A Norway-UK collaboration has helped show how to overcome key challenges in achieving consistent and precise monitoring for fish production and seaweed management in aquaculture.
Through the Biomass using Echosounding and Doppler for Live Aquaculture Monitoring (BEDLAM) project, Norwegian research institute SINTEF Ocean and UK-based underwater technology specialist Sonardyne tested new monitoring methods for fish farming.
Achieving consistent and precise monitoring of aquaculture environments, including fish biomass and behavior and seaweed growth, remains a significant challenge for the industry, with data variability and insufficient resolution hindering decision-making, production optimization and regulatory compliance.
The BEDLAM project showed the use of fixed position seabed landers fitted with Sonardyne's Origin 600 Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADPCs) to improve the accuracy and reliability of biomass and behavioral monitoring, the foundation for optimizing productivity and environmental stewardship in aquaculture operations. More than two months of field trials in Norwegian waters, the ADCP and its echosounder mode were used to capture high-resolution measurements of fish and seaweed growth, as well as measuring currents and waves.
The project was funded by the €10 million program AQUAEXCEL 3.0 Transnational Access Program, an EU Horizon 2020 backed scheme coordinated by the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATiP). It is one of five projects from the five-year program chosen to be presented at the final AQUAEXCEL 3.0 brokerage event, being held at Aquaculture Europe 2025 in Valencia on September 24.
The collaboration demonstrates how the technology can be used to link environmental and biological data, with implications for regulatory adherence, site management, and long-term sustainability planning.
Finn Olav Bjørnson, senior researcher at SINTEF Ocean, stated: “For our part, it has been interesting to follow the project in terms of what can be achieved through dual use of the sensor: Achieving both current and wave measurements while at the same time observing growth and behaviour of the biomass. Also, an instrument mounted on the seabed eases daily maintenance since it can remain in place during operations on the surface.”
The project showed that fixed position deployments reduced measurement inconsistencies over time and provided accurate, repeatable temporal datasets, enabling detailed analysis of growth rates, behavioural changes and environmental influences over complete production cycles. The project was also able to leverage the increased spatial resolution in the Origin 600’s echosounder-mode measurements, enabling precise biomass assessments for stock management and site optimization.
The ADCP's ability to acoustically transmit data to the surface in real-time demonstrated live behavioural monitoring of fish, enhancing the potential to detect stress responses and refine feeding strategies. The data gathered enabled investigation of correlations of environmental parameters, including temperature, current velocity and turbidity, with biological metrics, supporting improved understanding of growth drivers.
Thomas Culverhouse, ADCP manager, mentioned: “Through this collaborative project, we've shown ways to refine aquaculture monitoring methods. Advanced acoustic and environmental profiling create opportunities to better anticipate biological or environmental disruptions, support adaptive husbandry routines, and potentially improve production efficiency. Ongoing advancements may facilitate the integration of monitoring platforms with automated feeding or harvesting systems, contributing to further optimization of resource use and operational practices. Overall, the SINTEF Ocean and Origin 600 collaboration contributes to the evolving toolkit available for aquaculture operations, informing future developments in data-driven, sustainable marine farming.”
