Cooperative Agreement for affiliated Partner with Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
The U.S. Geological Survey seeks a Chesapeake Watershed partner to automate sonar-based fish detection, counting, and risk assessment at Brandon Road Lock and Dam to help keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes.
Funder: U.S. Geological Survey
Due Dates: December 7, 2026 (Applications, 11:59 PM ET)
Funding Amounts: $1–$180,000 per award for two years; $180,000 total program funding; one award expected
Summary: Supports AI-enabled sonar research to automate fish detection, enumeration, and risk assessment at Brandon Road Lock and Dam for invasive carp prevention.
Key Information: Applicants must be participating partners of the Chesapeake Watershed Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit.
Description
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) offers this cooperative agreement to advance automated interpretation of data from the Live Imaging Sonar Surveillance Array (LISSA) at Brandon Road Lock and Dam. The research supports federal efforts to prevent invasive carp from moving upstream toward the Great Lakes. Continuous sonar surveillance helps evaluate deterrent performance, identify high-risk events, and inform real-time operational decisions.
The project will develop machine-learning and deep-learning models for fish detection, enumeration, size estimation, and movement direction in high-frequency sonar imagery. Expected products include documentation of model performance, workflow design, and baseline behavioral patterns, a technical summary report, and a final peer-reviewed manuscript. The work emphasizes technology transfer, operational use of LISSA, and responsible application of artificial intelligence to invasive-species prevention.
