July 27, 2013 — If a picture is worth a thousand words, get ready for millions of undersea images – brought to you by a handmade, high definition undersea camera.
Alaska Cam Sled is a towed imaging system that takes a lot of high resolution pictures of the bottom of the ocean,” said Gregg Rosenkranz, a state scallop biometrician based in Kodiak.
Rosenkranz and his colleague Rick Shepherd built the cam sled, which lets them experience a live stream of the sea floor while onboard a research vessel. They hail it as a non-invasive way to observe and collect data in real time.
“We found out pretty quickly after we started doing this about six or seven years ago that there is a lot of other stuff down there, for example, a lot of Tanner crabs live in the same areas as scallops do.
“I like to think of it as a really stupid robot that does one job really well, and that is to take high resolution photos,” Rosencranz said, adding: “It’s easier and cheaper than a lot of other ways, because it is towed. You’re not sending divers down there for example, who get tired out.”
The Alaska Cam Sled will be showcased at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sept. 26-28 in Kodiak. www.aaas.org/
Fish cam fast track
Meanwhile, Senator Lisa Murkowski is pressing federal managers for faster action on getting fish cams to monitor catches on small fishing boats.
“With today’s advanced technology, NOAA Fisheries can figure out an electronic monitoring system that works for small fishing businesses,” Murkowski said in a phone interview.
The EMS would replace fishery observers now required on halibut longline vessels during fishing trips.
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