Transforming fish health management with AI-driven biomarker analysis
The biomarker analysis undertaken by WellFish Tech represents a breakthrough in the aquaculture industry, addressing a pressing need for real-time health assessments.
By Dr Josip Barišić
Blood biomarkers – substances in blood that indicate physiological states – are commonly used in human medicine to monitor everything from organ function to disease presence. In fish farming, these biomarkers can similarly reveal stress, nutritional imbalances as well as disease status. However, interpreting this data accurately and rapidly poses a challenge. This is where models driven by AI (artificial intelligence) step in by transforming multidimensional raw data into actionable insights, ultimately supporting fish welfare, productivity and sustainability.
As in human health applications, the AI models being developed at WellFish Tech analyse complex patterns in blood biomarker data to produce meaningful interpretations. By training AI models on big datasets we can identify trends and anomalies with a high level of precision similar to that used in human medicine for the detection of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Our models are currently being trained to detect the early indications of stress, infection and malnutrition in fish, helping fish farmers to react quickly to prevent any health issues becoming unmanageable.
At the core of WellFish Tech’s approach is an advanced AI platform. The analytical process examines multiple biomarkers – such as chloride, albumin, zinc, and lactate – individually and in combination, providing unique insights into the fish’s physiological state. For example, raised lactate, combined with a change in chloride, might indicate a response to stress or impending illness. The AI model contextualises such changes which assists farmers in their daily stock management decisions.
The application of AI in health monitoring also brings significant operational benefits. Whilst traditional diagnostic techniques remain in use as health monitoring tools, the results, which sometimes take a week to materialise, require manual collation and interpretation. This can be both resource-heavy and value-light, not just because samples must be acquired lethally, but also due to the missed opportunities that the application of AI affords. With an AI-powered approach, WellFish Tech provides a highly responsive streamlined service that delivers actionable insights -quickly.
All of this underscores the potential of AI to redefine fish health and welfare by making precision health data accessible and actionable to assist fish farmers in making informed decisions that are aligned with both economic goals and animal welfare principles.
In the future, WellFish Tech aims to expand its platform’s predictive capabilities, integrating even more biomarkers and refining its models for specific aquaculture environments. As fish farming continues to grow to meet global food demands, innovative solutions like WellFish Tech’s AI-powered biomarker analysis will play an essential role in supporting healthy, resilient fish populations and advancing the aquaculture industry.
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