Co-lead a test of a BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) ability to stop Asian Carp passage at Barkley Lock, Kentucky

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Field implementation of a BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) to limit movement of Asian carp thru a lock chamber. Funding will allow a leading North American expert on BAFFs, and the only known person working on their use in stopping the movement of invasive carp to assist with the assessment of a field deployment in Asian carp infested waters. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to the University of Minnesota without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. Competition for this award is not practical because of the unique qualifications needed to work with a proprietary acoustic signal to deter Asian carp at a large lock and dam structure. The applicant, University of Minnesota - the BAFF lead professor (LP), is uniquely qualified to complete this project given his highly specialized technical and field expertise. This project will test a proprietary acoustic signal and associated bubble curtain deterrent technology that has specifically been analyzed in a laboratory setting by the BAFF LP using Asian carp species. In addition to this recent laboratory work on Asian carp, the BAFF LP has experience with the installation of acoustic deterrent structures/arrays at large river U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock/and Dam structures and has designed the evaluation of acoustic deterrent systems in the Upper Mississippi River Basin for both native and invasive fish species. These experiences and associated technical expertise are unique to the BAFF LP and are essential to the success of this project.

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