The country increasingly seeks locally produced, healthy food. Shrimp can provide significantly to these desires while reducing dependence on imports and enabling creation of jobs in all strata of society. To realize these benefits, the cost of shrimp production needs to be reduced to meet the existing competitive market. The success of our project will bring high-technology at low cost to a key component of shrimp production- water quality monitoring and control, while reducing the environmental impact of this form of agriculture. The project will utilize specialized laser techniques to exploit fundamental properties, known as Raman spectra, of the waste products in shrimp production- ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Specialized hardware and computer software will transform the data from optical beams produced in the instrument to readouts that have clear meaning to the aquaculture farmer. These outputs will enable the farmer to monitor and control waste levels in the grow-out tanks locally and remotely, thereby reducing labor and increasing reliability and production. The ultimate goal of the project is to bring down costs of fresh, domestically-, locally-grown aquaculture so that individuals, smaller consortia, and NGOs can enter and operate these systems successfully. By doing so these can enable healthy dietary habits, provide entrepreneurial opportunities, and improve local economies.
