In many marine and freshwater broodstcok facilities, fish are tagged so they can be individually handled according to the plans of facility managers. Similarly, in many public or private research organizations working fish reproduction, genetics, pathology, or nutrition, tagged fish are used and tracked individually. Managing data from these activities using non-standard applications such as Excel or Google spreadsheets is far from ideal. Data is complex, multi-dimensional and difficult to track as fish are moved between tanks or pens.
The Cloud-based software service Aquanetix Broodstock , developed with support from the NewTechAqua project, allows users to record all types of events linked to individual fish, such as samplings for weight or length, treatments, transfers between tanks, and more, as well as events linked to the group of fish in a tank, such as water parameters and feedings. The software keeps full traceability of both, groups of fish and individual fish, allowing researchers and broodstcok and hatchery managers to find the clear cause-effect relationship between treatments and performance. Much of the flexibility in the application is due to the possibility for users to define custom sampling types, that can be complex variables with many dimensions (for example the shape of fish, or others such as microsatellite haplotypes or specific treatments). The user can then record these samplings over time and link them of individual fish.
Data can be recorded using automated systems such as water parameter monitoring sensors, input by hand using the Aquanetix mobile app or uploaded easily from standard applications used by the main PIT tagging hardware companies. Analysis can be done using the reporting and BI platform linked to Aquanetix or easily exported into a number of formats for analysis in specialized applications.
Aquanetix Broodstock not only allows users to collect and track data from individual fish but stores it in a standard format that can be retrieved and analyzed against future research trials. The data belongs to the organization and is not lost when researchers or broodstcok managers move on to new positions.
NewTechAqua is a project funded by the European Commission. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme under grant agreement No 862658.