NA24OARX021G0020

Purpose: Tridentis Advanced Marine Vehicles (AMV) will employ its Autonomous Coastal Monitor (ACM) technology and advanced data processing techniques currently being pioneered at the University of Delaware (UD) to address the ecological problem of derelict crab pots, or ghost pots.

A 2016 study (Bilkovic, Slacum, Zaveta, & Jeffrey, 2016) sponsored by NOAA estimated 12-20% of the blue crab traps deployed annually in the Chesapeake Bay are lost, killing more than 3.3 million crabs, or 4.5% of the 2014 harvest.

The study also quantified the positive effect of removal efforts, suggesting that, on average, harvests increased 868 lbs. for each removed pot.

The key opportunity this research will pursue is to dramatically reduce the time and cost of ghost pot identification and location, so that a greater proportion of limited conservation resources may be dedicated to removal.

The research will pursue the use of autonomous surveys of ghost pot hot spots to generate a dataset suitable for processing using UD techniques, with the goal of producing a data product to guide removal team efforts.

Phase I will determine the feasibility of using the ACM to generate a dataset suitable for processing, with subsequent research oriented towards creating a viable data product.

The 2016 Bilkovic study highlighted the high value of ghost pot removal efforts, estimating millions in harvest-based economic gains, besides ecological improvements, in the Chesapeake region alone.

However, crab pots are an ecological and economic issue throughout the U.S., representing a broad and diverse market, with potential expansion of the technology to other types of derelict fishing gear.

AMV has a clear view of the development and commercialization of this technology.

The research will mature selection and integration of the onboard systems, the crafts operating parameters, and the techniques to transmit, process, and report data.

This will guide development of a full-service crab pot search and recovery company.

The customer base includes conservation groups, state and local government agencies, and aquaculture companies.

AMV contemplates conducting fee-based surveys, and a fee for each pot removed.

Because pots are lost each year, there is a sustainable long-term business revenue stream.

Funding may come from grants and other public monies oriented towards conservation, or from companies that will benefit economically from targeted removals, or gain public relations benefits associated with contributing to habitat improvement.

Our solution offers a tremendous financial and environmental benefit to our country while developing an economically feasible business model.

Tridentis Advanced Marine Vehicles

18 CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION 19 WEATHER-READY NATION 20 HEALTHY OCEANS 21 RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES

11.021 - NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [DOC]

Kailua Kona, Hawaii 967405605 United States

Single Zip Code

NOAA SBIR FY 2024 Phase I (NOAA-OAR-TPO-2024-2008184)