UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science & Technology collaborative research focused on improving stock assessment and understanding fisheries habitat
UMass Dartmouth's School for Marine Science & Technology researchers have received funding from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the New England Fishery Management Council, and the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) respectively for collaborative research focused on improving stock assessment and understanding fisheries habitat.
Analysis of Fishery Dependent Data Use in Stock Assessment
Amount: $20,116
Principal Investigator: Catherine O'Keefe
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has proposed to work with SMAST to examine the use and utility of fishery dependent data in fish stock assessments. Too many groundfish stocks In New England are plagued by problematic assessments, low biomass, inadequate recovery, and uncertain effects of environmental changes. Fishermen, scientists, and managers are calling for a renewed examination of data systems, specifically catch per unit effort (CPUE) indices, that might overcome scientific challenges and provide finer scale Insights into the complex populations dynamics. This study aims to determine how fisheries data such as CPUE Information has been used to inform the stock assessments of New England groundfish.
Developing and testing stock assessment models for black sea bass using Stock Synthesis
Amount: $68,768
Co-Principal Investigators: Steve Cadrin and Gavin Fay
SMAST researchers will work with assessment scientists from NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to develop and test the performance of a set of alternative configurations of statistical catch-at-age estimation models for black sea bass using Stock Synthesis. The alternative configurations would include a range of hypotheses for the spatial and seasonal structure of black sea bass. Stock Synthesis can also effectively bridge analyses from the most recently accepted assessment for this stock that used a statistical catch-at-length model. The proposed project offers an alternative approach to stock assessment modeling.
Mapping the distribution of Atlantic cod spawning on Georges Bank using fishermen's ecological knowledge and scientific data
Amount: $74,536
Co-Principal Investigators: Steven Cadrin, Gregory DeCelles, and Douglas Zemeckis
SMAST research team will map the spatial and temporal distribution of cod spawning on Georges Bank using existing scientific information and data acquired from interviews with current and retired fishermen who fish for cod on Georges Bank. The information is needed to better understand cod population structure and essential fish habitat in this region.
The focus at SMAST is on interdisciplinary basic-to-applied marine sciences and the development of related innovative technologies. In addition to the scholarly marine science and technology communities, the SMAST mission also emphasizes interaction with regional industry, and government and non-governmental agencies on compelling regional marine-related issues and technological development.