Protecting Our Furry (And Finned) Assets

Apr 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Ashley Roe

Asset protection devices and technology are used in the business world to protect cargo in the supply chain or to track inventory at retail stores. But the technology is not only found in the business environment. Today, scientists and researchers are using it to protect some of the world's most endangered assets — fish and wildlife. Here are examples of these applications.

Putting a stop to marine poachers

Acuicola Marina on the Spanish Province of Castellon is one of the leading producers of farmed fish on the Mediterranean coast. With the fish farming facilities located six miles offshore and the marina offices situated two miles inland, Acuicola officials found it difficult to protect their fish stock from poachers. When offshore patrols became too expensive, employees implemented CCTV monitoring from IndigoVision, Hoboken, N.J.

Acuicola employees selected IndigoVision's IP video system to provide real-time video and alarm management for the marina. Day/night weatherproof dome cameras were mounted on the fish pools and onboard a production boat. In addition, a submersible camera was installed to monitor the fish stock underwater. Each camera is connected to a transmitter module that encodes the analog feed into high-quality digital video for transmission to the on-shore offices over a wireless network. Employees manage the system using IndigoVision's Control Center software to view and record video feeds from any of the offshore cameras.

Since installing the system, Acuicola Marina has reported an increase in production due to the deterrence of poachers and from the operational improvements.

Tracking elusive cats

The Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) (wildnet.org) raises funds and conducts research projects to better understand and protect endangered wildlife around the world. As one of their conservation projects, WCN scientists are studying three of the world's most endangered felines — the Andean Mountain cat, the Chinese Desert cat and the Snow Leopard — using surveillance cameras from Extreme CCTV, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. The company's WZ18 All-Weather Integrated Day/Night cameras have been installed in alpine and sub-alpine locations of Central Asia, the Andes deserts and the Tibetan highlands. The cameras allow scientists and researchers to record and view footage of the cats, which reside in mostly inhospitable locations and are rarely, if ever, sighted.

Saving smaller species

H.A.B.I.T. Research Ltd., a Victoria, British Columbia-based developer of wildlife research technology, is now making it possible for scientists to study the behavior of endangered species often thought too tiny to be tracked by GPS. Along with positioning technology provider u-blox, Switzerland, H.A.B.I.T. has launched a third-generation GPS animal tracking device using u-blox's LEA-4H GPS module.

The device is about one-tenth the size of its H.A.B.I.T. predecessor and weighs less than 2 ounces. It has improved tracking accuracy from 60 feet to 15 because it uses twice as many satellites to pinpoint locations. It also uses weak signal tracking, which allows researchers to track animals and species that reside in difficult terrain.

Researchers say the technology raises hope that smaller species might be saved from extinction. “This allows researchers to develop a better understanding of small and endangered animals,” says Dr. Jeffrey Goodyear, president and founder of H.A.B.I.T.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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