England’s Blue Planet Aquarium is going to allow its tanks to be testing sites for what could turn out be the world’s first automated fish health monitoring system.
The system, developed by Lynne Sneddon, an expert on fish pain and the University of Liverpool’s director of bioveterinary science, places in each tank two cameras linked to software that scans fish movements in three dimensions.
Behavior data for healthy fish — already stored in the system — is compared with the comings and goings of the live aquarium fish. If the program spots something about a fish’s behavior that doesn’t match up with good health, aquarium staff are instantly alerted.
“The monitor uses non-invasive behavioral and physiological measurements to allow researchers and animal carers to accurately diagnose whether a fish is in pain or distress and to intervene accordingly,” Sneddon said.
Blue Planet Aquarium, which invited Sneddon to test the monitor, houses about 4,000 species of fish, and officials there expressed excitement about the system.
“This monitor has the potential to revolutionize the care of aquatic life in captive environments worldwide,” said the aquarium’s curator David Wolfenden, “and it will be fascinating to the see the results of its first trial in a public aquarium.”
System trials will begin on Saturday, September 12, the aquarium said.
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