A ZigBee Wireless Sensor Network for Monitoring an Aquaculture Recirculating System

A ZigBee wireless sensor network was developed for monitoring an experimental aquaculture recirculating system. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, water and air pressure as well as electric current sensors were included in the setup. The high fish densities required in these systems to become economically viable present a case where sensor networks can be applied to preserve a healthy livestock and to reduce the risk of failures that end up in the loss of production. Modules for reading and transmitting sensor values through a ZigBee wireless network were developed and tested. The modules were installed in an aquaculture recirculating system to transmit sensor values to the network coordinator. A monitoring program was created in order to display and store sensor values and to compare them with reference limits. An alert is emitted in case reference limits have been reached. E-mail and an SMS message alert can also be sent to the cellular phone of the system administrator, so immediate action can be taken. A web interface allows Internet access to the sensor values. The present work demonstrates the applicability of ZigBee wireless sensor network technology to aquaculture recirculating systems.