Kempy Energetics partnered with Otolith Marking and Reading Research to develop an algorithm for identifying hatchery marks in salmon otoliths in 2018. Otoliths are a bone-like structure found in the inner ear of salmon that grows throughout the fish’s life. Hatcheries create unique patterns in their hatchlings’ otoliths by manipulating the water temperature. These patterns are then used to determine the place where the salmon hatched years later. Automated reading has the potential to help fishery managers more easily identify the source of fish caught in commercial fisheries. This week the project reached a new landmark with submission of the method for publication and peer review. A preprint of the article is available on the BioRxive server here. The work uses neural networks to scan otolith images for hatchery marks, and determine which hatchery raised the fish.
Update: Published research available through Fisheries Research here.