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SCP-5749 Unknown ~ medium confidence
SCP-5749
Expected annual
$786K
One-time setup
$318K
Annual recurring
$731K
Personnel
5
Initial containment and study require modest one-time field and equipment expenses (~$318k) with recurring costs dominated by staffing, compensation to local fishers, and ongoing research/monitoring (~$731k/yr). Main cost drivers are personnel wages, recurring fishermen stipends/community mitigation, and research/monitoring/contingency reserves.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $318K
Emergency Response Reserve $100K
[#11] Establishment of a rapid-response reserve (fast boat, overtime, replacement equipment) to be available on short notice.
Equipment $90K
[#2, #4, #5, #10, #16, #17] Purchase and installation of buoys/signage, remote-monitoring buoys/cameras, a small work-class ROV with manipulator and traps, refrigerated/secure storage racks, initial diver/PPE setups, and initial secure storage/encryption hardware.
Initial Field Recovery $35K
[#1] Initial 7-day field recovery expedition (boat charter, lodging, per-diem, equipment rental/consumables) for reconnaissance/capture.
Initial Research And Lab Setup $30K
[#9] Initial laboratory analyses and sequencing/assay battery and associated consumables to characterize the specimen (initial research run-up).
Facilities $20K
[#6] Quarantine room retrofitting, plumbing and biosecurity for a small saltwater recirculating tank (room modifications and structural work).
Legal Initial $15K
[#13] Initial legal retainer and permit work to negotiate closures, permits, and environmental compliance.
Cover Story Initial $12K
[#12] Initial cover-story materials, signage, and local outreach to discourage amateur retrieval attempts.
Training Initial $10K
[#8] Initial medical/memetic screening and specialized training materials and staff time to avoid priming and to train on ROV/non-human capture.
Necropsy Disposal $6K
[#18] Necropsy, hazardous biological waste disposal, and initial tissue archiving costs if specimen is neutralized.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $731K/yr
Staff Wages $345K/yr
[#7] Ongoing salaries + benefits for core team: 1Marine Biologist, 1 Aquatic Vet/Technician, 1 ROV Operator, 2 Security/Field Techs (see personnel breakdown).
Fishermen Stipends $120K/yr
[#3] Recurring compensation/stipends to local fishermen to prevent visits (example mid-range stipend for a group of local fishers).
Research And Monitoring $106K/yr
[#4, #9, #17] Ongoing research budget and monitoring costs including data backhaul/storage/comms for remote sensors and continuing assays/behavioral tests; includes some data-security maintenance.
Contingency Reserve $50K/yr
[#20] Annual contingency reserve to cover escalation or multi-site response readiness (keeps a modest buffer in normal operations).
Community Grants $30K/yr
[#19] Longer-term modest community mitigation grants to offset fisheries/cultural impacts and reduce non-compliance risk.
Cover Story And Legal $24K/yr
[#2, #12, #13] Annual permit/enforcement admin, community liaison/PR staff time, and recurring legal/compliance retainer costs.
Insurance And Liability $15K/yr
[#14] Liability and insurance coverage for vessel/ROV operations and worker compensation.
Logistics And Transport $10K/yr
[#15, #1] Routine boat fuel, local transport for staff and samples, and occasional short deployments/shipping of samples.
Emergency Fund Replenishment $10K/yr
[#11] Periodic replenishment of rapid-response reserve after use or to maintain readiness.
Supplies And Consumables $8K/yr
[#5, #10, #16] Routine traps/consumables, ongoing evidence-storage power/consumables, PPE servicing and replacements.
Facilities Maintenance $6K/yr
[#6, #10] Maintenance and utilities for quarantine tank/room and occasional maintenance of evidence storage infrastructure.
Data Security Maintenance $6K/yr
[#17] Annual maintenance/licensing for encrypted comms, secure storage, and personnel clearances related to classified handling.
Training Refreshers $2K/yr
[#8] Annual refresher training and memetic screening updates to avoid priming and refresh capture protocols.
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $731K/yr
74.0% probability / year
Normal year with no major incidents: routine monitoring, staffing, stipends, and research continue as planned.
uneventful operation regular monitoring and research
🚨 Minor Incident $781K/yr
20.0% probability / year +$50K vs baseline
Local non-compliance or specimen relocation requiring rapid redeployment and targeted response.
local fisherman breaches exclusion zone specimen moves out of primary locality
🚨 Major Breach $1.2M/yr
5.0% probability / year +$500K vs baseline
Specimen is found to affect multiple nearby spots or causes repeated attempts by locals, requiring a multi-day multi-team response and expanded containment.
multi-site detections coordinated amateur retrieval attempts
🚨 Catastrophic Breach $2.7M/yr
1.0% probability / year +$2.0M vs baseline
Widespread spread or policy failure requiring large-scale mobilization, major buyouts or sustained mass operations.
rapid spread to multiple fisheries major public exposure or prolonged non-compliance
👥 Personnel 5 total
Role Count Notes
Research Scientist / Marine Biologist 1 Leads biological characterization and oversees husbandry; included in staff wages [#7].
Medical Officer / Aquatic Vet Technician 1 Handles veterinary care and necropsy work; included in staff wages [#7].
ROV Operator / Technician 1 Operates remote capture equipment and maintains ROV hardware; included in staff wages [#7].
Security Officer / Field Tech 2 Local field security, enforcement of exclusion zone, and routine checks; included in staff wages [#7].
📋 Confidence Notes
Estimates are medium-confidence: analyst provided explicit ranges and a clear containment approach, but local jurisdictional costs, community compensation choices (one-time buyout vs recurring stipends), and low-probability escalation scenarios introduce substantial variance.
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