The use of computer vision technologies in aquaculture – A review

Computer vision technology is a sophisticated inspection technology that is in common use in various industries. However, it is not as widely used in aquaculture. Application of computer vision technologies in aquaculture, the scope of the present review, is very challenging. The inspected subjects are sensitive, easily stressed and free to move in an environment in which lighting, visibility and stability are generally not controllable, and the sensors must operate underwater or in a wet environment. The review describes the state of the art and the evolution of computer vision in aquaculture, at all stages of production, from hatcheries to harvest. The review is organized according to inspection tasks that are common to almost all production systems: counting, size measurement and mass estimation, gender detection and quality inspection, species and stock identification, and monitoring of welfare and behavior. The objective of the review is to highlight areas of research and development in the field of computer vision which have made some progress, but have not matured into a useful tool. There are many potential applications for this technology in aquaculture which could be useful for improving product quality or production efficiency. There have been quite a few initiatives in this direction, and a tight collaboration between engineers, fish physiologists and ethologists could contribute to the search for, and development of solutions for the benefit of aquaculture.

• The evolution of computer vision in the context of aquaculture is reviewed.
• The technology has to operate under extremely challenging conditions.
• Potential applications could be useful for improving production efficiency.