Aqua Farms Research Articles

TS fuzzy control of PV assisted single phase three phase induction motor drive for rural pumping applications

The motor drives for aqua farms and large-scale irrigation system needs a reliable electric drive, which requires the continuous power supply and efficient control. However, the rural single phase power supply is frequently interrupted. Renewable assistance would improve the availability of supply and heuristic control approach improves robustness in control. This paper presents a three phase induction motor drive fed from single phase electric grid with assistance from PV and battery energy storage. TS- fuzzy based direct torque control is employed for robust control during load changes, and the topology, component modelling, front-end converter control, PV interface DC–DC converter control, and inverter control are presented. MATLAB/Simulink is used to simulate the proposed drive system. The performance of the proposed system is validated using simulation data for both steady-state and transient states.

Detection rates of pesticide residues in Saudi Arabian produce as influenced by season

Pesticide residues and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are known hazardous chemicals that exhibits bioaccumulation in organisms and the ecosystem in general. There is limited evidence on the levels of these contaminants among common Saudi crops grown as well as the effects of season on their levels. Hence, the present investigated the levels of pesticide residues in major fruit and vegetable crops collected during the winter and summer seasons in Saudi Arabia (SA). A total of 392 samples taken from 28 locally produced vegetables and fruits were purchased from local markets in Riyadh, SA during peak summer (N = 263) (June-August 2022) and peak winter (N = 129) (December-February 2022). Food samples were extracted and cleaned up using the modified Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) technique. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) instruments were used to determine pesticide residues. Crops that had the highest percentage exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) include pepper (7.9 %) as well as apricot, fig and pomegranates (3.1 %). Cypermethrin was the most prevalent pesticide residue in both winter and summer samples with detection rates of 13.2 % and 14.1 % respectively (p = 0.33). Thiamethoxam detection rates was significantly higher in winter (7.8 %) than summer (3.0 %) (p = 0.04). There is a high detection rate of pesticide residues in SA independent of season, with cypermethrin being the most common. Thiamethoxam is more commonly detected in winter than summer crops. The study should be extended to include other potential sources of pesticide residues such as fishes grown in aqua farms and other poultry products.

Single Phase Grid Connected PV-Wind-Diesel-Battery System Operated Three Phase Induction Motor for Aqua-Farms

Sustainable Aqua Farms requires continuous power supply to drive three phase induction motors for maintaining good oxygen levels. Unfortunately many places are suffering from frequent power cuts as well as availability of only single phase supply. Hence, 1-Φ to 3-Φ conversion is essential to operate 3-Φ motors as well as required operation of diesel generators during no supply from grid. However, consumption of heavy diesel causes many problems in aqua culture which is not sustainable. Hence, in order to reduce diesel consumption, and increase eco-friendly environment, photovoltaic (PV) and wind generator system can be integrated to system. A proper energy management system is required among all these sources to achieve cost effective system with best performance. The battery is used for responding in transient time periods. The proposed energy management system can reduce consumption of diesel by operating it at maximum efficiency. In case of any excess power available from wind and PV, the surplus power can be transmitted to single phase grid to reduce electricity bill. In order to maintain stable dc-link voltage, Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) based DC to DC converters are incorporated. The proposed controller reduces the ripples in motor torque to improve the life time of components used in system as well as can reduce power consumption with the addition these renewable energy resources. For reduction of ripples in torque, a TS-Fuzzy based speed sensor less direct torque controller is implemented to run induction motor through three phase inverter.

Detecting Maritime Obstacles Using Camera Images

Aqua farms will be the most frequently encountered obstacle when autonomous ships sail along the coastal area of Korea. We used YOLOv5 to create a model that detects aquaculture buoys. The distances between the buoys and the camera were calculated based on monocular and stereo vision using the detected image coordinates and compared with those from a laser distance sensor and radar. A dataset containing 2700 images of aquaculture buoys was divided between training and testing data in the ratio of 8:2. The trained model had precision, recall, and mAP of 0.936%, 0.903%, and 94.3%, respectively. Monocular vision calculates the distance based on camera position estimation and water surface coordinates of maritime objects, while stereo vision calculates the distance by finding corresponding points using SSD, NCC, and ORB and then calculating the disparity. The stereo vision had small error rates of −3.16% and −14.81% for short (NCC) and long distances (ORB); however, large errors were detected for objects located at a far distance. Monocular vision had error rates of 2.86% and −4.00% for short and long distances, respectively. Monocular vision is more effective than stereo vision for detecting maritime obstacles and can be employed as auxiliary sailing equipment along with radar.

Analysis of Development of Shrimp Aquaculture In Secanggang District, Langkat Regency, Sumatera Utara Province

The marine and fisheries sector's development is a part of the national development of Indonesia. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the industries' sustainability. Aquaculture is an industry that has a tremendous opportunity. Currently, Indonesia's aquaculture prospects are rising. Langkat Regency is a region in Sumatera Utara Province located in the East Coastal Region with good prospects for brackish water aquaculture. There are four goals in this study. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of shrimp aqua farm locations in the Secanggang District, investigate the type of shrimp aquaculture in the district, analyze the economic aspects of shrimp aquaculture in Secanggang District and study the optimal aquaculture strategy as a priority for developing coastal areas in Secanggang District. This study uses a quantitative approach to conduct a descriptive study. The study shows that the aqua farms in Secanggang District are located in the production area, converted forest area, wildlife nature reserve, and production forest. There are four types of Shrimp aquaculture in Secanggang District: intensive, semi-intensive, traditional, and natural/organic. The study also shows the economic analysis on costs, income, and the efficiency of R/C ratios per cycle on four types of aquaculture. This study also shows that shrimp aquaculture using the intensive system technique is the most appropriate and priority for shrimp aqua farming development in Secanggang District

Assessment of aqua farms in Mymensingh district: Perspective of health management and probiotics use

The study was conducted to evaluate the existing aqua farming status and health management practices in 24 commercial farms located in selected upazilas (viz., Mymensingh Sadar, Trishal, and Muktagacha) under Mymensingh district. Data were aggregated through participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools such as questionnaire interview, focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interview. The findings uncovered that, the culture practice (monoculture and polyculture) was similarly preferred by the respondents. Both polyculture and monoculture systems were practiced in all of the selected Upazila. It was observed that most of the farmers of the study area adopted monoculture (50%). Whereas, one third (33.33%) of them preferred polyculture and a few (16.67%) followed both the culture systems. Only 33.33% farmers follow the sanitary facility which is important for security of biomass. 25% farmers monitored the farms on daily basis, while 37.5% farmers and 37.5% farmers monitored the disease condition weekly and bi-weekly, respectively. 12.5% farmers monitored the health condition of fishes on daily basis and 50% farmers monitored on bi-weekly basis in Muktagacha. On the other hand, 25% and 62.5% farmers monitored the health condition on weekly and bi-weekly basis, respectively in Trisal. About 25% farmers in the selected upazilas used different types of antibiotics and chemicals to control diseases. About 75% farmers did not use any types of antibiotics and chemicals to control diseases. The result showed that, 33.33% farm owners used probiotics in the pond for beneficial purposes where 25% of farms used water quality regulatory probiotics, 25% of farms used soil probiotics and 8.33% used gut probiotics. Most farmers (87.5%) have stocked diseased free fry from various hatcheries while a few (8.33%) supplied from their own hatchery.

Seasonal variations influencing the abundance and diversity of plankton in the Swarnamukhi River Estuary, Nellore, India

An integrated approach was used to study the seasonal influence on the abundance and diversity of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Swarnamukhi River Estuary (SRE) and the adjacent coast covering five stations by collecting monthly samples from the years 2014 to 2017. A total of 54 phytoplankton species conforming to four families and 58 zooplankton species conforming to nine families were recorded. Phytoplankton abundance and richness were high during pre-monsoon (PRM - 56410 cells/L) followed by monsoon (MON – 42210 cells/L). A similar trend was observed in the case of zooplankton, where abundance was recorded high during PRM (124261 ind./m3) followed by MON (111579 ind./m3). Moreover, phytoplankton and zooplankton were dominated by the diatoms and copepods, respectively. Both phytoplankton and zooplankton exhibited significant temporal (F= 26.4, p <0.05) and spatial (F= 32.1, p <0.05) variations. The higher density and abundance were recorded in the inner stations compared to the open sea. The present study reveals that the SRE have a rich diversity which could be attributed to a higher nutrient influx in the inner stations. The anthropogenic discharge from the surrounding aqua farms, agricultural land, and human settlement area could cause concerns for the local flora and fauna if a proper mitigation plan is not evolved through long-term monitoring study in this coastal region.

A case study of GK Aqua Farms in Chikwawa District, Malawi

This datasheet on A case study of GK Aqua Farms in Chikwawa District, Malawi covers Identity, Overview, Further Information.

GENOME COMPARATIVE OF EDWARDSIELLA REVEALS POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE PROPHYLAXES

Aquatic diseases caused by the massive wealth of pathogenic bacteria pose major challenges to the development of a sustainable bio-control method, such as antimicrobial measures and vaccine strategies. Recent advances in genome sequencing technology have revolutionized the field of pathogenic pan-genomics and have also influenced disease management in aqua farms. In this study, Edwardsiella strains were differentially classified into four species by a phylogenomics construction based on the pan-genome analysis. Edwardsiella species were correctly classified by pan-genome analysis (core gene, dispensable gene, singleton gene) of 15 complete genomes. Based on the presence of the gene repertoires, gene encoding extracellular protein, outer membrane protein, adhesion ability and antigenic sites, 9 genes (E. ictaluri), 13 genes (E. anguilarium), 9 genes (E. piscicida), 12 genes (E. tadar), and 14 genes (all species) screened from core-gene of 2686, 2673, 2877, 2920, and 1957 gene, respectively have potential in developing reverse vaccinology strategy to the prevention of Edwarsiellosis. The in-silico analysis will also help to optimize the time and improve the cross-serotype reaction of vaccines in farmed fish. The RV research implementing pan-genome analysis will be a strategy that is applicable to pathogens in both aquatic and terrestrial animals.

AQUACULTURAL INTEGRATION IN RECREATIONAL TOURISM: FEATURES OF DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF COASTAL TERRITORIES

Tourism has been growing and diversifying in recent years to become one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy in the world. Modern tourism is closely linked to economic development and is embracing an increasing number of new destinations. Such dynamics have transformed tourism into a key driver of socioeconomic progress. As for recreational tourism as one of the key species, it not only covers most of the related industries directly or indirectly, including transport, construction, trade, catering, agriculture, housing and communal services, culture, art, sports, etc., but also stimulates their development. The focus of recreational tourism on the sea and ocean coasts has expanded the range of tourism services. Aquaculture, which is becoming more relevant in the context of ecosystem conservation, is one of these areas of activity. Since aquaculture and tourism require certain requirements for water quality and the environment, there is an inevitable conflict of interest between entrepreneurs. And as research has shown, such conflicts have arisen in many countries. It has been found that solving this issue may not be the same for everyone. Only individual management, strategic planning and continuous monitoring will allow the effective development of coastal areas and profit for the country. Independent research conducted by the Scottish Research Forum found no evidence of a negative relationship between aquaculture and recreation. In many cases, aqua farms are of cognitive and gastronomic interest to tourists. The study also does not consider the development of aquaculture to be incompatible with tourism, but on the contrary it is an integrating process. Both industries are important to the economies of the countries, so in every territory where aquaculture and recreation can be mutually beneficial, a balance must be struck between them. The aim of the study is to analyze the specific aspects of aquaculture in Ukraine and in the world. The main objectives of our research are: to explore the role and importance of aspects of the introduction of recreational tourism in aquaculture; to analyze the current state of tourism in the world and its economic indicators; to identify the problems of intensification of recreational tourism in the coastal regions of the world; to offer the own vision of the prospects of integrating aquaculture into recreational tourism. Research methods. To achieve this goal there are used general scientific and special research methods in the work, such as: statistical method is for systematizing economic and statistical information on the development of tourism and aquaculture; methods of analysis and synthesis are for studying the functioning of aquaculture in general and its individual aspects; regional method is for studying the functioning of the industry in regional development; method of economic analysis is implemented in identifying trends, patterns and prospects of tourism and aquaculture.

Modular AUV System with Integrated Real-Time Water Quality Analysis.

This paper describes the concept, the technical implementation and the practical application of a miniaturized sensor system integrated into an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for real-time acquisition of water quality parameters. The main application field of the presented system is the analysis of the discharge of nitrates into Norwegian fjords near aqua farms. The presented system was developed within the research project SALMON (Sea Water Quality Monitoring and Management) over a three-year period. The development of the sensor system for water quality parameters represented a significant challenge for the research group, as it was to be integrated in the payload unit of the autonomous underwater vehicle in compliance with the underwater environmental conditions. The German company -4H- JENA engineering GmbH (4HJE), with experience in optical in situ-detection of nutrients, designed and built the measurement system. As a carrier platform, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) “CWolf” from Fraunhofer-Institut für Optronik, Systemtechnik und Bildauswertung - Institutsteil Angewandte Systemtechnik (IOSB-AST) modified to an AUV was deployed. The concept presented illustrates how the measurement system can be integrated easily into the vehicle with a minimum of hard- and software technical interfaces.

Developing Microbial Inocula to Support Biofuel Crop Cultivation on Tributyltin Contaminated Marine Sediments

Tributyltin (TBT) is a synthetic organotin compound and is recognised as the most toxic chemical ever knowingly introduced into the marine environment. Organotins have a wide range of application with an estimated global production of 50,000 tons per year therefore impacts from TBT can be seen or anticipated in many environments including protected areas like aqua farms and world heritage sites effecting aquaculture and undisturbed ecosystems. Due to the impact of TBT a necessity exists for the treatment of contaminated sediment and soil using nature-based solutions as it is both non-invasive and sustainable. However these remediation techniques must also be economically interesting to increase its acceptance. Thus using the biomass from plant species with the ability to cultivate in dredged sediment for biofuel and biomaterials production should be considered to ensure that renewable energy consumption of 10% is meet by 2020. The objectives of this study is to investigate the potential of Hordeum vulgare and Brassica napus to cultivate in marine sediments despite the salinity and TBT pollution for a 30 day pot trial. Further to inoculate seedling roots with known TBT degrading bacteria to enhance the phytoremediation capacity. Also to establish if bacterial isolates C7 and C22 are plant growth promoting bacteria. Statistical analysis on seedlings biomass was carried out followed by analytical analyses by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and sediment analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed a maximum decrease of ≥ 82% and ≥ 80% of TBT in sediment samples respectively with bacteria inoculum C7 (KX881905) and C22 (KX881904), further Hordeum vulgare seedlings were the ideal candidate plant species with a significant production of biomass.

Development of IoT-based non-cleaning water quality measuring equipment

Abstract1It takes lots of time and labor if a worker have to measure the water quality at a certain but designated time every day in an un-automated aqua farm. In addition, if the equipment is soaked in the sea water consistently, it will be contaminated by diverse floating matters and barnacles, and it often becomes mal-functional within 2~3 months. Therefore, we need to develop a system with which the sensed data could be checked in real time and operated automatically, while preventing the contamination of the sensor, a crucial component for water quality measuring equipment, as much as possible, and increasing the replacement cycle. We have developed a non-cleaning water quality measuring equipment and its software which are used in the fishery household of offshore aqua farms. By providing the workers with a mobile application which has a function of monitoring the water quality in real time, they can check the situation directly without going to the fishery household.

2015년 하계 제주 행원리 일대 양식장주변 해수 중 용존유기물 분포와 기원

Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), dissolved organic phosphate (DOP), and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) were measured in the coastal sea off inland aqua farms in northeastern Jeju Island in summer 2015. The highest concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP were revealed in the surface water off Hado-ri where the lowest salinity conditions prevailed (31.6). The concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP in the surface water were lower in the inner stations (SH1-1, 1-2, and 1-3) near the aqua farms of the Haengwon-ri than in the outer stations. The concentrations of DOC, DON, and DOP negatively correlated with salinity. These results indicate that the contribution of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the aqua farms seems to be not significant. On the other hand, the higher concentrations of DON and DOP in the inner stations of Hado-ri (HD 1-1) seem to be attributed to excrement of migrating birds. The three components of CDOM (T, M, and C peaks) showed no relationship with salinity, perhaps due to various in situ productions by marine organisms and decomposition by ultraviolet radiation. The observed lower C:M ratio, an indicator of terrestrial source, and the higher biological index (BIX) of CDOM in the station off Hado-ri indicate that DOM is produced mainly by biological activity. Based on the higher humification index (HIX) of CDOM and the higher DOC:DON ratio off Haengwon-ri, refractory DOM in the inland aqua farms is likely transported to the coastal sea.

Applicability, Feasibility and Efficacy of Phytotherapy in Aquatic Animal Health Management

The use of chemotherapeutants, antibiotics, and pesticides in aqua farms and non-adherence to scientific management practices have resulted in adverse impact on aquacultural production, serious outbreaks of diseases, development of drug resistance in microbes, and accumulation of antibiotics and pesticide residues in finfish and shellfish and environmental pollution. As a result, a need has been felt by the aquaculturists as well as aquatic animal health management professionals to find a suitable alternative therapy in place of antibiotics and chemotherapy. Phytotherapy has come to be recognized as a handy and viable alternative to chemotherapy, as it is economical, effective, non-resistance forming, renewable, eco-friendly and farmer-friendly. Although the use of medicinal plants is known to humanity since the dawn of human civilization for the treatment and control of human and animal diseases but its importance in combating finfish and shellfish diseases has been realized only recently. The phytotherapy of aquacultural diseases is in its infancy in most part of the world except in China to some extent. However, many important contributions in this field by different workers during the last quarter of the 20th century and early 21st century have shown encouraging results and opened new vistas in phytotherapy of aquatic animals. The present review crtically evaluates the present status of knowledge of phytotherapy in the world combating various aquacultural diseases, identifying the bottlenecks and suggests remedial measures.

Involvement of child labour in aquaculture activities in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh

A study was conducted to know the involvement of child labour in various aquaculture activities in two upazilas namely Trishal and Muktagacha in Mymensingh district. Data were collected during December 2013 to April 2014 from 35 aqua farms having 492 workers, among them 100 (20.33%) were identified as child labour. All the child workers were interviewed through structured questionnaire. Feed preparation, feeding, sorting and grading of fish and rearing of fry in ponds were the major activities where maximum child labours were found to involve. It was observed that the main cause of children to involve such activities was poverty and dropped out from school. Overall 71% child labour worked to support their family and 48% recruited according to their parent’s decision. About 55% child labour worked more than 60 hours per week and few (19%) of them got break during working hours. The child workers had very limited freedom in their working area and found to be abused mentally and physically to some extent by the farm owners. The children were also found associated with various hazardous works like contact with chemical, long time work in water logged area and lifting heavy weight. Generally, the farm owners recruited child labour in their farms as cheap worker and majority (77%) of the farm owners have no idea about the current laws of recruitment of child labour. More studies are needed to establish the extent of child labour in overall aquaculture sector of Bangladesh. It is also important to implement effectively the national minimum age legislation for aquaculture.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.3(3): 433-442, December 2016

Mussel's post-harvest washing sediments consistency over time, and contribution to plant growth and nutrient uptake

One of the main environmental issues associated with the blue mussel processing industry is the production of mussel sediments. However, this waste product can be used as a source of nutrients and soil amendment in agriculture. Sediments collected bi-weekly from the pool of a washing line of Prince Edward Aqua Farms in eastern Canada were analyzed for the consistency of macronutrient contents over time and nutrient availability using a grass and a vegetable crop. During the one-year period, macronutrient contents including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium followed different time-dependent patterns, yet levels remained high and consistent to meet crop needs. For annual ryegrass and tomato, shoot and root productions were increased with applications of mussel sediments, but not at the same extent as with synthetic fertilizers alone or mixture of mussel sediments and synthetic fertilizers. Macronutrients uptake by both test plants followed the same pattern as shoot and root production. Plant biomass production and uptake of macronutrients indicate the significant potential of this waste material in agriculture and demonstrate the feasibility of the application of mussel sediments as a source of nutrients. This is one of the first scientific works with mussel sediments as a source of nutrients and more results are expected with a range of other crops, thereby contributing to a series of studies in this field. The present study is of great importance to the blue mussel processing industry and to agriculture in Prince Edwards Islands because it contributes to the efforts of the industry to look for new and environmentally-friendly methods of refuse management. The study also provides local farmers' with scientific evidences on the nutrient-rich waste products, thereby reducing excessive mineral fertilizer use in conventional agriculture and offering an alternative source of nutrients in organic agriculture with limited access to organic nutrient sources.

Development of a Simple and Innovative Wave Energy Harvester Suitable for Ocean Sensor Network Application

The article represents a new idea about an innovative, simple and cost effective marine energy harvester for powering offshore sensor nodes working as part of Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN). Betterment of these aqua farms by including these into wireless sensor network so that they could be remote controlled from far land, is needed to make this offshore farming more popular. For this step to be done one major concern is the powering process of the sensor nodes used as the key part of sensing or monitoring purpose of the offshore projects. So our study focuses on the design and numerical study of a wave energy harvesting device for supplying uninterrupted electric power to offshore sensor nodes serving as part of ocean environment monitoring network or any marine aquaculture farm. Analysis of the environmental and device sizing factors that makes the efficiency to deviate, have been discussed here. It is a novel, floating type, double chambered wave energy converter that uses the Oscillating Water Column technology for conversion of wave power into electrical power.

Temporal and Spatial Variation in the Abundance of Total and Pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Shellfish in China.

We investigated the abundance of total and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus in shellfish sampled from four provinces in China during May 2013 and March 2014 using the most probable number-polymerase chain reaction (MPN-PCR) method. Total V. parahaemolyticus was detected in 67.7% of 496 samples. A total of 38.1% and 10.1% of samples exceeded 1,000 MPN g-1 and 10,000 MPN g-1, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus densities followed a seasonal and geographical trend, with Guangxi and Sichuan shellfish possessing total V. parahaemolyticus levels that were 100-fold higher than those of the Liaoning and Shandong regions. Moreover, the levels of V. parahaemolyticus were at least 10-fold higher in the summer and autumn than in the cooler seasons. Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus levels were generally lower than total V. parahaemolyticus levels by several log units and tended to be high in samples contaminated with high total V. parahaemolyticus levels. The aqua farms had a lower prevalence but higher abundance of total V. parahaemolyticus compared to retail markets. The catering markets showed the lowest levels of total V. parahaemolyticus, but 20.0% of samples exceeded 1,000 MPN g-1. The levels of both total and pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus in oysters were higher than in clams. The log-transformed abundance of V. parahaemolyticus was significantly correlated with both water temperature and air temperature but not water salinity. These results provide baseline contamination data of V. parahaemolyticus in shellfish in China, which can be applied to local risk assessments to prioritize risk control to key sectors and evaluate the effectiveness of future control measures.

Application of a water-saturated MEPCM-PV for reducing winter chilling damage on aqua farms

In this study, a microencapsulated phase change material (MEPCM) layer was attached to the back of a photovoltaic (PV) panel to form a MEPCM-PV module that floated on the water surface. Subsequently, numerical simulations were used to determine if this PV module could effectively store solar radiation energy at the bottom of the MEPCM layer and release it to the underneath water at night during the winter season. This analysis was based on local winter climatic conditions, such as air temperature, sky temperature, wind speed, solar irradiation, water temperature, and water flow rate. The investigated parameters included the melting point (18 and 17°C) and thickness (5 and 3cm) of the MEPCM. The PV treated with a 5cm/ melting point 17°C MEPCM layer effectively released the energy that was stored during the daytime to the water. This energy release provided a local high temperature area for the aqua farms during cold weather and reduced the cold damage.