The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Sub Sea Sonics, LLC $399,168 under the Unallied Science Program cooperative agreement to demonstrate that ropeless fishing can be conducted at a scale representative of typical fishing operations while reducing risks to marine mammals. The work will involve establishing a pathway for large-scale adoption of ropeless fishing among Dungeness crab fishers in California through outreach, equipment provision, training, and at-sea trials. Sub...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Sustainable Seas Technology Inc. a $599,998 two-year Project Grant under the Fisheries Development and Utilization Research and Development Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program (CFDA 11.427). The grant will support testing of subsea buoy retrieval systems in three Southeastern states to provide a detailed performance analysis and economic effectiveness evaluation of ropeless fishing gear configurations. Project partners will test...
This federal Project Grant award of $600,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Fisheries Development and Utilization Research and Development Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program (CFDA 11.427) supports the development and testing of ropeless fishing gear technology. The funding enables the prime awardee, Blue Planet Strategies LLC, to test acoustic trigger systems that allow lobster fishermen to raise traps from the seafloor without the use of...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $246,458 cooperative agreement to Smelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. The award will support advancing ropeless/on-demand fishing technology in the Gulf of Maine under NOAA's Unallied Science Program (CFDA 11.472). This program provides grants and cooperative agreements for biological, socio-economic and physical science research on U.S. fishery and protected resources...
This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Unallied Science Program (CFDA 11.472) provides $228,304 to Liftlabs, Inc. to improve the reliability, longevity, and ease of use of the Lobster Lifts ropeless gear system. The project aims to enhance system performance, maintain cost-effectiveness, and encourage market acceptance through engineering upgrades following extensive beta testing with fishers over nine months and direct...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded an $860,000 cooperative agreement to the Innerspace Exploration Team from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024 under the Marine Debris Program (CFDA 11.999). The purpose of this project is to successfully remove derelict fishing gear in Sequim and Discovery Bays, Washington while engaging the local community in identification and removal activities and creating sustained education and prevention efforts in the broader community. Key...
This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Unallied Science Program (CFDA 11.472) will evaluate the efficacy of longline-configured crab gear compared to conventional single-pot gear. The $245,752 project, awarded to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and running from April 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026, will examine and test longline configurations for both larger-sized (>15 m) and smaller-sized fishing vessels....
Crab Raft Inc. received a $399,828 Project Grant award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Small Business Innovation Research Program to develop ropeless gear for commercial lobster/crabbing and other fishing industries. The two-year award runs from February 1, 2021 through January 31, 2023 and will support the manufacture of ropeless technology that eliminates vertical lines in fishing operations. The NOAA SBIR Program seeks to stimulate technological innovation...
This Cooperative Agreement award of $433,648 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will support the development and testing of ropeless lift-bag technology to reduce marine mammal entanglements in commercial and recreational fixed gear fishing operations. Working under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act, the award recipient Smelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society will partner with fishermen to conduct trials marking fishing gear and...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $543,846 Project Grant to the Smelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society under the Fisheries Development and Utilization Research and Development Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program (CFDA 11.427). The grant will fund Smelts to develop and deliver ropeless lobster fishing gear to three fishermen, one in Maine and two in Massachusetts, between December 2022 and October 2024. Specifically, Smelts will outfit the...