Journal article
Using computer vision to assess changes in ventilation rates of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) following a freshwater bath
Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, Vol.57(2), pp.1-16
04/2026
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
Computer vision is becoming a valuable tool for non‐invasive, continuous monitoring of farmed fish health and welfare, reducing the reliance on manual inspections. Field validation is needed to interpret computer vision outputs and assess their use in aquaculture. Freshwater baths, routinely applied to manage amoebic gill disease (AGD) in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), improve gill health by reducing gill mucus. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a computer vision method could detect treatment‐related changes in ventilation after freshwater treatment. The method detected fish heads and classified mouth states (open or closed) using a convolutional neural network, followed by a tracking‐by‐detection approach to calculate mouth movement durations and estimate ventilation rates. Ventilation rates were calculated from 47 pairs of videos filmed before and after fish were bathed in freshwater at commercial farms in Tasmania, Australia. Additional data on water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels were recorded at the pens. A multiple linear mixed‐effects model was used to analyze associations between these variables. On average, median ventilation rates decreased by 2.56 open‐closed mouth cycles per minute after the baths. Our results contribute to understanding how computer vision could support the assessment of fish responses to freshwater treatment, which is commonly used to manage gill health issues such as AGD.
Details
- Title
- Using computer vision to assess changes in ventilation rates of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) following a freshwater bath
- Creators
- Quynh Le Khanh Vo - Griffith University (Australia, Gold Coast)Kylie A Pitt - Griffith University (Australia, Gold Coast)Bela Stantic - Griffith University (Australia, Gold Coast)Colin Johnston - Tassal Group (Tasmania)Blair Kennedy - Tassal Group (Tasmania)Lukas Folkman - Griffith University (Australia, Gold Coast)
- Publication Details
- Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, Vol.57(2), pp.1-16
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc
- Grant note
- This research was funded by the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre, established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program, grant number CRC20180101. Open access publishing facilitated by Griffith University, as part of the Wiley - Griffith University agreement via the Council of Australasian University Librarians.
- Identifiers
- 991013359626602368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article