Overview

Model Description

AquaModel provides a real-time, three-dimensional simulation of the growth and metabolic activity of penned fish as well as the associated flow and transformation of nutrients, oxygen, and particulate wastes in adjacent waters and sediments. It runs on Windows personal computers (Windows 7 or later), installs from a single setup program, has drop-down menus and a help menu, and can be operated on different levels of complexity to suit the needs of the user.

AquaModel includes:

- User Options Menu with a variety of control options to adjust farm size, depth, location, fish number and density, initial fish size, feed rate, water temperature, water current descriptions (simulated or real) and other ambient and farm conditions such as dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and plankton biomass.

- Graphical output shown in short time steps that includes options for numerous parameters displayed as vertical profile plots or transect profile figures that update with each time step. The program may be run in normal, record or playback mode.

- Recording of all types of data from specific geographic locations and depths outputted automatically to spreadsheet files. This is particularly valuable to simulate the effects of a proposed project at the edge of a possible sediment or water quality impact and regulatory zone.

Model Architecture

AquaModel consists of several interlinked sub-modules including:

1. Hydrodynamic submodel
2. Fish physiology submodel
3. Benthic submodel

Explore the architecture

Testing & Validation

What we have done to test and validate our model.

Learn more

Upcoming Studies

We are looking for partnerships for additional validation studies in circumstances where adequate monitoring of new or existing fish farms is possible. This could be commercial or larger pilot scale including demonstration projects.