Robotic fish will be released in the port of Gijon in northern Spain in a three-year research project to detect pollution levels.

Each fish costs around $29,000. It is shaped like a carp and is a little over 3-feet long and can swim at a speed of around 1-yard per second, according to a press release from BMT Group Ltd., the company that builds the fish.

If the trial is successful, the researchers will dispatch the fish in rivers, lakes and seas to detect pollution across the world.

The robotic fish will mimic the way real fish swim. They are equipped with chemical sensors to detect potentially-dangerous pollutants in the water, particularly leaks from ships in port and underwater pipelines. They will be able to transfer this information back to the port using Wi-Fi technology.

The fish will swim autonomously, but will have to return to the port about every eight hours to recharge their batteries.