DOI · DOI-0071 · record R2682

Pathogen identification in salmon

Department of the Interior · USGS

Overview

Development stage: PilotSource: b) Pilot – The use case has been deployed in a limited test or pilot capacity.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: 2025-07-02 (day precision)Source: 7/2/2025
Withheld from public reporting: NoSource: a) No

Mission

Topic area: Science
Operational functions: Translation and transcription Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

Ichthyophonus, the most ecological and economically important pathogen of wild marine fish, is hypothesized to be a major driver of premature mortality in Yukon River Chinook salmon. Currently, evaluation of Ichthyophonus infection in salmon requires lethal sampling, which is often prohibited in rapidly declining populations. We are using a transcriptomic approach in conjunction with random forest modelling to identify a panel of biomarkers capable of identifying Ichthyophonus in salmon using a non-lethal muscle tissue sample.

Expected benefits

ability to aid in the conservation of sensitive salmon species

System outputs

prediction

Technology

AI classification: Classical / predictive MLSource: Classical/Predictive Machine Learning: Models trained on data to make predictions or classifications based on identified patterns or relatio…
System name(s): Not reported
Custom-developed code: No
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Developed in-houseSource: b) Developed in-house
Vendor (as reported): Not reported
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: No
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not reported
Authorization to Operate: No
Demographic features: k) None of the above
Training and evaluation data: Data used to train the model has been generated in house via transcriptomic analysis of salmon muscle tissue
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

6 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewReported in placeSource: a) Yes – by another appropriate agency office or reviewer not directly involved in the AI’s development

Ongoing monitoringReported in placeSource: a) Yes, sufficient monitoring protocols have been established

Operator trainingReported in placeSource: a) Yes, sufficient and periodic training has been established

Fail-safeNot applicableSource: b) Not applicable

Appeal processReported in progressSource: c) Establishment of an appropriate appeal process is in-progress

User and public consultationReported in progressSource: e) In-progress

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Faster mineral resource assessments. This AI use case was developed due to congress' mandate to assess critical minerals.