Science

The first comprehensive study of harbor seals in a decade gets underway this month off the coast of Cape Cod and mid-coast Maine to determine the distribution and abundance of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) along the New England coast.

In the first phase of the study, researchers will live capture adult harbor seals, attach radio and flipper tags to these animals, and take biological samples.  Aerial surveys along the Maine coast will be conducted in late May to relocate tagged seals and estimate the abundance of pups and non-pups.

Gordon Waring, who heads the seal research program at the Woods Hole Laboratory of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), says the harbor seal survey is different from the Center’s annual aerial photographic surveys since it will be conducted during the harbor seal’s peak pupping period, which occurs from late May into June.

“It is much more intense, both in terms of the number and types of aerial surveys, the live-capture of harbor seals, the increased biological sampling efforts, and because we can tag up to 60 animals, which is the total number of radio tags we have available,” said Waring. “Harbor seals are small and fairly easy to handle during live-capture efforts, are generally not aggressive, and they will shed the small radio tags when they molt in a few months.”

Information from the radio-tagged seals will be used to adjust the photographic aerial counts to account for the fraction of animals not hauled-out on the ledges – and hence not available to be counted – during each flight. While harbor seals are the focus of this survey, researchers will also count any gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) that are observed. The two species are the most common seals in New England.

The live capture work began on April 7 off Chatham Harbor and Jeremy Point in Wellfleet, Mass. and will continue through late April off the coast of Rockland, Maine in western Penobscot Bay. Both areas are traditional haul-out sites for harbor seals. Fourteen seals have already been radio tagged at Chatham.  In accomplishing its work, the scientific team has a marine mammal scientific research permit issued by NOAA, and a special research permit issued by the National Park Service.

Waring is leading the team of a dozen experienced marine mammal researchers from NEFSC’s Protected Species Branch at the Woods Hole Laboratory, the Riverhead Institute for Marine Research and Preservation on Long Island, N.Y., the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the University of Maine, Orono.

The National Park Service ─and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) that coordinates the Cape Cod Stranding Network under a marine mammal research permit from NOAA’s Fisheries Service ─will provide small boat assistance to the field team as needed. 

Once live captured, each seal will be measured and weighed, have biological samples (including blood, fur and fluids for genetic testing) collected for stock identification and other health assessments, and be outfitted with both a flipper tag for identification and a small radio tag before being released.

A pre-abundance survey aerial flight along the entire Maine coast will begin during the third week of May (around May 21 or 22) to give the team a sense of where the radio-tagged harbor seals are at that time.  Antennas mounted on the struts of the survey airplane can detect the radio signal from tagged seals within a 5-10 mile area when the radio-tagged animals are on the surface.

One or two days later, on about May 23, the aerial abundance surveys will begin and track the seals tagged in April. Aerial teams will fly in bay sectors in four-hour intervals and the observing team will comprise three designated positions (which will rotate):  a photographer, a data recorder, and an individual tracking the seal’s radio tag to determine the location of the animal. At the completion of the abundance survey (four to six days), a singley flight will be conducted to relocate any radio-tagged seals missed in earlier flights.

"We don’t know how many harbor seals there are in New England because most seal surveys focus on one specific area or location, but we do know that local populations have grown in size during the last few decades, and have changed in many ways, especially in southern New England and Nantucket Sound,” Waring said. “While the overall geographic range of harbor seals has varied little in the last century, our ability as scientists to learn more about the behavior of the seals, their seasonal migration patterns and habitat uses, and their interactions with other species (including humans) has changed considerably.”

The Protected Species Branch (PSB) at the NEFSC’s Woods Hole Laboratory is responsible for assessing the status of marine mammal populations off the northeast U.S. coast.  The 2011 seal survey is also part of a larger, multi-year survey of marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds along the entire U.S. East Coast which the NEFSC is leading on behalf of four federal agencies.

Waring noted that the comprehensive 2011 seal study is an example of collaboration among many different organizations to maximize available funds, effort and experience so that everyone involved gains as much as possible. “My goal is to successfully conduct the 2011 capture/tagging and aerial abundance survey,” Waring said, “and to continue developing the regional network of seal researchers and cooperative research programs.”

Read this press release from NOAA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco today spotlighted NOAA’s Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (CREST) for its efforts to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. CREST is one of five centers established by NOAA through the Educational Partnership Program (EPP) with minority serving institutions.

“We need well trained scientists, mathematicians and engineers if we are to improve the lives of the citizens of this nation and the world,” Lubchenco said, following a keynote speech during the 10th annual NOAA-CREST Day at The City College of New York (CCNY). “I am pleased that this program is doing just that. Careers in the sciences are not only personally rewarding and interesting, but they provide economic benefits to individuals as well as to the community.”

Each year, students from New York high schools and community colleges learn about education and career opportunities, mostly related to remote sensing and satellites, during the NOAA-CREST Day event. CREST prepares high school teams for success in the Ocean Science Bowl. Last year’s CREST team (Bronx School of Science) was the runner up.

CREST includes 11 colleges and universities in five states and Puerto Rico with CCNY as the lead institution. CREST’s industry partners are Raytheon Corp., Northrup Grumman, and Earth Resources Technology, Inc. CREST trains students from high school through doctoral level and conducts research using satellite remote sensing technology to study climate, precipitation and coastal environmental conditions.

CREST has been integral in training students in cutting edge NOAA mission critical research for the future science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workforce. CREST has supported 247 graduates (78 with graduate level degrees) who work for private industry and federal and state entities, including three who work at NOAA. In 2010, CREST’s outstanding performance resulted in its institutionalization as an Institute in the City University of New York System (CUNY).

Martin Yapur is a physical scientist at NOAA’s satellite services office of systems development in Silver Spring, Md. He has been at NOAA since 2003 and analyzes observing systems that best satisfy NOAA's needs for environmental observations. He was a CREST student who received his degree from CCNY in 2002.

“I didn’t know NOAA existed,” he said. “But when CREST opened, they recruited interns. I fell in love with NOAA’s mission and worked hard to get a job here. I think this went beyond my expectations.”

Yapur considers himself an advocate for the program and volunteers as a mentor for other students and a judge of papers. And at last year’s NOAA-CREST Day, he was a speaker on the program, talking about his experiences and encouraging others.

NOAA began the Educational Partnership Program with minority serving institutions to increase the number of students, particularly from underrepresented communities, who are trained and graduate in NOAA mission-critical sciences.  EPP established five cooperative science centers at minority serving institutions to advance collaborative research in the NOAA mission sciences. The first four cooperative science centers were established in 2001 and the fifth in 2006. In the past 10 years, the centers have produced more than 700 peer-reviewed publications and conducted 625 collaborative research projects with NOAA. The cooperative science centers have awarded more than 800 Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral level degrees in STEM fields. More than 600 of these degrees have been awarded to students from under-represented communities, NOAA's Educational Partnership Program.

See this posting from NOAA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — April 10, 2011 – The term “overfishing” carries far more metaphoric weight than practical meaning, according to Dr. Brian Rothschild, Montgomery Charter Professor of Marine Science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology. In “The Overfishing Metaphor,” a paper recently published for the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, Dr. Rothschild issues a bold challenge to a long established paradigm, arguing that outmoded benchmarks are hindering real-life fisheries management.

“The golden metric is whether stocks are overfished or not,” explains Rothschild. In other words, is the rate of fishing incompatible with sustaining future healthy fish populations?  The answer to this question is determined by calculations  — through various mathematical formulas that attempt to relate the magnitude of an entire fish stock to fishing mortality — to determine if that number is greater than a pre-determined maximum yield. “But those determinations are being based on models created 50 or more years ago and do not consider the nuances of the latest science. Theoretically, fisheries are supposed to be managed with the best available science.”

In the first part of his paper, Dr. Rothschild explains how quantitative theories from the 1940s and 1950s helped foster the belief that practical definitions of overfishing could be developed from mathematical models linking fishing mortality and population abundance. But for a number of reasons, the resulting models prove to be insufficient, as Dr. Rothschild points out. He writes that they, for one, do not in general correspond with real data, and they are difficult to interpret.

“[T]hese deficiencies result in applications that do not describe the dynamics of fish populations,” writes Dr. Rothschild. “A consequence of this is that stock abundance and fishing mortality are not always tightly coupled, reflecting that the theories of fishing can only be considered to be metaphorical representations of the relationship between fishing mortality and fish population abundance and, as such, associated definitions of ‘overfished/overfishing” are also metaphorical. … [T]hat there is no unique definition of overfishing …, and different overfishing standards are applied to different stocks, make it difficult to interpret overarching ‘mission accomplished’ claims about the success or lack of success of fisheries management.”

Dr. Rothschild also adds that because environmental information is not adequately considered in the models that inform existing policy, claims of overfishing as a culprit are hard to qualify.
The collapse of the cod stock complex in the northwest Atlantic from 1984 to 1994 serves as a telling example. Overfishing was largely thought to be the culprit for the collapse. But, as Dr. Rothschild points out, a moratorium on fishing subsequent to the collapse didn’t result in recovery, as one might expect. That’s because, while overfishing may have exacerbated the decline of the fishery, it was never the primary cause. Dr. Rothschild lists other observations that reflect a widespread deterioration of environmental productivity for the cod complex: the fact that the natural mortality rate (independent of fishing) was significantly increased; growth rates had declined; the fish were exhibiting changes in their diets; and other fish species associated with cod were also exhibiting declines in abundance, growth and condition. But none of these, though, were taken into any meaningful account.  

“Our current system clearly isn’t working,” says Dr. Rothschild. “We are being made to fit real data into a model that just won’t allow it to fit.”

 What Dr. Rothschild proposes as an alternative is radically and refreshingly simple: to measure fish stock abundance by frequently measuring rate of capture. “If stocks get too small, we can slow fishing down. If stocks get too big, we can speed it up,” he says. This places the focus on obtaining optimum yield rather than depending on poorly defined criteria such as “overfished” and “overfishing.”

 Dr. Rothschild explains. “Right now we have a research vessel that conducts random sampling twice a year for 30 minute tows, seeing what they catch at random spots in the ocean,” he says. “They have to not only determine what species they catch but the age structure to determine population demographics. Then they determine the growth rate. Then they estimate catch, and so on. Then they assemble all of these various data into these mathematical equations, which can be very time-consuming. By the time they get answers, the dynamics in the ocean may be totally different and inconsistent with their findings. Nature abhors a vacuum.

 “Instead,” says Dr. Rothschild, “we can put impartial monitors on fishing boats to get more direct and regular data that will reflect more of the actuality in the sea and would shift the focus from maximum yield to optimal yield. This would provide more specific information that would enable the determination of ideal fishing targets that would help prevent overfishing or underfishing, which is not even meaningfully considered now, even though it represents important ecological – and economic — significance.”   

If his proposal is not yet ready for policy-makers, Dr. Rothschild’s ideas are getting the attention of his peers. “Brian's recent investigations of the overfishing concept demonstrate why he is considered one of the premier fisheries scientists in the world and in the history of our field,” says Steve Cadrin, Director of the NOAA/UMass Cooperative Marine Education and Research Program at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology. “He applies a scholarly approach to understanding the theoretical basis of overfishing, and sees current problems from an enlightened perspective.”

Read Dr. Rothschild's paper "The Overfishing Metaphor".                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening keynote address as delivered on April 4 by Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator as part of the First National Climate Assessment Federal Advisory Committee Meeting in Washington, DC

Introduction and thank you

Good morning and thank you for joining us as we launch the next National Climate Assessment.

I have two main topics to discuss today: (1) the importance of the National Climate Assessment process, and (2) the principles and expectations for the committee.

Very few environmental conditions affect our economy, natural resources or citizens’ lives more than climate. Up to one-third of the U.S. gross domestic product is directly influenced by weather and climate.

In the U.S., climate-related changes are being documented: more frequent extreme weather events, longer growing seasons, shifting ranges of plant and animal species, and record low Arctic sea ice coverage in the summer.

Future changes are projected to be larger and more rapid than those experienced over the past century and the impacts will extend across all economic sectors, including water resources, energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry, coasts, fisheries, and human health.

Climate variability and climate change are profoundly affecting our society and way of life.  Some impacts of climate change may benefit sectors in certain areas of the country, and others will pose major challenges to our economy, our health, and our planet’s resources.  The National Climate Assessment should strive to help the nation prepare for both the opportunities  and challenges of climate change.

Any change can be better managed with proper preparations. This is especially true for changes in climate. While there will be challenges, we can better prepare if we are informed of what to expect in a changing climate.

Precedent for assessment and its importance

The U.S. Climate and Global Change Research Act of 1990 calls for the National Climate Assessment to be the most authoritative scientific assessment of climate change and its impacts on the United States to date – impacts already being felt, and impacts yet to come.

The NCA must be  accessible to decision makers at all levels – national to local, and should contain new and updated information on climate science, including research findings more recent than the last IPCC report.

Today’s decisions will determine whether climate change will present insurmountable or manageable challenges in the future.

Therefore, we need effective methods to provide policy makers with relevant and credible science to inform their decisions—as we prepare for and reduce the severity of change in our planet’s climate.

While it is important to understand the physical, chemical and biological science of climate, we must also incorporate social science disciplines in order for this information to be relevant, salient and useful to our communities and the nation.

This assessment follows on the heels of the 2009 Assessment report entitled “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States.” The 2009 Assessment was influential because it succinctly summarized the impacts of climate change on different regions and economic sectors of the country, and it was written in plain language, with easy-to-understand graphics.

Geographic diversity and range of expertise on Committee

Each of you has been selected to serve on this Federal Advisory Committee for a reason. You were chosen for your expertise and the extensive knowledge that you bring to this endeavor.

I want to thank Commerce Secretary Gary Locke for appointing such an outstanding group.

Among you are representatives of the relevant disciplines, diverse viewpoints and every region of the country. Of the 46 seated committee members, there are 23 states represented.

Among you are academics, and representatives of the private sector, local and state government, and the non-profit sector.

Every effort was made to ensure that we have the broadest diversity possible and a high caliber of expertise and experience so that we emerge from this assessment process with a robust report of findings that best characterizes the current state of climate impacts in the United States.

Priorities and principles of this FAC

As an ecologist, I look at the earth system holistically. I appreciate the importance of connecting the physical, biological, ecological and human parts of the earth system. And I know that the scientific understanding of these interconnections must underpin the development and implementation of solutions.

The National Climate Assessment aims to incorporate advances in our understanding of climate science into larger social, ecological and policy systems, and provide integrated analyses of impacts and vulnerability.

It will help evaluate the effectiveness of our mitigation and adaptation activities and identify economic opportunities that arise as the climate changes. 

The Assessment will also serve to integrate scientific information from multiple sources and highlight key findings and significant gaps in our knowledge. 

One of the overarching objectives is to help the federal government prioritize climate science investments. In doing so, you will help provide an assessment that can be used by communities around the nation to create more sustainable and environmentally sound plans for our future.

In every aspect of this assessment, we will commit to transparency. Every transaction will be open to the scrutiny of the public, who deserve to know how our findings were derived, and who deserve to have a voice in shaping the final report.

And of course, we will conduct all activities upholding the highest ethical standards, and within legal bounds.

The assessment is an opportunity to capture the latest information and the most current state of the science regarding climate impacts in the U.S. Therefore, we must also commit to adhering to the highest scientific standards so that the findings and recommendations will be robust and withstand scrutiny.

The assessment will be not only comprehensive and relevant, but also reliable and trustworthy.

Challenges

Now that you are seated on this advisory committee, your first task will be to develop a clear strategic framing of the assessment process, including realistic goals, and a detailed implementation plan. 

Over the next few days, you will be presented draft materials for your consideration, and I anticipate that you will engage in a lively discussion.  It will be your responsibility to guide the development of the Assessment report and chart your direction.

In addition to the planning challenges ahead, we must be midful of the funding challenges.

Anyone who has followed the news knows how difficult the federal budgeting process has been for FY11.  Although the President identified specific resources in the FY11 and FY12 budgets to support the work of this committee, we currently continue to operate under continuing resolutions. This is the budgetary reality. We need to adapt to it and work within it to produce a strong product.

Charge

With full recognition of how important your work is, I want you to know that we expect each of you to roll up your sleeves and give your full effort to this assessment.

Through your extensive experience, hard work and commitment to providing our nation with solid science, you can provide an invaluable service.

If well executed, you will lay the groundwork for years to come that will facilitate a continuous assessment process, and build an enduring system of linkages between a disparate group of stakeholders who are either providers or users of climate information.

I know all of you are fully committed to this enterprise. I look forward to following your progress and receiving your final report. 

Appreciation for your time and hard work

Thank you, again, for your time and your hard work. I hope that your participation will be personally rewarding as well.

And now I would like to introduce Dr. Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs, who will speak on behalf of Secretary Locke. Dr. Blank is a seasoned economist, and has a strong interest in the activities of the assessment as well as this committee.

Dr. Blank, we look forward to your comments.

See this press release from NOAA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NEW BEDFORD — Without mentioning catch shares or sector management, the U.S. Commerce Department announced Wednesday it is deploying "economic assessment teams" to six Northeast fishing ports "to identify economic challenges and opportunities facing local industries and communities."

Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk told The Standard-Times she is pleased with the news, especially because the EPA will be one of the parties involved.

"It's a serious attempt to help distressed communities such as Gloucester," she said. "I especially like the fact that they're taking a holistic view and will include other federal agencies such as EPA. That's a huge deal for us in Gloucester."

The two-day visits, modeled after efforts in the Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will be to the ports of Portland, Maine; Seabrook, N.H.; New Bedford; Gloucester; Point Judith, R.I.; and Montauk, N.Y. Kirk said she was told the target dates are late April or early May.

The Commerce Department and its NOAA division have been sharply criticized by fishing ports in the Northeast for failing to conduct an adequate socio-economic assessment of new fishing rules as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

 

 

 

 

 

With its in- and offshore waters a cavorting grounds for the noble, mysterious and highly migratory bluefin tuna, the port of Gloucester has long been a haunt of bluefin fishermen, blue fin buyers and exporters.

Now, thanks to a partnership between the state Division of Marine Fisheries and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the old research station at Hodgins Cove in Bay View — once the site of the loading dock for shipping Gloucester granite, and more recently a UMass seafood research laboratory — is about to become the new, permanent home of a small but globally influential research laboratory dedicated to the study of bluefin tuna and other long- distance marine travelers.

"It's just such a perfect fit on so many levels," said Paul Fisette, chairman of the UMass Department of Environmental Conservation.

To introduce herself and her colleagues to the community, internationally-known tuna scientist and center director Molly Lutcavage has organized a free lecture series at the Gloucester Marine Heritage Center beginning next Thursday and for the next five Thursdays at 7 p.m.

On a petition of the Center for Biological Diversity, and floating on a wave of anxious green warnings, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has undertaken a status review of the bluefin to determine if, as the center alleges, the fish is "the verge or extinction" and should be granted Endangered Species Act protection.

Read the complete story from The Gloucester Times.

 

 

 

 

 

The following was released by the Garden State Seafood Association:

March 17, 2011 – The commercial fishing industry is working with members of an interdisciplinary team of marine researchers to develop the science needed to reduce unwanted incidental catch in commercial fisheries. By combining habitat models developed by research scientists with ecological knowledge provided by fishermen, this team is working together to predict areas and times in the ocean where unwanted species may be avoided.  This work comes at a time when federal fisheries managers are trying to develop policies which take into account the broader ecosystem, as opposed to focusing on just certain fish species.

“There is an evolving approach in fisheries management to develop policies which are based on ecosystem processes, and not just how many fish we think there are to catch. Hopefully this study will help support the move in that direction.” said Dr. Steven Gray, a scientist working on the team.

This innovative approach to bring together different scientific disciplines and fishing experience was developed and funded by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Northeast Cooperative Research Program.

Since 2008, scientists from Rutgers University, the University of Delaware and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS) have been working to combine biological ocean data from catches with physical ocean observatory information to generate habitat models for several fish species in the mid-Atlantic. By integrating these datasets, they have uncovered major environmental indicators associated with a range of marine organisms. They then use these correlations to develop real-time predictions about where fish might be in the coastal ocean- and how their movement might change based on fluctuating ocean conditions.

“We have some pretty good ideas about how changes in the physical ocean might affect where you might find certain fish, but these are just statistical predictions.  To see if our models make any sense in the real world, we really needed to talk to fishermen who are out there every day.” said Dr. John Manderson, the lead ecologist on the project.

Since developing these first habitat models, the research group has now expanded to include members of the commercial fishing industry and the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA). Integrating the knowledge of scientists and fishermen has resulted in models which combine the best of both worlds: cutting-edge ocean monitoring technology and the practical knowledge of time spent at sea.  The hope is that the science generated from these collaborations will not only be more comprehensive, but also break down some of the perceived barriers between resource science and resource users to create trusted information that can used for environmental decision-making on several levels.

Dr. Josh Kohut, lead oceanographer on the project explains; “Advances in ocean observing technology are beginning to change the way we think about ocean management. Using ocean observatories gives us a real-time account of how marine habitats are changing over timescales of a day to several years. Scientists, fishermen, and managers alike can then use this information to adapt their decisions to match changes in the environment.”

As a first step in developing standards of adaptive ocean management, a pilot program is scheduled to begin next fall with the aim of reducing incidental catch in the loligo squid fishery. The models developed by the team will be used to make decisions about where to fish in the hopes that fisherman can reduce the amount of unwanted catch in their nets.

“We are a long way from incorporating the full complexity of marine ecosystems in the way we manage ocean resources- but capitalizing on the knowledge held by different groups involved in marine fisheries should build more trusted relationships and create better science will lead to better decisions” said Dr. Gray.

Contact:
Gregory P. DiDomenico, Executive Director
Garden State Seafood Association
212 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08608
609 675 0202/gregdi@voicenet.com

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – March 22, 2011 – (Saving Seafood) With 60 scientists working in 15 labs around the nation, the little known U.S.D.A. Agriculture Research Service (ARS) is working to find alternatives to wild caught menhaden-based fish oil and ensure more efficient use of pelagic species-based feed, according to its national program leader for aquaculture research, Jeff Silverstein.

But while strides are being made, he told Saving Seafood that there remains no economically viable or fully realized alternative to fish oil to ensure that farm-raised fish contain the omega-3 fatty acids that benefit human health.

"What is really integral is the long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids which is not produced by fish but in the things fish eat," said Silverstein, a chemist by training. "The best source is (fish) oil."

Despite the ongoing research, there is currently no plant-based replacement to ensure farm-raised fish contain the proper levels of bad cholesterol lowering fatty acids.  In addition, the alternative oils being tested are still prohibitively expensive for regular use. But this does not mean that ARS scientists and their counterparts in industry are not working on alternatives that could become potentially viable in the future.

While ARS is heavily involved in researching alternative feeds for farm-raised fish and has historically mostly focused on protein alternatives for aquaculture use, Silverstein said more attention is starting to be directed toward lipid and oil alternatives to pelagic fish. ARS is conducting feeding studies with algae-based oil and there is commercial work ongoing in that area as well. In addition, some private companies are examining the use of plant-based stearidonic acids as sources of omega-3 for fish.

"There is a lot of work in some of the grain industries to make oils that have a higher Omega 3 content utilizing their naturally occurring medium-chain variants or breeding long-chain fatty acids into grain," said Silverstein.

As such work continues, ARS is attempting to take advantage of the fact that the requirement of fatty acids for good human health is lower than what is typically found in commercial caught fish by utilizing phased feeding techniques. This involves introducing fish oil later in their raising and at smaller quantities as a means to try and use less fish oil in the face of spiking demand for the product. 

Citing projections from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, Silverstein argued that more efficient use of fish oil is needed as the demand for fish oil continues to rise with demand for farm-raised fish. He noted 90 percent to 95 percent of the fish oil produced worldwide is now used in aquaculture compared to 65 percent of the total commercial fishmeal produced.  

"There is work being done at ARS to basically extend the supply of fish oil," said Silverstein. "We have to reduce the amount of fish oil included in the diet for health until harvest size."

With a 2010 budget of $37.8 million for aquaculture research on a wide variety of species and into reproduction, health, genetics, nutrition and diets, as well as production systems, Silverstein stressed that the agency is not working to place the wild caught and aquaculture industries at loggerheads. He said that ARS could help both to complement each other further in the same manner that Chesapeake Bay oystermen are currently working with oyster farmers to replenish stocks. He cited ARS research into the recovery of flesh and oil from commercial fish frames and viscera as an example of the sort of opportunities available for cooperation.

"There is a lot of opportunity for benefits to both (sectors)," said Silverstein. "I don't think they are naturally at odds."

 

 

 

 

Steve’s Vision for the AIFRB: AIFRB should continue to provide all members with frequent opportunities to interact with other accomplished fisheries research biologists.

The primary challenge to AIFRB is maintaining the momentum that was generated from recent efforts and investments in symposia, awards and regional meetings.  AIFRB products, ranging from memorable District dinners to benchmark publications, are the best way to maintain and expand membership, activities and budgets.  Recent AIFRB accomplishments were achieved by a relatively small group of people who are dedicated to promoting the Institute. 

If AIFRB is to grow and have expanded benefits to members, leadership of the Institute will need to be distributed, so that more initiatives with broader impact are led by a larger group of members.  The AIFRB Board will continue to be responsible for governance of the Institute, but a second tier of leadership should be promoted in which members can contribute to local, regional or international projects according to their interests and skills.  An active and productive Institute should have effective governance that is able to provide funding to districts so that they in turn can feed back new members and contributions to the Institute as a whole.  I will strive to maintain the initiatives and accomplishments of past Presidents and lead AIFRB in the provision of quality programs for an expanded network of fisheries research biologists.

Read the complete story from AIFRB.

 

 

 

 

Winter flounder populations in southern New England waters — also called the Mid-Atlantic Bight — have been steadily declining since the early 2000s, primarily due to overfishing, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

UNH researchers have spent the last decade conducting research on establishing methods to effectively restore and enhance winter flounder populations. One community in the Mid-Atlantic Bight — Martha's Vineyard, Mass. — recently sought advice from UNH researchers, who have developed an enhancement project aimed at improving winter flounder stocks.

"Winter flounder stocks are in dire need of help," according to Elizabeth Fairchild, UNH associate professor of zoology and the project's principal investigator. "Cutting back on fishing alone will not restore these populations in a timely manner. All responsible management tools, including restocking, should be considered."

Read the complete story from Foster's Daily Democrat.