Award Data

Coral transplantation is a primary management option for rehabilitation of degraded reefs. Stabilization (via adhesion, etc.) of transplants on existing reef or artificial substrates notably improves their survival rate. Improved underwater adhesives are needed for expedient and convenient stabilization of coral transplants with improved survival rate. A new hybrid organic-inorganic adhesive is pr ...

Passive ocean color remote sensing has revolutionized our ability to quantify the horizontal distribution of phytoplankton across the ocean surface. Lidar (Light Detection And Ranging) technology has the potential to similarly revolutionize our ability to remotely measure the vertical distribution of optical properties and suspended particles in natural waters, significantly improving our predicti ...

In 2017 the CDC estimated 35,000 American got sick from Vibrio parahaemolyticus transmitted by shellfish--a 54% increase. However, according to the co-chair of the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Commission, “Our current system of traceback is inadequate.... Records are lost. Handwriting is illegible. More than half of all traceback investigations fail because the information in the value chain ...

Many people recognize how critical it is to understand our weather, climate, and environment. Educators already use NOAA data and models in working with students and their communities as part of their teaching and outreach. With the exponential growth in data, however, many of them struggle with accessing and managing that data. Evolving data formats and computing requirements make it very challen ...

To address NGA’s requirements, Sonalysts’ team of world-class experts in underwater optical communication proposes development and implementation of the Precision Optical Navigation Transceiver for Undersea Systems (PONTUS). PONTUS will transfer navigation information from an Underwater Navigation Beacon (UNB) to an Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) in an electromagnetic-spectrum-denied (e.g., G ...

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: The objective of this project is to research the technical feasibility of designing a software tool “Permit Wizard” that will automate the process for aquamarine permit application submittal, review, approval/disapproval and issue (including collection of fees). Aquaculture producers are currently faced with slow, complex, and often confusing permitting processes that must ...

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Bottom Feeder will be a highly maneuverable Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), with a tethered operations option and modular sensor bay, to support benthic optical surveys, coral reef mapping and health assessment, and be expandable for future survey operations. It will integrate a low drag hullform, a minimum of four degrees of independent motion control, a highly efficient ...

Signature Research, Inc. (SGR) and Michigan Technological University (MTU) propose a Phase I STTR effort to develop a learning algorithm which exploits the spatio-spectral characteristics inherent within IR imagery and motion imagery.Our archive of modelled and labeled data sets will allow our team to thoroughly capture the variable elements that will drive machine learning performance.The overall ...

Commercial marine aquaculture operators face many operational hazards including disease, predators, husbandry operations, and environmental changes. Most of theses risks are only identified with constant surveillance and physical presence at a farm site. However, human observation of risk factors is expensive, slow, and sometimes ineffective. Sensors are available to monitor individual environment ...

Methane, is the third most prevalent greenhouse gas whose atmosphere concentration is currently over 1.7 ppm. Methane is about 21 times more potent when compared to CO2. Even though its concentration in the atmosphere is more than 200 times lower than carbon dioxide, methane is responsible for 20% of the greenhouse effect. The main natural resources for methane include wetlands, termites and the o ...