News & Press Releases

A Reading by Everett Hoagland Of Original Poems Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas, Kwanzaa, The New Year, & Justice La Soul Renaissance Invites you, your family, and your friends to a FREE poetry reading, followed by a book signing with award-winning poet Everett Hoagland. Ne Bedford Free Public Library, 3rd Floor Reading Room 613 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740

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Observatory Open House No moon - lots of planets, Orion Nebula, etc.

Hirshfeld Dowd Observatory

A virtual information session on the graduate business programs at UMass Dartmouth. - Explore various business graduate programs - Find out how you can complete your degree at your pace - Discover how you can concentrate in a field that meets your interests and career goals - Learn about Charlton's more flexible GMAT waivers - Understand the value of Charlton College of Business degree - Hear about the next steps to enrollment This event designed to answer questions you may have about the various degree and certificate programs.

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Financial Aid FAFSA Help Labs Cancelled today contact Mark Yanni myanni@umassd.edu

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Department of Fisheries Oceanography "Modeling Index Selectivity for Fishery Stock Assessments" By: Cole Carrano Advisor Steven X. Cadrin (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) Committee Members Pingguo He (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), Gavin Fay (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), Lisa Kerr (University of Maine) Monday January 6th, 2025 10:00 AM SMAST East 101-103 836 S. Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford and via Zoom Abstract: Abundance indices are crucial components of fishery stock assessments because they provide a time series of relative abundance for estimating absolute stock size, derived from the response of relative indices to the absolute magnitude of fishery removals. Selectivity is the relative vulnerability to a fishery or fishery-independent survey for each species or demographic group within a species (e.g., size or age class). In an age-based assessment model, selectivity parameters are needed to relate observed stock indices to model estimates of abundance at age. Thus, selectivity estimates must be carefully modeled to ensure an accurate depiction of the stock's age structure. The objectives of this research are to improve the accuracy and utilization of indices in fisheries stock assessment models by understanding the effect of alternative approaches to estimating index selectivity. Chapter One provides a general introduction to the topic and a review of the relevant literature. Chapter Two involves splitting a fishery-independent survey into two series to account for vessel and methodological changes by estimating distinct catchability and selectivity parameters for each series. Results indicated improvement in model performance for stocks with sufficient contrast in the new index, and no improvement for stocks with limited years of data or contrast in the recent indices. Chapter Three develops fleet-structured assessment models to improve selectivity estimates for fishery and the fishery-dependent indices. Splitting catch into fleets improves selectivity estimates for respective CPUE indices, but robust catch-at-age data is desirable for fleets that make up a large portion of the total catch. Chapter Four involves simulation cross-testing as a method to evaluate performance of assessments that assume a single index series that is calibrated for changes in survey technology vs. assuming separate indices in stock assessment models. Results from this chapter suggest that the consequences of assuming a split when there truly wasn't one were not severe, but that assuming there wasn't a split when there truly was one can produce significant biases in model results This work examines how decisions about modeling fleet structure or changes in survey systems affect the performance of an assessment model and how sensitive models are to these decisions. This research will emphasize the importance of selectivity estimates to stock assessment and advance our understanding of how to effectively utilize abundance indices in an assessment model. ************ Join Zoom Meeting https://umassd.zoom.us/j/94890073016 Note: Meeting passcode required, email contact below to receive ************** To request the Zoom passcode or for any other questions, please email Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu

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Department of Fisheries Oceanography "Application of optical and acoustic technologies to improve the understanding of fish behavior, ecology, and stock assessment." By: Christopher Rillahan Advisor: Dr. Pingguo He Committee Members Dr. Kevin D. E. Stokesbury, Dr. Steven X. Cadrin, Dr. Theodore Castro-Santos, and Dr. Kresimir Williams Tuesday January 7th, 2025 11:00 AM SMAST West 204 706 S. Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford and via Zoom Abstract: Marine species inhabit an extensive underwater environment that is largely inaccessible to humans. Consequently, we have relied on various technologies to study and manage the commercial and recreational species we depend on. Over the past century, there have been rapid advancements in optical and acoustic technology, which have coincided with an increased need for effective fisheries management. The ability to observe fish during the capture process has shed light on the role of fish behavior and the potential bias it introduces into fisheries data. Due to insufficient knowledge of most systems, scientific surveys and stock assessment models have traditionally relied on simplified assumptions about fish behavior. While it has been understood that fish have well-developed sensory systems, mobility, and complex life histories, the lack of information has limited their use in gear catchability, survey design, and assumptions about spatial and temporal population dynamics. This dissertation examines the use of optical and acoustic technology to address these limitations, improving the interpretative power of survey data and reducing potential bias. Baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) were employed in Chapter II to examine the role of a species' life history in the performance of traditional survey gears (e.g., fish pots and demersal otter trawls). The spatial distribution of black sea bass (Centropristis striata), a structure-oriented species, in Buzzards Bay was observed to vary depending on the survey gear. Conversely, scup (Stenotomus chrysops), a habitat-agnostic species, exhibited similar patterns across survey methods. Video observations of black sea bass documented an increasing affinity for structured habitats during the summer and fall. This shift in the spatial distribution of black sea bass dramatically affected the trawl survey data. Catch data from the spring trawl survey generally corresponded to the video and pot data with respect to the spatial distribution and population structure of both black sea bass and scup. Conversely, the fall trawl survey data starkly contrasted with the two other surveys, with few adult black sea bass catches. The lack of catch is presumably due to the shifting residence of black sea bass to rocky habitats, which are not sampled by the trawl and, therefore, unavailable to the survey. The shifting availability between the spring and fall trawl surveys presents an inaccurate picture of black sea bass abundance in Buzzards Bay....... ************ Join Zoom Meeting https://umassd.zoom.us/j/91787205979 Note: Meeting passcode required, email contact below to receive ************** To request the full abstract, Zoom passcode, or for any other questions, please email Callie Rumbut at c.rumbut@umassd.edu

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