SBIR Phase I: The Natural Tag (TNT)

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的重点是在消除残割的同时自动识别个别鱼类。该项目名为TNT(“自然标记”)，旨在利用最新的图像处理/模式识别技术开发一种新的渔业管理工具，其基础是动物，特别是鱼类上的自然标记是独特的，可用于在空间和时间上识别个体。概念验证将证明：1)消除对鱼的切割；2)每美元花费更多的鱼被“标记”，3)每单位时间有更多的鱼被标记，4)为每条鱼存档一套更全面的统计数据，5)减少或消除“标记丢失”，以及6)消除标记读取错误。第一个预期成果实质上解决了与标记重新捕获科学有关的道德标准和行为的长期问题。最后五个项目涉及推进最先进的渔业科学，代表着与地方、州、联邦和国际项目中的鱼类标记研究和商业性水产养殖相关的成本/效益比的立即改善。TNT系统将为渔业管理人员和科学家提供更高水平的生物学上可靠的和统计上合理的数据。在全国范围内，这项技术的预期客户包括商务部的NOAA、国家海洋渔业服务和内政部的美国鱼类和野生动物服务和土地管理局、50个州的鱼类和猎物部门以及许多大学。大约35个国家的组织也是目标客户。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is focused on automating the identification of individual fish while eliminating mutilation. The project, named TNT ("the natural tag"), is directed at developing a new fisheries management tool using the latest image processing/pattern recognition technology, and it is based on the knowledge that natural marks on animals, specifically fish, are unique and can be used to identify individuals over space and time. Proof-of-concept will demonstrate: 1) elimination of fish mutilation 2) larger number of fish 'tagged' per dollar spent, 3) more fish tagged per unit time, 4) a more comprehensive set of statistical data archived for each fish, 5) reduction or elimination of 'tag loss', and 6) elimination of tag reading errors. The first expected outcome substantially addresses the perennial issue of ethical standards and behavior with respect to mark-recapture science. The last five deal with advancing the state-of-the-art of fisheries science and represent immediate improvement of the cost/benefit ratio associated with fish tagging research and commercial aquaculture in local, state, federal and international programs. The TNT system will provide fisheries managers and scientists a higher level of biologically sound and statistically justifiable data.Nationally, expected customers of this technology include Department of Commerce's NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service and Department of Interior's U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management, the Departments of Fish & Game for each of the 50 states as well as many universities. Organizations in approximately 35 foreign countries are target customers also.