Effect of Salt on the Conduction of Electricity in Gels

While robotics have been widely incorporated into the agricultural industry, the burgeoning sector of aquaculture has only recently seen the application of these progressive technologies. One of the most important parameters to aquaculture facilities is the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the ponds as it is directly correlated to stock health. The labs of Bing Ouyang and Paul Wils at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute have combined the technological aspects already seen in agriculture and this essential water quality parameter to create an autonomous monitoring system captained by drones. In this thesis, I examine a method to optimize the part of the drone that lowers the oxygen sensor into the water by replacing wiring with a conductive gel. Specifically, I quantify the role of the salt concentration on the conductivity of two gels, agar and porcine.