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Smart Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) farm for Cultivating Crassostrea belcheri oysters
Organization(s):Princess Chulabhorn Science High School Trang
Country:Thailand
Student(s):1. Miss Nakhwan Suren
2.Miss Thawanrat Wongpanich
3.Miss Piyachat Tanchinwong
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Member(s):PACHAREE CHAIPETCH
Contributors:Assistant Professor Dr. Supatcha Chooseangjaew, Lecturer in the Department of Aquaculture and Fishery Products, Faculty of Science and Fisheries Technology.
Report Type(s):Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrates, pH, Salinity, Water Temperature
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Presentation Poster:
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Language(s):English
Date Submitted:2026-01-30
Oyster culture, particularly Crassostrea belcheri, faces challenges in water quality control during the nursing stage due to the high sensitivity of juvenile oysters to fluctuations in temperature, salinity, and pH, as well as the accumulation of nitrogenous wastes. Conventional water management practices are unable to provide continuous monitoring and rapid response to environmental changes.
This study aimed to design and develop a smart recirculating aquaculture system (Smart RAS) integrated with wastewater treatment for oyster culture and to evaluate its efficiency in water quality control and pollutant reduction. The system consisted of culture and filtration tanks incorporating sequential physical, aerobic biological, and anoxic biological treatment processes, using oyster shells as biofilter media. Sensors for temperature, pH, and salinity were integrated with an ESP32 microcontroller, enabling real-time monitoring via the Blynk application.
The results showed that the Smart RAS effectively maintained stable water quality. Water temperature after treatment was 27.5 °C, close to the pre-culture value of 27.3 °C, while pH remained stable within 7.4–7.5. Dissolved oxygen increased from 6.14 to 6.38 ppm after treatment. Nitrite (NO₂⁻) concentration increased to 3 ppm after culture but decreased to 1 ppm after treatment, corresponding to an approximate removal efficiency of 66.7%. The automated monitoring system showed average measurement errors of 0.36 °C (1.23%) for temperature and 0.37 (5.03%) for pH. Oyster growth over 25 days confirmed system suitability, with shell length increasing from 3.723 to 10.061 mm and the combined weight of five oysters increasing from 0.057 to 0.49 g.
In conclusion, the developed Smart RAS is suitable for oyster culture and demonstrates strong engineering potential for wastewater treatment by reducing nitrogen accumulation, maintaining stable water quality, and minimizing effluent discharge to the environment, thereby supporting sustainable aquaculture practices.