Automated system for intertidal mollusk keeping with tidal cycle imitation

Abstract

The article describes a working prototype of an automated laboratory setup for intertidal mollusk keeping with tidal cycle imitation. The setup currently consists of two groups of five aquariums. At high tide, water is gravity fed into the aquariums from a common water tank; at low tide, water is gravity drained into a common collection tank. Water is transferred between the tanks using a special pump. The control unit consists of a networked Arduino Mega board and two Arduino Nano boards. The Arduino Mega board is responsible for the environmental monitoring systems, data logging, and automatic seawater change, as well as a software-based selfchecking and decision-making system. One of the Arduino Nano boards is responsible for realizing the tidal cycle; the other board is responsible for the remote monitoring and control of the setup via SMS. The results of pilot experiments indicate a significant reduction in labor costs in mollusk keeping. The developed setup can be used to keep a wide range of intertidal animals for studying their biology, assessing the impact of environmental factors, and biotesting, as well as for educational purposes.