USM anticipates purchasing the items below listed as a sole source: a system that includes MarineSitu underwater camera system, computing and cabling, Mangrove software, SaltySuite cloud performance access and project-specific machine-learning models for

The University of Southern Mississippi is pursuing a sole source procurement under solicitation 9280-27-R-RFIN-00009 and RFQI 3150006987 to acquire an integrated underwater monitoring and machine learning system from MarineSitu. This system is designated for use at the Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center to support research on Gulf White Shrimp, specifically for monitoring mating tanks and detecting spawning behavior and shrimp sizing. The procurement includes the MarineSitu underwater camera system, C3-PoE camera integration, computing and cabling, proprietary Mangrove software, SaltySuite cloud performance access, and project-specific machine learning models. The sole source justification is based on the proprietary nature of the software and cloud platform, as well as the requirement for machine learning models calibrated specifically to the optical geometry of the C3 camera. The vendor has specified a 90 percent accuracy criterion for both shrimp sizing and spawning-period detection. The response deadline for this solicitation is September 9, 2026. Prior to the final award, the university will conduct a price reasonableness review and require confirmation from MarineSitu that the quoted amount represents their best available pricing.