Solar-Powered Field Server and Aerator Development for Lake Palakpakin

Abstract

We have designed, developed and deployed a robust system of sensors in a small and shallow – 1 km diameter and about 7 m deep – inland lake used for aquaculture. The sensor system currently measures and sends out telemetry data on dissolved oxygen, conductivity and temperature in the lake at two depths – 0.5 and 2.5 meters – every 30 minutes. The measurements are sent out via SMS to a central server 80 km away and displayed in near-real time on a website which can be accessed by local fishermen, researchers and other stakeholders. The system also features an aerator, which operates automatically during the evening and early morning 12 hours at a time, and can also be turned on outside this period via missed-call (dropped call) from a cellular phone. This system can aid in decision-making of local fishermen, making it a potentially powerful approach to lake management, and in conjunction with other measures and long term planning, for averting or mitigating fishkill events.