilizing the information from the current meter and the pellet sinking rate model, the system should provide the user (fish feeder) a recommended feeding window (a recommended location for feed distribution) which maximizes the travel time of pellets through the net-pen. This ensures maximum exposure to fish and aids in the reduction of waste feed. The foundation of the Phase II FFM system is the new BioSonics DE-X scientific echosounder. Based on the earlier series of BioSonics digital echosounders, the X-series features enhanced capabilities. These echosounders incorporate an embedded processor, a PC-104 running the LINUX operating system, to accomplish objectives, which include control of echosounder operation, data handling, and communication functions. The system will work over wired or wireless network installations. Associated software for user interface is provided in a familiar graphical user interface (Microsoft Windowsr), another key objective. A vital objective of the research and development effort is to conduct extensive testing and demonstration at a fish farm, under various and diverse operating conditions. In Phase II, BioSonics' research and development efforts will be driven by the pursuit of commercialization of the fish feeding monitor. Our goal is to meet the needs of the aquaculture industry by producing the most reliable, cost effective, easily deployed and maintained system for enhancement of feeding efficiency and reduction of associated negative environmental impacts. APPROACH: Our approach to research and development in Phase II of the BioSonics SBIR project titled: Integrated Acoustic System for Monitoring Fish Feed and Waste in Aquaculture Pens includes the following specific tasks: Task 1: Physical integration of the mechanical components of the system. Construct and demonstrate a robust, portable, integrated waste-detecting fish feeding monitor (FFM). This will enable the reduction in size and complexity of the system for practical installation and use in actual aquaculture conditions. This system will be based on the BioSonics DE-X digital scientific echosounder, a scanning transducer, current meter, and a graphical computer interface. Task 2: Integration of the software components. Advanced development of the existing software components (developed under Phase I), including BioScan, BioMonitor, the BioSonics PPI display, and the user interface. Task 3: Advanced development of acoustic assessment software to better address the detection of waste feed under conditions where confounding acoustic information is present (such as companion fish). This will include target classification and filtering techniques. Task 4: Advanced development of scanning transducer capabilities, particularly with respect to the relative position of targets and transducer under the net. Correlation of net-pen position, feeding window, waste feed, and other underwater targets. Task 5: Exploration of advanced scanning transducer technology for reduction in cost of production, enhanced reliability for harsh environments and long-term deployment. This will focus on the development of a non-mechanical scanning transducer technology. Task 6: Final report and complete system documentation. The Phase I proof of concept relied on the ability of the system to count pellets as they passed through the monitored layer under the net-pen. The Phase II analysis and detection software will de-emphasize the counting of the absolute number of targets, as used to prove the concept in Phase I, and focus on the rapid detection of pellets and their location, or other indicators of pellet loss, to allow for rapid modification of feeding activity. In addition to the clear and convenient user interface, the full dataset will be recorded and be available for managers for analysis of such components as, time and duration of feeding activity, location and duration of waste feed detection, information on other underwater components of the net-pen operation (cables, moorings, anchors, companion fish, etc.). The recorded data can be "replayed" to regenerate the graphical display of data which was originally available during the feeding operations. Extensive field testing in existing net-pen aquaculture facilities is a requirement for the accomplishment of each task in our approach