AIS Awarded NOAA Fisheries Contract for Procurement, Installation, and Support Services for Electronic Monitoring Systems Aboard Bering Sea Vessels
North Dartmouth, MA — September 29, 2026 — A.I.S., Inc. (AIS) is pleased to announce the award of a new contract with NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region to procure, install, and support electronic monitoring systems aboard commercial fishing vessels operating in the Bering Sea. The contract includes a 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods.
8/20/20262 min read
North Dartmouth, MA — September 29, 2026 — A.I.S., Inc. (AIS) is pleased to announce the award of a new contract with NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region to procure, install, and support electronic monitoring systems aboard commercial fishing vessels operating in the Bering Sea. The contract includes a 12-month base period and two 12-month option periods.
Under the award, AIS will support an electronic monitoring pilot involving five freezer longline vessels, with options to equip up to 15 vessels over the potential three-year contract period. The systems will operate alongside human observers, collecting video and sensor data to help NOAA Fisheries and industry participants evaluate the potential use of electronic monitoring and wireless, at-sea data transmission within the fishery. If successfully implemented, this capability could make monitoring data available throughout fishing operations and improve the timeliness of data review.
Team AIS brings together vessel-monitoring technology experts from Integrated Monitoring, Inc. and Seattle-based marine electronics installation professionals from OptimERA Marine. The team will procure and install complete electronic monitoring systems incorporating high-definition cameras, vessel-position tracking, fishing-gear sensors, and onboard data storage and processing equipment. The systems will capture footage from key areas of each vessel, including hauling stations, processing areas, and exterior decks.
For each participating vessel, AIS will develop a Vessel Monitoring Plan documenting vessel-specific information, camera placement, system specifications, maintenance requirements, and data-transmission testing procedures. AIS will also maintain the installed systems and verify that recorded data can be reviewed remotely by NOAA Fisheries.
A central component of the project will be testing the transmission of electronic monitoring data while vessels are at sea. AIS will assess the quality, timeliness, and accuracy of data transmitted through satellite service and provide NOAA Fisheries with recommendations regarding future applications.
Because freezer longline vessels may remain at sea for several weeks, or longer, improving the availability of electronic monitoring data could allow information to be reviewed more quickly and support timely, informed fisheries management.
“This award provides an important opportunity to demonstrate for NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region how wireless electronic monitoring can transform data transmission and improve review timelines,” said Christi Smith, Program Manager at AIS. “The project combines AIS’s fisheries experience with Integrated Monitoring’s advanced monitoring and communications technologies.
We are proud to support NOAA Fisheries and the participating vessels as they evaluate a practical, reliable approach to timely electronic monitoring in the Bering Sea.”
OptimERA Marine will perform the initial vessel installations from its operational hubs in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington. If the option periods are exercised, NOAA Fisheries may expand the effort to additional vessels over the following two years.
This award further strengthens AIS’s role in advancing technology-enabled fisheries monitoring and delivering accurate, high-integrity information in support of sustainable marine-resource management.
About A.I.S., Inc.
A.I.S., Inc. is a leader in marine science and environmental services, with fisheries observing and electronic monitoring as its foundation. AIS delivers technical excellence and operational support for marine fisheries and ecological research across the United States and abroad. By partnering with federal agencies, academic institutions, industry, and local communities, AIS helps ensure the sustainability of our nation’s marine and coastal resources.
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