Smart Biofloc is an active 2026 R&D track led by nGOT Giants' BioTech research team. It is an ongoing research initiative rather than a completed commercial product. Kickoff: 13 January 2026.
Overview
Smart Biofloc combines aquaculture IoT sensing, spectral AI, and reinforcement learning to monitor microbial conditions and automate carbon-to-nitrogen dosing in biofloc fish farming.
Biofloc systems recycle waste nutrients into microbial biomass that fish can feed on — but they are delicate. Water quality, dissolved oxygen, and the carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio must be kept in a tight band, and small mistakes can collapse a pond. Our track asks whether an edge-first, AI-in-the-loop system can make biofloc farming more stable, productive, and accessible to smallholders.
Research Questions
- Can low-cost IoT sensors and spectral signals reliably estimate microbial and water-quality state in real time?
- Can a reinforcement-learning controller learn safe carbon-to-nitrogen dosing policies that outperform fixed schedules?
- How much of the pipeline can run at the edge, offline, on affordable hardware suited to rural deployment?
Approach
Sensing & Spectral AI
A sensor suite captures dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and turbidity, alongside spectral readings used to infer microbial floc conditions. Lightweight models fuse these signals into a state estimate that the controller can act on.
Reinforcement-Learning Control
A reinforcement-learning agent proposes carbon dosing actions to hold the C:N ratio in a healthy range, with guardrails to keep exploration safe. The goal is a policy that adapts to a specific pond over time rather than a one-size-fits-all schedule.
Why It Matters
Aquaculture is a fast-growing source of protein and livelihoods across Africa. Making biofloc systems easier to run — and resilient without constant expert supervision — could lower the barrier to entry for young founders and smallholders alike.
Smart Biofloc sits at the intersection of BioTech, AIoT, and edge intelligence — exactly the kind of deep-tech, real-world problem nGOT Giants is built to tackle.
