As Chief Scientist of Marine Acoustics, Inc., Dr. William Ellison has established MAI as a principal contributor in a wide range of engineering and scientific efforts. MAI serves as the primary test and at-sea evaluation agent for a number of the Navy's key development programs for surface, submarine and air ASW systems. He served as a primary scientific advisor for two of the Navy’s most extensive multi-year research programs, the Critical Sea Test and Low Frequency Active programs. Recognized as a leading expert in theoretical modeling of acoustic processes, Bill has developed numerous computer-based models in active use by the US Navy including the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) high frequency target strength model and the first elastic resonance model for mines. Based on his extensive field experience in the high Arctic, he developed the NUWC high frequency under-ice acoustic scattering model. Most recently he has authored the Acoustic Integration Model© (AIM), a state-of-the-art real-time virtual model for assessing the net impact of sound from a variety of sources (moving or stationary) on a dynamic population of marine wildlife. This model can be adapted to any sound source, but was originally designed for high-powered low frequency sound sources with the potential to transmit over long distances. AIM is recognized by NOAA/NMFS as an acceptable methodology for environmental assessments, and is the primary analysis tool for numerous environmental investigations as well as two National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) awards in 2007 and 2008 where MAI is teamed with Cornell University and The University of South Florida respectively.
