Help the Tennessee Aquarium create a next generation, universal water quality monitoring system.

In 2012, consumers in the United States spent an estimated $82.6 billion on seafood, making the U.S. one of the top three seafood markets worldwide. Yet the domestic farm value of aquaculture products only approaches $1.3 billion annually. Thus, much of the U.S. demand is supplied by international imports. Consumer demand for fish continues to climb, especially in affluent nations, which in 2014 imported 63% of all fish products. Global consumption of seafood has increased by 21% since 1991. But levels of fish catches in the wild have remained roughly stable since the mid-1990s, close to 90-93 million tons annually; increasing reliance on aquaculture. And it’s not just about seafood; fish is an ingredient in pet food, health supplements, fishmeal and many non-food products manufactured on a global scale. The UN predicts another 2 billion people will join the world’s population within 20 years. Add to this the surge in consumption that is expected as the world’s emerging economies develop and expand, and it is clear that pressure on seafood resources will increase. One of the barriers preventing aquaculture production facilities from helping to reduce dependence on wild caught seafood is the lack of an affordable multi-parameter water quality probe.