A second patent for the non-contact collection of fish mucus traveling through fish ladders has been issued to Dr. Garry Kenny (his thirty-third). The two patents (Numbers 9,326,838 and 9,737,387) covering the method and apparatus of the system have been assigned to The North Umpqua Foundation by Board Member Dr. Kenny in the hope that future sales or lease of such systems will provide revenue to TNUF to assist in continuation of its work.
The automated collection of fish mucus will allow DNA sequencing of fish traveling up fish ladders, leading to a quantum leap in information available to fish management personnel. The information will provide more accurate counting of fish moving through fish ladders, more accurate identification of species, relative proportion of hatchery vs. wild fish genomes and survivability of specific fish offspring over a several year period, as well as other as yet undetermined information benefits.
