Project No.: 94-01
Title: Application of Defense Technologies to the Fisheries
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Award/Amount: Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Grant
Grant Number: III-9360489
Award Dates: Mar 94 through Nov 94
Summary: SciFish designed a broadband fish identification system. Preliminary experiments using wideband sonar data from freshwater fishes were used to confirm that broadband sonar provided adequate species classification performance.

Project No.: 95-01
Title: Application of Defense Technologies to the Fisheries - Bridge Grant
Funding Agency: Alaska Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF)
Award/Amount: Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Bridge Grant
Grant Number: 94-4-121R
Award Dates: Jan 94 through Oct 96
Summary: A broadband fish identification system prototype was built and tested in both freshwater and marine environments. System performance was evaluated, demonstrating in excess of 75% correct identification to species for both environments for both free-swimming and tethered fishes.

Project No.: 95-02
Title: Fish Forecasting with Neural Networks
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Award/Amount: Phase I Small Business Innovation Research
Grant Number: DMI-9461197
Award Dates: Jan 95 through Dec 95
Summary: A new forecasting methodology was developed that incorporated nonlinear neural network modeling to fish return forecasting. Hindcasting evaluation demonstrated at least a 10% improvement over existing forecast techniques for Bristol Bay sockeye. A forecast for the 1995 Bristol Bay sockeye return was presented to members of the fishing industry.

Project No.: 95-03
Title: Fisheries Management Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Award/Amount: Phase I Small Business Innovation Research
Grant Number: DMI-9460932
Award Dates: Jan 95 through Dec 95
Summary: GIS technology was evaluated for application to fisheries management. Fisheries and oceanographic data was collected from several public sources and placed within GRASS, a public-domain GIS. Presentations to fisheries managers and commercial fishermen revealed little market interest by managers and high interest by fishermen. As a result, a Windows-based software product, entitled Fisherman’s Associate, was designed for use by commercial fishermen.

Project No.: 95-04
Title: Broadband Sonar Bottomfish Identification - Phase I
Funding Agency: Department of Commerce/NOAA
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research
Contract Number: 50-DKNA-5-00096
Award Dates: June 95 through Mar 96
Summary: SciFish’s broadband fish identification system was applied to species, size, and abundance of fishes in and near the bottom boundary layer. Data collected from tethered fish from the marine environment were used in performance evaluation studies. At least 75% correct species identification was achieved. Bottom echoes were shown to be easily separable from fish as well. An exhaustive evaluation plan was prepared to fully exercise the existing broadband fish identification system for bottom fishes of the North Pacific.

Project No.: 96-01
Title: Neural Acoustic Temperature Profiler
Funding Agency: Department of Defense/NCCOSC RDT&E DIV
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research
Contract Number: N66001-96-C-70066
Award Dates: June 96 through Feb 97
Summary: The combination of broadband backscatter and neural networks was applied to the estimation of temperature profiles in a water column. Preliminary results during Phase I demonstrated one-half degree Celsius accuracy during Spring and Winter in the Prince William Sound. A prototype system has been designed for exhaustive performance characterization.

Project No.: 96-02
Title: Neural Network Fish Forecasting
Funding Agency: Alaska Science and Technology Foundation
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Bridge Grant
Grant Number: 95-3-013R
Award Dates: Jan 96 through Nov 96
Summary: Forecasts of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay were continued. Emphasis was placed on developing a better understanding of the neural network modeling process. New approaches to forecasting using the reduced data sets available for forecasting were explored. Both 1996 and 1997 Bristol Bay sockeye forecasts were produced.

Project No.: 96-03
Title: Fisherman’s Associate Prototype
Funding Agency: Alaska Science and Technology Foundation
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Bridge Grant
Grant Number: 95-3-014R
Award Dates: Jan 96 through Nov 96
Summary: Using the results from the NSF Phase I SBIR (Fisheries Management GIS), a windows-based software product was produced and beta-tested with commercial fishermen. A marketing strategy was refined and invoked. Modifications were made to the product based on the beta-tester’s feedback. Product was released in January 97.

Project No.: 96-04
Title: Broadband Freshwater Fish Identification
Funding Agency: National Biological Service
Type of Award: Work Order
Order Number: 84080-6-0584
Award Dates: Jun 96 through Sep 96
Summary: SciFish’s broadband sonar system was used to collect both tethered and free-swimming data from Great Lakes fishes. Classification performance was evaluated. Future system design considerations were documented. Paper presentations reporting the results of this work are underway.

Project No.: 96-05
Title: Application of Defense Technologies to the Fisheries - Phase II
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Project
Grant Number: DMI-9503656
Award Dates: Jul 96 through Jun 98
Summary: The next generation of the broadband fish identification sonar system is being constructed under this grant. The new system will have double the range and three times the beam width. In addition, the ability to estimate individual fish target strength will be included. Additional processing of mid-water bladder-bearing fish is also included in this study. The resulting system and analyses will act as the stepping stone to the commercial system.

Project No.: 96-06
Title: Fisheries Geographic Information Systems - Phase II
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Project
Grant Number: DMI-9503617
Award Dates: Aug 96 through Jul 98
Summary: The continued development of Fisherman’s Associate is being funded under this grant. The integration of remotely sensed data, the incorporation of automatic model generation, and the continued forecasting of salmon returns are all included under this effort.

Project No.: 96-07
Title: Automated Broadband Identification of Bottom Fish - Phase II
Funding Agency: Department of Commerce/NOAA
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Project
Contract Number: 50-DKNA-6-90140
Award Dates: Sep 96 through Aug 98
Summary: The exhaustive characterization of SciFish’s existing broadband sonar fish identification system is funded under this contract. Automation of many of the processing functions, as well as detailed performance evaluation are included in this effort. A formal strategy for identifying fish in the dead zone is of specific interest to this project as well.

Project No.: 97-01
Title: Long Range Tuna Detection
Funding Agency: Department of Commerce/NOAA/NMFS
Type of Award: Saltonstall-Kennedy
Grant Number: NA77FDO044
Award Dates: Apr 97 through Sep 97
Summary: A long range fish school detection system will be designed under this grant. A sonar array approach to detecting, and potentially identifying, fish schools at a range of 15 miles has been theoretically demonstrated. SciFish will design a system that can be built and tested in a marine environment. Coordination with the ETP tuna fleet is included as a part of this effort.

Project No.: 97-02
Title: Acoustic Velocity Profiler
Funding Agency: Department of Defense/NUWC
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Project
Contract Number: N66604-7273-13C8
Award Dates: Nov 97 through May 98
Summary: Simulations of the acoustic temperature profiling approach using broadband sonar will be developed. A new set of field experiments will be conducted and compared against the theoretical results. A system design will be produced using the results of these experiments and the intended deployment requirements provided by the U.S. Navy.

Project No.: 97-03
Title: Observer’s Associate
Funding Agency: National Science Foundation
Type of Award: Small Business Innovation Research Project
Grant Number: DMI-9760399
Award Dates: Jan 98 through Jun 98
Summary: A machine vision system has been designed to automatically identify and measure fish as they are brought on board a commercial fishing vessel. Initial simulations demonstrating the image classification have been conducted. The resulting system is intended to reduce the work-load on the current observer at sea, as well as improve the coverage and accuracy of fish catch reporting.

Project No.: 97-04
Title: MTPE-Derived Data Products for the Fisheries
Funding Agency: NASA
Type of Award: Cooperative Agreement Notice
Contract Number: N66604-7273-13C8
Award Dates: Feb 98 through Jan 2002
Summary: Define and develop remotely sensed data products for the fisheries using NASA’s current and near-future data streams. The resulting products will be distributed through Fisherman’s Associate.