idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
From September 23 to 25, 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT will be presenting a system for intelligent acoustic monitoring of technical systems in aquaculture farms at Aquaculture Europe 2025 in Valencia, Spain. The aim is to enable these farms to operate more sustainably and efficiently while improving animal welfare.
There are an estimated tens of thousands of aquaculture farms worldwide, producing over 130 million tons of fish annually. Inefficient feeding and technical failures cause considerable environmental pollution and economic losses. Intelligent acoustic system monitoring can make a decisive contribution to increasing efficiency, particularly in recirculating aquaculture systems, net cage systems, and large fish farms.
+++ Prevent pump failures by acoustic monitoring of technical systems +++
Underwater microphones, known as hydrophones, are used to record the flow sound of water pumps and ventilation systems in real time directly in the fish ponds. The sound is analyzed using intelligent signal processing and machine learning algorithms and automatically compared with predefined target values.
If the acoustic patterns deviate from the expected signals, for example, due to clogged pipes, defective pumps, or changed operating conditions, the system can provide early warning of possible malfunctions. This not only prevents impairments or even losses in fish farming due to damage to the pump systems but also increases the reliability and efficiency of the technical infrastructure.
"Anyone who operates a large fish farm knows how important properly functioning pumps and ventilation systems are for daily operations. Our acoustic monitoring provides greater security here: malfunctions can be heard early on, are reliably detected, and measures can be taken immediately. This saves expensive repair costs. And most importantly, our acoustic monitoring ensures that the systems run reliably, thus ensuring the well-being of the animals in the breeding facilities," explains Jakob Bergner, project manager at Fraunhofer IDMT.
In addition to monitoring pump systems, it also offers the potential for tracking the behavior and health of the fish. To do this, the sounds made by the animals can be recorded and evaluated using artificial intelligence.
+++ Improving fish health +++
Acoustic analysis in aquaculture tanks provides not only system parameters but also information on feeding activity, stress levels, and possible diseases in the fish. For example, the sucking and swallowing sounds during feeding can be used to draw conclusions about the behavior of the animals – without the use of additional camera technology or intervention in the aquaculture facilities. The fin movements and water movements can also be used to determine whether the fish in the aquaculture facilities are calm and relaxed or rather stressed.
The analysis of acoustic data from fish offers an important lever for optimizing feeding: excessive feeding in net pens (mariculture) leads to environmental pollution, as excess feed releases nutrients into the water and deteriorates water quality. Targeted acoustic monitoring and adjustment of feeding processes can also save many tons of feed annually. This reduces costs and environmental impact while helping to prevent diseases caused by overfeeding. “With our acoustic monitoring system, we are making an important contribution to more efficient fish farming and sustainable aquaculture,” emphasizes Jakob Bergner.
+++ Live demonstrator at the joint Fraunhofer booth +++
Visitors can experience the technology firsthand at booth 173, “Aquaculture@Fraunhofer”. Using an interactive demonstrator, researchers from Fraunhofer IDMT will show how technical malfunctions in pumps and aeration systems can be detected acoustically in real time.
Jakob Bergner jakob.bergner@idmt.fraunhofer.de
https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/en/institute/projects-products/projects/acoustic-... - Research Topic: Acoustic monitoring of underwater sounds to optimize aquaculture systems
In the future, underwater pumps will be reliably monitored acoustically using hydrophones and evalua ...
Copyright: Fraunhofer IDMT
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