The installation and deployment of smart buoys marks an important step in the implementation of the SATECON Aqua Mariculture Smart Manager technological package. Equipped to continuously monitor key environmental parameters such as water temperature and salinity, the buoys will feed real-time information into a digital monitoring environment accessible from computers and mobile devices.
The technology will help mariculture operators identify potentially harmful environmental changes earlier, react faster and make better-informed operational decisions. Together with underwater sensors, cameras, drone inspections, early-warning functions and digital-twin technology, the smart buoys form part of an integrated solution designed to make mariculture more secure, efficient and resilient to climate change.
Smart technology is now monitoring the sea
A new generation of digital technology has reached the mariculture environment with the installation and deployment of smart buoys under SATECON Activity 3.2.
The buoys are a key component of the SATECON Aqua Mariculture Smart Manager, a technological package designed to give fish farmers something increasingly valuable in a changing climate: timely and reliable information about what is happening in the water.
Climate change is increasing pressure on aquaculture and mariculture production. Heatwaves, prolonged droughts, intense rainfall, floods and storms can rapidly alter marine conditions and create serious risks for farmed organisms and production infrastructure. Changes that are difficult to detect early enough through conventional monitoring can lead to stress, mortality and significant economic losses.
The SATECON smart monitoring system is designed to change that.
From the buoy directly to the farmer
Once deployed, the smart buoys continuously collect information on important environmental parameters, particularly water temperature and salinity.
Instead of relying only on occasional measurements, farmers will be able to follow conditions remotely and in real time through digital interfaces available on computers, tablets and smartphones.
When monitored parameters approach or exceed predefined critical levels, the system is designed to provide an early warning, giving operators valuable time to react. Depending on the situation, this may support decisions such as changing the depth or position of farming installations or introducing other appropriate farm-management measures.
In mariculture, where environmental conditions can change quickly, gaining even a short period of additional response time can make a significant difference.
More than a smart buoy
The deployed buoys form part of a broader integrated technological package.
The SATECON Aqua Mariculture Smart Manager combines environmental monitoring with underwater sensors and cameras whose data can be transferred to an online platform. This will enable remote observation of farming operations and create a much more complete picture of conditions both around and below the water surface.
Underwater drones add another layer of intelligence. They can support inspections of cages and other submerged infrastructure, help detect potential damage, monitor feeding and assist in assessing fish mortality. Regular remote inspections can reduce operational risks while helping prevent incidents such as fish escape.
The system is designed for durability in demanding marine conditions and low maintenance requirements, with routine activities mainly focused on cleaning and sensor calibration.
Creating a digital twin of mariculture operations
One of the most innovative elements of the package is its Digital Twin functionality.
By creating a digital representation of the physical mariculture system and continuously updating it with real-world monitoring data, the Mariculture Smart Manager can provide a virtual environment in which farm conditions can be observed, analysed and better understood.
This connection between the physical farm and its digital counterpart opens new possibilities for smarter planning, risk assessment and data-driven management.
Towards climate-smart mariculture
The deployment of the smart buoys represents more than the installation of new equipment. It is a practical step towards climate-smart, data-driven mariculture.
By combining real-time environmental monitoring, early warnings, remote observation, underwater inspections and digital-twin technology, SATECON is demonstrating how digital solutions can help producers respond to environmental risks before they become production losses.
With the smart buoys now in the water, the SATECON Aqua Mariculture Smart Manager is moving from technological development to real-life application — bringing the sea, its changing conditions and the information needed to manage them directly to the farmer’s screen.
SATECON stands for smart, innovative and sustainable agriculture. It is a 36-month cross-border strategic project co-funded by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A IPA CBC Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro programme, helping small and medium producers in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro adopt market-proven smart farming technologies.