Shrimp

Vietnam benefits from Australian monitoring technology system

Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, helps local shrimp farmers to access real-time data and forecasts.

AquaWatch HydraSpectra unit installed on a shrimp farm in Hai Phong.

AquaWatch HydraSpectra unit installed on a shrimp farm in Hai Phong.

The new water quality monitoring system launched by Australia’s national science agency (CSIRO), AquaWatch, will allow shrimp farmers in Hai Phong, Vietnam to access real-time data and forecasts.

AquaWatch works by combining satellite imagery and in-water sensors, and it anticipates water quality issues that can cause significant losses to producers. This is the first time this type of tool has been used in Vietnam to protect shrimp stocks by improving water management practices.

AquaWatch Australia Lead, Dr Alex Held, explained: “This system helps farmers anticipate challenges such as algal blooms and nutrient imbalances. It picks up on slight changes in watercolor, which can signal water quality problems like algal blooms, excess sediment, and runoff contamination.”

Additionally, CSIRO AquaWatch scientist, Dr Duy Nguyen, said: “With regular updates and water quality forecasts, shrimp farmers can better manage feeding schedules, adjust water exchanges, maintain water quality parameters within ideal ranges, and respond to extreme events like algal blooms.”

This project also involved collaboration with Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, and the Vietnam National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (NAWAPI).

Australia, Chile, and Malaysia have already enjoyed the benefits of AquaWatch

In 2023, CSIRO successfully concluded initial trials of AquaWatch in the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, a region crucial to the nation’s seafood production.

In collaboration with SmartSat CRC and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the Spencer Gulf test site represented the first successful implementation of this technology in Australia.

AquaWatch has already been used in other areas of Chile, Malaysia, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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