Monitoring system for shrimp farming: A case study of CAMASIG S.A.

Abstract

In 2016, Ecuador produced 368,181 tons of shrimp Penaeus vannamei and ex-ported 370,780 tons corresponding to $ 2.58 billion, according to ProEcuador (Institute for Export and Investment Promotion). The shrimp exportation represented 22.76% of the country’s non-oil exports. The Ecuadorian shrimp industry invests in technology focused on improving the production of shrimp and the quality of the postlarvae aiming to avoid falls in production, high mortality rates and disparity in the size of shrimp. However, it is necessary that this industry adopts innovative technologies that allow it to improve the quality and production of its products. In this sense, this work presents a case study where a water monitoring system was implemented in a shrimp culture pond of the CAMASIG S.A. company. This system integrates technologies such as Cloud computing, Arduino-based devices, and mobile applications that allow users to remotely monitor a shrimp culture pond, as well as to receive alerts when an out-of-range water parameter (pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen) is detected. This last module consists of a set of sensors that allows collecting data about the pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen in the water. This system was evaluated to test its effectiveness in terms of the size, weight, and the percentage of survival of the shrimp achieved when the shrimp culture pond is monitored by this system.