Behavioral response of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to acute ammonia stress monitored by computer vision.

The behavioral responses of a tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) school to low (0.13 mg/L), moderate (0.79 mg/L) and high (2.65 mg/L) levels of unionized ammonia (UIA) concentration were monitored using a computer vision system. The swimming activity and geometrical parameters such as location of the gravity center and distribution of the fish school were calculated continuously. These behavioral parameters of tilapia school responded sensitively to moderate and high UIA concentration. Under high UIA concentration the fish activity showed a significant increase (P<0.05), exhibiting an avoidance reaction to high ammonia condition, and then decreased gradually. Under moderate and high UIA concentration the school's vertical location had significantly large fluctuation (P<0.05) with the school moving up to the water surface then down to the bottom of the aquarium alternately and tending to crowd together. After several hours' exposure to high UIA level, the school finally stayed at the aquarium bottom. These observations indicate that alterations in fish behavior under acute stress can provide important information useful in predicting the stress.

Prediction and analysis model of temperature and its application to a natural ventilation multi-span plastic greenhouse equipped with insect-proof screen.

The natural ventilation widely used in greenhouses has advantages of saving energy and reducing expense. In order to provide information for climate control of greenhouse, a model was developed to predict the variation of air temperature in the naturally ventilated greenhouse equipped with insect-proof screen. Roof ventilation and combined roof and sidewall ventilation were considered in the model. This model was validated against the results of experiments conducted in the greenhouse when the wind was parallel to the gutters. The model parameters were determined by the least squares method. In the used model, effects of wind speed and window opening height on the air temperature variation were analyzed. Comparison between two types of ventilation showed that there existed a necessary ventilation rate which results in air temperature decrease in natural ventilation under special climatic conditions. In our experiments when wind speed was less than 3.2 ms(-1), wind had a more gradual effect on greenhouse temperature for roof ventilation, compared with combined roof and sidewall ventilation, which had greater air temperature decrease than roof ventilation only.