Tiny Tag for “Untaggable” Fish Wins 2025 R&D 100 Award

RICHLAND, Wash.—A tiny fish-monitoring technology called SHAD-TAG⁺ developed at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has received a 2025 R&D 100 Award in the IT/Electrical category.

In addition to that award, two PNNL projects received special recognition in the Market Disruptor category: the Airport Risk Assessment Model won a gold medal, and AI-Enabled Power Grid Planning: Enhancing Resilience, Reliability and Security won a silver medal.

“These award-winning technologies represent the dedication and hard work of our innovative researchers,” said Laboratory Director Steven Ashby. “They also signify the impact of PNNL’s research and development on addressing important challenges in the real world.” 

Understanding aquatic species’ behaviors is essential for maintaining the nation’s hydropower fleet while optimizing fish passage through dams. Implanting or attaching transmitters to fish, known as tagging, is a commonly used monitoring method used to study fish movement and behaviors. SHAD-TAG⁺ enables the study of a broad range of species—including those previously deemed untaggable—and their interactions with energy infrastructure. 

Leveraging AI during its design and analysis, SHAD-TAG⁺ overcame complex engineering challenges to achieve a significant reduction in size and weight while retaining high-performance metrics. 

Field tests in diverse, real-world environments have demonstrated the tag’s ability to collect high-resolution data with promising tracking efficiency and accuracy.

“This award is a testament to the efforts of our multidisciplinary team who have worked diligently for many years to develop this technology,” said Daniel Deng, principal investigator for SHAD-TAG+ and PNNL Laboratory Fellow. “We are enormously grateful to our sponsors at DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office, the Army Corps of Engineers, and to all the industry and academic partners we've worked with over the years. We are very excited for the potential of this technology to contribute meaningful data needed for strengthening our energy systems in an environmentally responsible way.”