2009 ECE Senior Design Team 4 Michigan State University

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Michigan State University College of Engineering

ECE 480 Senior Design

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Autonomous Robotic-Fish Based Sensor to Detect Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

With the environment constantly changing due to human abuse of the planet, scientists are currently faced with the challenge of coming up with new and more effective methods of understanding/predicting an ecosystem’s response to global change.  One of the more severe concerns of the planet is the aquatic ecosystems.  As a result of different contaminants and toxins already disturbing our water, proper functionality of ecosystems and human welfare are dangerously at risk.  More specifically, the abundance of harmful algal blooms (HABs) is becoming a more critical issue.  In freshwater, HABs are caused by cyanobacteria producing potent toxins.  These toxins can negatively impact water supplies and accumulate in fish. The purpose of this project is to create an autonomous robotic fish that is capable of detecting harmful algae blooms in diverse aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, this specific research should hopefully be able to open the door for better ways of monitoring the various water bodies of the Earth, and in the future, better ways of understanding ecosystem behavior.