Northrop Grumman : to Upgrade Oyster Monitoring in Chesapeake Bay

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Jan. 31, 2020 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), hosted the Oyster Monitoring Tech Showcase today to highlight the work both organizations are doing to help the CBF monitor oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay.

'At Northrop Grumman, we are committed to making a difference in the areas where we work and live,' said Martin Kepinski-Kozaczek, program manager and challenge lead, Northrop Grumman. 'In the Chesapeake Bay, we're harnessing the creative power of our workforce and applying it to this conservation challenge.'

Northrop Grumman will create a single, remote-sensing technology system to monitor oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay. The low-cost system, and training on its operation, will be provided to the CBF to monitor oyster populations and help the foundation reach its goal of adding 10 billion oysters in the Bay by 2025.

Today's Oyster Monitoring Tech Showcase marked the completion of phase one of the initiative and Northrop Grumman engineers have now determined what sensor technology is best suited to meet monitoring needs going forward. The next phase will see the joint operational testing of system concepts in the Chesapeake Bay, using innovative technology including remote sensing, 3D laser scanning (or Lidar), acoustics, underwater rovers, and sonar. All testing will continue to be done in partnership with CBF.

'We hope this new technology will enable CBF's scientists and staff to accelerate our work restoring oyster populations in the Bay,' said Will Baker, CBF President. 'Oysters are critical to the ecosystem. They filter water and provide habitat to fish, crabs and other marine life. But oyster populations remain at low levels after decades of decline. By combining Northrop Grumman's technological expertise with CBF's environmental work, we aim to improve the future for the Bay's oysters.'

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