AQUAlity is a new EU FP7 research for SME-associations project that will play an important role in the development of more profitable Recirculated Aquaculture Systems (RAS). These systems use minimal water and allow the farms to be sited anywhere, also in urban spaces. The technology of the RAS are not standardised and key components effectively custom built for each development and in addition there is a higher skill level requirement to maintain the farms good husbandry. Expansion of this sector will depend on continued improvements to design and optimisation of both build and operating costs. A key issue is to improve the management and surveillance of the biofilter in RAS. The AQUAlity project intends to address this through the provision of a standardised open platform technology, this will lower the cost for fish farmers by developing a multi-sensor unit to measure water quality parameters. This coupled to an intelligent control system that is automatic and contains built-in knowledge of the farmed species will reduce the skill levels required of the fish farmer operatives.

The project will develop a multi-sensor automated water quality monitoring and control system for continuous use in RAS. The main outputs are:

• -        A new Multi-sensor prototype
  
• -        A Control system prototype
  
• -        Customised ammonia sensor with form factor
  
• -        Database and Training material to improve best practise among fish farmers

The €2.7 million project has been funded under the EU FP7 (EU seventh framework programme) and has a duration of three years.