Project summary purpose in response to the U.S. Food and drug administration model ordinance under the national shellfish sanitation plan, we propose a smart deterrent system to mitigate bird roosting…

Project summary purpose in response to the U.S. Food and drug administration model ordinance under the national shellfish sanitation plan, we propose a smart deterrent system to mitigate bird roosting impacts on oyster aquaculture, specifically targeting surface oyster farms. This initiative integrates a camera-based roosting bird detector, a flexible deterrent delivery system, an intelligent learning system, and an advisory service, aiming to develop a commercially viable and environmentally friendly solution that adheres to regulations without overburdening farmers. 1 this project's purpose is to address the challenges posed by bird droppings in oyster aquaculture through developing a smart, cost-effective deterrent system. This system is designed to be adaptive and sensitive to farm-specific and species-specific conditions, promoting sustainable aquaculture practices while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. 1 a rendering of the integrated avian deterrence system. This includes the use of existing technology: cameras, a deployed sonic-net, the use of a semi-autonomous unmanned boat, and an artificial intelligent bird behavior model to detect and dispatch deterrence strategies. Activities to be performed year 1: system development and initial deployment construction of the smart deterrent system, including the roosting bird detector and the flexible delivery mechanism. Installation of the system in several surface oyster farms for preliminary testing, focusing on sonic net deterrents and a water spray mechanism. Introduction of a semi-autonomous unmanned boat as a mobile delivery mechanism for further evaluation. Year 2: optimization, evaluation, and advisory service implementation optimization of the deterrent system based on initial feedback, incorporating the intelligent learning system for adaptive deterrent deployment. Development of an evaluative framework to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies in conjunction with environmental factors and operational practices of the farms. Establishment of an advisory service and community board to partner farmers with experts for system calibration and selection of suitable deterrents. Expected outcomes this project is expected to yield a scalable and effective deterrent system that reduces the incidence of bird droppings in oyster farms, thus enhancing water quality and shellfish health. By providing a commercially viable solution that compares favorably with the cost of standard farming equipment, we aim to support the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry. Intended beneficiaries aquaculture farmers: operators of surface oyster farms will benefit directly from access to innovative bird deterrent technologies, improving their environmental management capabilities. The wider aquaculture industry: adoption of this smart deterrent system will promote more efficient, productive, and sustainable aquaculture practices. Environmental researchers and policymakers: the project will provide valuable insights into effective wildlife management strategies, supporting evidence-based policymaking for sustainable aquaculture development. Subrecipient activities virginia institute of marine science vims will play a crucial role in data collection and analysis, particularly through the commercial shellfish aquaculture lab, which will provide specialized knowledge in shellfish aquaculture practices and environmental interactions. Old dominion university the office of enterprise research and innovation will contribute to technology development, artificial intelligent training, focusing on the integration of autonomous systems and image recognition technologies for bird deterrent applications. William and mary the institute for integrative conservation at william & mary is contributing avian ecology subject matter expertise. The institute will contribute consultation on establishing the requirements for the sonic-net and help EST