Dale obtained his doctorate in biological oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is currently a Professor of Biology at USC. He has published over 75 papers in the fields of marine microbiology and optics and has obtained 3 U.S. patents for inventions in optical instrumentation and wave damping floats. He has worked extensively on water quality monitoring, plankton models, remote sensing, and currently on marine conservation.
Dr. Dale Kiefer, Principal Investigator
About Us
With our staff of renowned oceanographic scientists and highly experienced computer specialists, System Science Applications understands the GIS application in aquaculture and mariculture like no other company. Our solutions work the way scientific professionals work while offering managerial controls that meet both the rigorous business demands of collaborative workgroups as well as maintaining the ease-of-use required for the single user.
AquaModel is a plug in application of the existing EASy GIS system and shares the same support staff. We have been involved in aquaculture modeling for nearly two decades and have general experience with aquatic modeling for even longer.
Our team includes:
With our staff of renowned oceanographic scientists and highly experienced computer specialists, System Science Applications understands the GIS application in aquaculture and mariculture like no other company. Our solutions work the way scientific professionals work while offering managerial controls that meet both the rigorous business demands of collaborative workgroups as well as maintaining the ease-of-use required for the single user.
AquaModel is a plug in application of the existing EASy GIS system and shares the same support staff. We have been involved in aquaculture modeling for nearly two decades and have general experience with aquatic modeling for even longer.
Our team includes:
AquaModel - now a plug-in of EASy
AquaModel Team
Dr. Jack Rensel, Principal Investigator
Jack Rensel is a leading expert in aquaculture research and environmental issues. He was responsible for much of the basic research and analysis that led to the first federally-sanctioned state permits for net pen aquaculture in the U.S. Dr. Rensel conducts research on current aquaculture and food web topics, including the beneficial food web aspects of optimally sited commercial net pens, which constitutes a new frontier for further exploration using promising tools such as stable isotope analysis.
With NOAA, USDA and industry support, he has been a partner with the AquaModel team in developing, testing and validating the comprehensive water column and benthic effects GIS-model for salmon or other fish species net pens that may be used for a single farm or array of farms throughout an entire coastal region. Dr. Rensel works on projects in North and South America, the Caribbean Sea, South East Asia and in other locations worldwide.
Dr. Rensel is a recognized international expert on harmful algal bloom dynamics and has been involved in development and testing of mitigation strategies for farmed and wild stocks. He was lead author of a recent publication explaining how harmful blooms were strongly linked to extreme interannual variation of Fraser River sockeye salmon marine survival over the past 20 years.
As principal of Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences, he has written more than twenty peer-reviewed articles or book chapters and hundreds of technical reports. His clients include the largest seafood processing and distribution firm and the largest fish farming companies owned and operated in the U.S. He is also a consultant to Earth Justice Hawaii on water and sediment quality issues.
Dr. Rensel is a recognized international expert on harmful algal bloom dynamics and has been involved in development and testing of mitigation strategies for farmed and wild stocks. He was lead author of a recent publication explaining how harmful blooms were strongly linked to extreme interannual variation of Fraser River sockeye salmon marine survival over the past 20 years.
As principal of Rensel Associates Aquatic Sciences, he has written more than twenty peer-reviewed articles or book chapters and hundreds of technical reports. His clients include the largest seafood processing and distribution firm and the largest fish farming companies owned and operated in the U.S. He is also a consultant to Earth Justice Hawaii on water and sediment quality issues.
Frank O'Brien, Director of Software Engineering
Frank, who obtained his master's degree in Mathematics specializing in Statistics from the University of Vermont, is a software architect and designer with over 45 years experience in the field of software analysis and design. He collaborated in the development of the first version of EASy software. In addition to this, he provides a continuous supply of elegant tools for the analysis and visualization of geographic information for use in SSA's many environmental and engineering projects.
Zachary Siegrist, Scientist and Software Engineer
Zach holds a master's degree in biology from Western Washington University and has studied marine biology and limnology in Wisconsin, Washington and Southeastern France. He has worked as a research scientist and programmer for System Science Applications since 2011 and has represented EASy and AquaModel at workshops and conferences in the United States, Chile, Oman and India. Zach provides a range of services for SSA, including data analysis, writing/editing scientific literature, website design, and coding, testing and developing EASy and AquaModel modules.