MICROCOMPUTER-BASED WATER QUALITY MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM

THE BUSINESS OF AQUACULTURE HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE UNITED STATES IN RECENT YEARS. THE USE OF INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE TECHNIQUES IN THE U.S. HAS PLACED AN INCREASING EMPHASIS ON MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY. DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW-COST AND RELIABLE AUTOMATED WATER QUALITY AND FEED CONDITION MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD PROVIDE BOTH RESEARCH AND COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURISTS WITH A MEANS OF MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY FOR HATCHERY, NURSERY, GROW-OUT AND FEED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. INFORMATION GATHERED FROM BOTHRESEARCH AND COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURISTS AND INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURERS HAS INDICATED THAT FOUR ELEMENTS ARE REQUIRED TO DESIGN AN APPROPRIATE MONITORING/CONTROL SYSTEM: (A) AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS CRITICAL TO AQUACULTURE; (B) EXPERIENCE IN INSTRUMENTATION (AND CALIBRATION); (C) MICROCOMPUTER PROGRAMMING CAPABILITY; AND (D) EXPERIENCE WITH CONTROL DEVICES AND ELECTRONIC THEORY. TO DATE THERE HAVE BEEN NO COORDINATED EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE THESE FOUR ELEMENTS TO PRODUCE A COMPLETE SYSTEM OF MONITORING AND CONTROL FOR AQUACULTURE. UTILIZATION OF OFF-THE-SHELF ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS MICROCOMPUTERS AND CONTROL DEVICES INTEGRATED BY SOFTWARE MODULES WOULD GO FAR IN ALLEVIATING THE PROBLEMS ATTENDANT TO MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY IN INTENSIVE AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS.