MARCO PIETERSE

MANAGING PARTNER BLUELEG MONITOR

GFIA

Abu Dhabi, February 2014

Combined Satellite & Ground Level Monitoring of Aquaculture Crops

BlueLeg Monitor BV in short

• JV between Water Insight Founders and the Bluetech Diamond Fund

• Started October 2012, exclusive license on Water Insight products

• Water Insight established in 2005 by Dr. Peters and Dr.Laanen,

• Spin off of Free University Amsterdam: long and deep experience in water remote sensing

• “Bridging the gap”: scientific development ↔ operational application of water remote sensing

• 10 full time staff, remote sensing experts

• Ambition to grow to an international market leader in optical water quality monitoring services for aquaculture

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Client list

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Contents of the presentation

• Scope of the algae bloom risk problem

• Consequences

• Satellite and on the ground monitoring technology

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Scope of the algal bloom problem

• Need for professional and constant risk monitoring to track, understand and forecast occurrence

• Need for early warning system to apply remediation options

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Increasing eutrophication in water

Global climate change

Ship ballast water transports algae worldwide

Higher probability of Hazardous Algal Blooms

New hazardous species

Larger fish farms at non-traditional locations

Larger financial consequences of blooms

Where are HABs occurring?

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• Close to eutrophication sources

• Close to the coast

• Sometimes at higher temperature locations

• vicinity of aquaculture operations? (feed / excretion)

• Deep nutrient rich water upwelling (e.g. West of South Africa)

Some cases in damage in aquaculture by HABs

Location Year amount

Chile 2009 25 million US$

USA, North Puget Sound

2007 2 million US$

South Korea 1995 95 million US$

Portugal 2012 NA yet

Guangdong/Hong Kong 1998 40 million US$ (Tang, 2003)

US total on average Per year 40 million US$ /year (Hudnell, 2008)

South China sea 8 million US$ / year (Qi , 2001)

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Basic elements of conventional HAB monitoring

• Environmental observation (on the spot water sampling)

• Temperature monitoring, wind speed and direction, light attenuation (turbidity)

• Sampling of water, shellfish or fish • Analysis of the samples: identification of algae,

quantification • Evaluation of results and action plans / mitigation

measures

Disadvantages: • Slow : can takes few days (algae counting and

identification) • Covers only direct vicinity of the sampling location • inaccurate, calibration difficulties, bio-fouling

(fluorimeter)

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Satellite data

• Rich source of information on water

• Extracted by algorithms, that “calculate” information from satellite data

• Application of biological, physical, mathematical, ICT and remote sensing know how

• Dependent on satellite passage frequency and whether or not operating

• Cloud cover can obstruct measurements

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Reporting on Chlorophyll for the largest Dutch Mussels farm

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Strong points of optical measurements

• No water contact

• From any platform (hand, buoy, boat, airplane, satellite, ISS) and inter-changeable

• Measurements : digital physical quantity (never looses value)

• Information translated into relevant indicators

• Large archives of historic satellite data available

• Techniques for interpretation well understood

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The WISP measures in real time, with instant display:

• chlorophyll-a

• several species of algae Phaeocystis, Karenia micimotoii, cyanobacteria, some dinoflagellates/red tides, any species that causes a specific discoloration

• CDOM (colored dissolved organic matter),

• water transparency (Secchi) and

• total suspended matter

Consecutive processing via WISP-web into tailor made reports,

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BlueLeg Monitor integrated risk monitoring products

1. BlueRisc Monitor©: Regional historical analysis of water quality (2003-2012)

2. Continuous satellite monitoring and reporting

3. Real time handheld WISP monitoring on the site by fish farm management

4. Integrated reporting on HAB development and forecasts

5. 24/7 helpline for analytical assistance

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The BlueRisc Monitor©: HAB historical risk analysis

• Based on over 10 years of stored satellite

based water quality monitoring data

• Proprietary algorithms for calculation of information from data

• Chlorophyll registration as a proxy for HAB risk

• Global coverage, any place at sea

• Application possibilities:

– Risk evaluation, insurance acceptance, premium determination

– Aquaculture farm risk management and remedy preparation

– Aquaculture investment planning

– Regional planning for aquaculture activities by governments

– Forensic (in loss adjustment)

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Dynamic processes that we can measure over time

• eutrophication

• transparency changes

• onset and duration of blooms

• nearness of blooms

• (changes in) background concentrations of algae, typical periods of blooms, typical periods with high or low transparency

• direction of movement of blooms

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WISP- web: automated report generation and benchmarking

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Some remediation options in case of early HAB warning

• Increasing dissolved oxygen by aeration using

pumps or motorboats, bottled or compressed

oxygen;

• Towing cages away from HABs;

• Using tarps (perimeter skirts)to create a barrier

between fish pens and the HABs.

• Treatment with low concentration chemical

substances (being tested currently)

Reduce insurance costs/risks by monitoring and standard early warning

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Clay dispersal in Yokjido, Korea to control Cochlodinium bloom in 2008

BlueLeg Monitor Information products

• Daily/weekly bulletins

• Reports / maps / atlasses

• Movies with HAB development in time

• Probabilities per location (based on appr. 10 years of satellite data) + 20 years of currently foreseen satellite systems

• Support and instrumentation for in-situ inspection

• Forensic services & consultancy

Scalable architecture systems for data archiving, processing and interpretation

Any worldwide location / time period between 2003 and 2011

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Why work with BlueLeg Monitor

• Firmly research based 20+ years of experience

• Methods validated and approved by the Dutch government

• Information products tailored to aquaculture requirements

• Development and testing of products in e.g. FP7 projects with many international partners

• Strong links with the Institute for Environmental Studies (Free University Amsterdam) quality control, risk assessment and insurance applications

• Experience in many different water types and locations (inland waters, coastal waters and open sea).

• Established customers

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