NSF Convergence Accelerator Track E: Empowering Stakeholders from Ship to Store--Solving Fishery Management Challenges with Use-Inspired Genomic and Artificial Intelligence Tools

Title: NSF Convergence Accelerator Track E: Empowering stakeholders from ship to store-- solving fishery management challenges with use-inspired genomic and artificial intelligence tools

The seafood sector is playing a rapidly expanding role in global food security. However, in the last 30-years the proportion of global fish stocks experiencing sustainable levels of harvest has dropped from 90% to 66%. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is a major roadblock to sustainable seafood harvest.

In particular, effectively monitoring fisheries practices and enforcing existing regulations hinges on the ability to accurately identify species, but many species share similar morphological characteristics and can be difficult to distinguish. The focus of this Convergence Accelerator project is to harness the power of genomics to develop low-cost, rapid, field-deployable species identification test kits that can be implemented throughout seafood supply chains to genetically verify seafood products that are difficult to visually identify, including whole fish, fillets, and fins.

These genetic identification test kits will be integrated with cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities via a smartphone app to drastically increase the speed and accuracy of testing and enable real-time monitoring of fisheries production. To ensure widespread implementation and use-inspired design focused on practical applications, the research team comprises a network of end users representing federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private industry to test prototypes, provide feedback for improvement, and integrate tools into fisheries and seafood sectors.

The research team will also work alongside organizations to promote sustainably sourced seafood by providing a simple method to label and market catch, thus empowering local communities and small-scale fisheries to better compete in the marketplace. Additionally, to engage the public in sustainable seafood practices, high school and undergraduate students will be directly involved in developing and testing genomic and artificial intelligence tools.

Further, self-contained teaching and laboratory modules will be developed and made broadly available to teachers, specifically targeting schools in underserved and fishing communities. The simplicity of the genomic test kits and smartphone app integration will make information on fisheries practices and seafood supply chains accessible to the general public, equipping consumers to make informed decisions about seafood consumption.

These public education efforts will be furthered by collaborations with prominent U.S. aquariums for educational outreach in dedicated exhibitions.

The ability to confidently identify species is of fundamental importance to the study of biology. However, confirming species identity in organisms with conserved morphologies, or in specimens where diagnostic morphological features have been removed, often requires specialized equipment and expertise. This not only complicates biological and ecological studies but also creates major roadblocks for the sustainable use of natural resources.

Difficulty distinguishing species is a particular problem in fisheries management, where accurate species identification is crucial to quantify and monitor levels of harvest, identify illegal harvest, and determine and monitor species’ conservation status. In particular, accurate determination of species identity is central to implementing effective strategies to counteract illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices and tracing seafood products throughout complex seafood supply chains to enforce regulations.

This Convergence Accelerator project combines cutting-edge genomics (the CRISPR-Cas13a Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing system) and artificial intelligence capabilities to develop low-cost, rapid, field-deployable species identification tools. During Phase I of this project, the research team will prototype CRISPR-Cas13a assays paired with a visual and contextual artificial intelligence smartphone app for three species pairs to develop an efficient workflow for tool design and implementation.

This combined technology has the potential for widespread application, for example, in seafood supply chains where the species identity of seafood products is difficult to visually determine, including for whole fish, fillets, and fins. Concurrently, the research team will establish a multidisciplinary network of partnerships and end users to support a convergence research approach that inspires product development, customization, and implementation by bringing together members of academia, state and federal agencies, private industry, and non-governmental organizations.

During Phase I, this network will be built to ensure that tool development is tailored to the needs of end users for maximum efficiency and ease of use to pioneer breakthroughs in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Additionally, this project will increase the public understanding of genomics, artificial intelligence, and sustainable use of ocean resources by engaging citizens through newly developed outreach programs at prominent U.S. aquariums.

Finally, this research will contribute to training a diverse workforce by directly involving high school and undergraduate students from traditionally underserved communities. The project team will also develop self-contained teaching and laboratory modules that will be made broadly available to teachers, specifically targeting schools in underserved and fishing communities.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.