On March 27, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced the grand prize winner of the Great Lakes Invasive Carp Challenge. The solution proposed by Edem Tsikata, a software consultant at Ab Initio Software LLC in Lexington, Massachusetts, received the top award at the “Carp Tank” competition held in Detroit. Tsikata’s concept uses a row of specially designed propellers to create a row of cavitation bubbles that implode and emit high-speed jets of water. The painful sensation of the bubbles along with the noise of the propellers would repel fish and prevent their passage beyond the bubble barrier. Tsikata will receive $200,000 in prize money for his concept. A total of $500,000 in prize money was given to the four finalists who presented their concepts to a panel of four judges during the Carp Tank competition.

“I applaud the innovative solutions these finalists presented today, and congratulate Edem Tsikata for winning the challenge,” Snyder said. “Blocking Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes is critical, and Michigan can’t afford to wait any longer. I’m confident that the solutions presented today will help take us one step closer to ensuring our waters remain free of this dangerous and harmful invasive species.”

The second-place winner, David Hamilton of Lansing, Michigan, was awarded $125,000 for his lock treatment system that injects a lethal amount of chlorine into a lock chamber to kill the invasive carp; the water is then treated with sodium bisulfate before being released back into the river. Michael Scurlock of Carbondale, Colorado took the third place prize of $100,000 for adjustable physical velocity barriers after a ship is moored to flush the lock system before the lock gates are closed. Fourth place was awarded to Dr. D.J. Lee of Orem, Utah, who created an automated imaging and sorting system that would divert invasive carp into a holding area for harvest.