An AI-based tracking system has been a research team that enables early identification and monitoring of the growth rate, population size, mortality, and stress levels in farmed shrimp.
Research Project
After two years of research, scientists and engineers at the Alfred Wegener Institute of the Marine Research Center (AWI), in collaboration with the top German aquaculture business Oceanloop, have launched effective AI technology that can successfully detect and monitor shrimp growth, size, mortality, and signs of animal stress.
This device uses an AI-based computer vision system to count the shrimp and quantify their length with up to 95% accuracy, resulting in the present under actual circumstances (high density, murky water).
Researchers claim that the new AI system mentioned above aids aquaculture businesses in comprehending livestock performance and humane farming practices.
“In aquaculture, mortality can range from 13-26% in salmon and up to 50% in shrimp, which is significantly higher than in livestock species,” said Stephan Ende, the project coordinator for AWI. Therefore, online monitoring is the way to react immediately to indicators of animal stress for aquaculture.
AI system can identify stress in farm-raised shrimp.
In 2022, the initial prototype underwent testing at Oceanloop’s R&D facility in Kiel, Germany. The system comprises a smartphone mounted on the water’s surface that continuously records shrimp photos and sends the information immediately to a server. Utilize computer vision-based techniques to count and measure the length of each shrimp in each image.
Then the data is uploaded to AquaManager® fish farming software, which optimizes feeding and growth patterns based on real-time data, enabling see shrimp stress symptoms. Oceanloop CEO Bert Wecker stated: “The feature above is an early warning system and density evaluation. The accuracy with which we can calculate densities for each size group by this cutting-edge technology boosts survival, growth, and feed efficiency.
According to experts, the new technology satisfies the demands of European shrimp farms that prioritize sustainability and animal welfare standards. The aforementioned artificial intelligence technology represents a significant turning point for the industrial shrimp farming sector in this area. By developing the largest and most sustainable shrimp farm in the world with an annual production of 2000 tons, Oceanloop Company intends to expand the shrimp farming sector in Europe by 2027.
According to Fabian Riedel, co-founder of Oceanloop, there would be a significant reduction in risk if shrimp farms could track the growth and health of animals using live data in real time. Enhancing biomass transparency would also aid in streamlining the value chain from production to processing and consumption.