"Scifish" Technology To Protect Alaska's Fisheries And Promote Susta...( found effect on the state ofAlaska bu...)

Using technology first developed in the defense industry, SciFish has also created a prototype sonar device capable of identifying individual species of fish. This capability will become an integral part of the Fisherman's Associate 2.0; it will allow commercial fishers to identify fish before they pull them out of the ocean.

"We have moved beyond using a single frequency sonar to using a broadband system that emits a greater range of frequencies which, in turn, gives us more information about individual fish," said Simpson. The difference between the two types of sonar is like the difference between color and black and white versions of the same photograph of flowers. They both show you the tulips, but only the color picture can tell you which ones are red.

The success of Simpson's company has spawned a new interest in bringing other high-tech industries to Alaska. Simpson co-founded the Alaska High-Tech Business Council to help establish Alaska as a place where high-tech businesses can thrive. The council strives for Alaska to become less economically dependent on natural resources.

Building on the success of Fisherman's Associate, SciFish has been busy working on another NSF SBIR grant for work to benefit the fishing industry. This one for Observer's Associate, software designed to improve the ability of inspectors to monitor fishing catches.

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Contact: Greg Lester
glester@nsf.gov
703-306-1070
National Science Foundation
6-Jul-1998