So you’ve just reeled in a nice big rockfish. Congratulations! But how big is it?
Turns out, there’s an app for that.
A new phone app developed by Fishtechy, Inc. will almost instantly measure and weigh your catch – and relay the data to NOAA Fisheries managers so they can use it to keep the rockfish fishery sustainable.
NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Fishtechy, Inc.—a small business that helps anglers accurately measure the size of their catch—to develop the Fishtechy app for commercial and recreational anglers. The app combines AI with cell phone technology to collect real-time data that was not previously available.
Through the app, fishermen will get the size and weight of the fish, while NOAA Fisheries will receive data on federally-managed fish species like rockfish and red snapper. The partnership will also help Fishtechy understand NOAA’s data requirements and maximize data flow, integration, and utility for future users of the app.
“Our partnership with Fishtechy unlocks the potential to collect accurate on-the-water data through citizen scientist fishermen; data that have never before been available,” says Melissa Monk of NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center. “Fishtechy’s user-friendly platform and commitment to enhancing the value of citizen science for fisheries management bring significant value to the partnership.”
Fishtechy’s app measures fish using the Proof Ball, a precisely manufactured ball of known size that AI can use to extrapolate precise measurements. To measure their catch, users position the Proof Ball near the fish, take a picture or video, upload it to the app, and get the fish’s length, girth, and weight within seconds.
The app also logs the catch, location information, and associated environmental parameters, which is important information for species management. The CRADA focuses on vermillion and sunset rockfish, federally-managed species found off the Pacific Coast. The project will be a proof-of-concept to determine the accuracy of lengths collected by fishermen as well as validate species identification.
“Our goal at Fishtechy is to help build the largest distributed fisheries observation network in the world in order to make environmental data available to science organizations on a scale never before possible,” says Lawrence Sowell, Fishtechy CEO. “We are excited to partner with NOAA to help ensure that data collected by anglers can meaningfully support fisheries science and sustainable management.”
NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center aims to expand mutually-beneficial partnerships and explore new technologies and AI capabilities to support sustainable fisheries. That makes Fishtechy an ideal choice for a CRADA partnership. NOAA’s partnership with Fishtechy will make it easier for the parties to share data and collaborate in the future. It also helps to develop NOAA’s AI research portfolio, positioning the agency to better leverage this groundbreaking technology for public benefit.
NOAA regularly partners with private sector companies through CRADAs to conduct research and development work that is mutually beneficial and helps to accomplish NOAA’s mission. NOAA CRADAs are coordinated through NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office.