Science Center for Marine Fisheries Archives - Page 6 of 6

National Science Foundation grant to continue work on key fishery management issues

January 24, 2019 — A cooperative research center that brings together seafood industry leaders and academic experts has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to continue its work on a number of issues that impact sustainable fisheries.

The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) will use the federal money to study four issues, including how climate change affects fisheries and how to settle differences between offshore energy producers and the fishing community.

Other research the center will perform as part of the grant will focus on management practices that keep catch limits below levels that reduce jobs and inhibit economic growth. According to a press release from the center, the key focus will be to reduce uncertainty for the commercial industry.

According to the NSF, the grant is worth USD 100,000 (EUR 88,021). Work is expected to start on 1 March and last for five years.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Continues Work with New National Science Foundation Grant

January 23, 2019 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Following the completion of its initial 5-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) has been awarded a new Phase 2 grant by the NSF to continue its work. SCeMFiS will use the new grant to further its track record of quality, collaborative research with its fishing industry and academic partners.

The grant is part of NSF’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) program, which was developed to initiate long-term partnerships among industry, academia, and government. SCeMFiS is the only Phase 2 IUCRC program dedicated exclusively to fisheries and marine science research.

“Our new Phase 2 grant will allow SCeMFiS researchers to continue our collaborative work with the fishing industry,” said Center Director Dr. Eric Powell, of the University of Southern Mississippi, one of the academic members of SCeMFiS. “The Phase 2 grant will enable SCeMFiS to continue to fund the groundbreaking research necessary to maintain healthy fish stocks and healthy fisheries at a time when reliance on the best available science is increasingly critical.”

As it moves into Phase 2, SCeMFiS will focus on reducing scientific uncertainty; the effects of climate change on fish stocks and fishing communities; resolving issues between fishing and offshore energy interests; and developing sound ecosystem-based fisheries management.

“Our priorities for Phase 2 reflect the biggest challenges in the future of the fishing industry,” said Center Site Director Dr. Roger Mann, of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, another SCeMFiS academic institution. “To meet these challenges, the industry and fisheries managers will need the kind of innovative research that SCeMFiS has regularly produced over the last 5 years.”

In its first 5 years, SCeMFiS has done groundbreaking research on finfish and shellfish. Among other projects, the Center produced the first age-frequency distributions for ocean quahog, one of the longest-lived species in the ocean. SCeMFiS scientists conducted the first benthic survey on important ocean habitat east of Nantucket, and mapped the shifting range of surfclams, documenting how climate change is beginning to affect the species.

SCeMFiS has also designed a pelagic survey for Atlantic menhaden and provided recommendations to improve port sampling for the species, carried out the only scientific work to date on Atlantic chub mackerel, and carried out an economic analysis for longfin squid.

All of these projects were reviewed, approved, and funded by the industry members on our Industry Advisory Board, who rely on sound science for the health of their fisheries and businesses.

“Fisheries management is only as good as the science it’s based on,” said Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association and a member of SCeMFiS’ Industry Advisory Board. “That’s why it’s so important for the fishing industry to maintain its partnership with SCeMFiS. We need to promote the best available science.”

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Funds Three New Projects at Fall Meeting

November 28, 2018 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

At its fall meeting in Middletown, Rhode Island, the Industry Advisory Board of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) awarded over $164,000 in grants for promising new marine science research.

The projects cover the impact of climate change on shellfish populations; how to properly determine the age of one of the ocean’s longest-lived species; and how offshore wind energy is likely to affect fisheries. All of the funded projects further the mission of the Center, which connects leading researchers and their partners in the industry to address critical marine science needs.

As part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Program, SCeMFiS used this meeting to set the shared priorities of our researchers from around the country and the industry advisors from the shellfish and finfish fisheries who approved the research.

“We see this as a great opportunity to partner with the scientific community, and we are looking forward to continue working with SCeMFiS on projects that affect our fisheries,” said Meghan Lapp, the Fisheries Liaison for Seafreeze, one of SCeMFiS’ Rhode Island members.

A full description of the funded projects is included below:

“The influence of global warming on the Atlantic surfclam and the ocean quahog” – Dr. Eric Powell (University of Southern Mississippi) and Dr. Roger Mann (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) will lead the study, which will examine the extent to which the populations of surf clams and ocean quahogs have shifted offshore in response to changing ocean temperatures. The study will sample and date ocean quahog and surfclam shells to identify the likelihood of a continued future shift in the species’ range. ($56,197 in funding approved)

“Ocean quahog population dynamics: validation of estimation procedures for an age-at-length key – supplement” – Dr. Powell and Dr. Mann will follow up on previous SCeMFiS research on how to properly age ocean quahogs in the northwest Atlantic. Ocean quahogs can live to over 200 years old, but their growth rates vary considerably over time. The study would continue efforts to develop a reliable way to estimate ocean quahog ages at particular lengths, known as an age-at-length key. ($29,037 in funding approved)

“Oceanography special issue on the effects of wind energy development on fisheries and the ecology of the continental shelf” – Dr. Eileen Hofmann (Old Dominion University) and Dr. Powell will work to develop a special issue of the scientific journal Oceanography, that will include 10-12 peer-reviewed papers presenting an overview on the state of research related to offshore wind development. They will cover, among other topics, the challenges faced by offshore wind development and the effect it has on nearby fisheries, fish populations, and the broader ocean ecology. ($79,200 in funding approved)

About SCeMFiS

The SCeMFiS mission utilizes academic and fisheries resources to address urgent scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS develops methods, analytical and survey tools, datasets, and analytical approaches to improve sustainability of fisheries and reduce uncertainty in biomass estimates. SCeMFiS university partners, University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution), and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, are the academic sites. Collaborating scientists who provide specific expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal research, come from a wide range of academic institutions including Old Dominion University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, University of Maryland, and University of Washington.

The need for the diverse services that SCeMFiS can provide to industry continues to grow, which has prompted a steady increase in the number of fishing industry partners. These services include immediate access to science expertise for stock assessment issues, rapid response to research priorities, and representation on stock assessment working groups. Targeted research leading to improvements in data collection, survey design, analytical tools, assessment models, and other needs to reduce uncertainty in stock status and improve reference point goals.

Read the full release here

SCeMFiS Announces Funding for Two Research Projects Impacting Fisheries Management

November 27, 2017 — CAPE MAY, N.J. — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) has allocated $26,467 in funding for two research projects during the Fall IAB Meeting held October 31-November 1, 2017 in Cape May, New Jersey. The awards span the broad mission of the SCeMFiS and include research on marine mammals and continued funding for the omnibus stock assessment proposal for Atlantic herring.

Funded projects are as follows:

Independent Advisory Team for Marine Mammal Assessments – Phase V – this team addresses uncertainties in slow growing marine mammal populations and the interactions between marine mammals and fishing operations. PI: Paula Moreno, USM
Stock Assessment Team – stock assessment teams provide external support to NMFS for benchmark assessment working groups with a focus in 2018 on the Atlantic herring. PI: Steve Cadrin, UMass Dartmouth

This fall marked a trend to include industry sponsorship of social events and hold meetings close to prospective new members in an effort to attract and showcase research projects. The Cape May oceanfront provided a beautiful venue for the Fall IAB Meeting. Lund’s Fisheries Inc. and Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc. graciously provided food, beverages and evening social events on the Cape May Whale Watcher as well as Cold Spring Village/Brewery and The Grange Restaurant.

Jeff Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. commented, “It was an honor to host the Fall IAB Meeting of SCeMFiS in the port of Cape May. The fishing industry in New Jersey, both commercial and recreational, has a huge impact on our coastal communities and we are very pleased to be part of this science based organization focused on cooperative research with NMFS and other fisheries management bodies to ensure that we have healthy, sustainable fisheries now and in the future.”

The Industry Advisory Board of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS), supported by the National Science Foundation I/UCRC Program, provides research related to major challenges in fisheries management and brings participants from industry, government, and other organizations in need of science-based solutions into contact with academic scientists capable of providing that expertise.

The SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board is composed of members from the shellfish and commercial finfish industries and the NMFS-Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The organizational structure provided by the Center permits members to control the science agenda in exchange for financial support under the sponsorship of the NSF.

For a list of the SCeMFiS research projects already underway, please click the following link, http://scemfis.org/research.html. The Industry Advisory Board will review each of its funded projects at its next meeting to be held April 24 & 25 in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Access to Surfclam (Spisula solidissima) Fishing Grounds Studied by SCeMFiS Scientists in Research Survey Cruise Southeast of Nantucket Island

August 15, 2017 — BOSTON — The following was released by SCeMFiS:

The scientists of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) recently completed a survey of the surfclam fishery area southeast of Nantucket Island to provide information regarding surfclam stock status and habitat to ensure continued resource access by local surfclam vessels. Surveys were successfully conducted in 4 days aboard the F/V Mariette sailing from New Bedford, MA.

Chris Shriver of Galilean Seafoods in Bristol, Rhode Island commented – “We believe this survey will assist the federal managers of the surfclam industry to preserve traditional surfclam fishing areas and to assist in opening new areas for the vessels to harvest surfclams so we can supply the public with sustainable and healthy clam chowders and clam strips, while protecting the marine habitat.”

Data will be reported to the SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board at the Fall 2017 meeting in Cape May, New Jersey, with a final report by Spring 2018 and will be considered by the National Marine Fisheries Service Northeast Fisheries Science Center (“NEFSC”) Survey Design Working Group at their September meeting. If necessary, reporting will be accelerated as required to provide input to the New England Fisheries Management Council (“NEFMC”) Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2) decision making process. Data collected from this cruise will contribute both to ongoing efforts to (1) preserve access to the local resource by the small boat surfclam fishermen, and (2) ensure a well informed and scientifically based decision by the NEFMC concerning delineation of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) area closures.

SCeMFiS scientific projects are unique in that they respond directly to the scientific needs of the fisheries managers in collaboration with the commercial fishing industry while upholding strict quality scientific standards and procedures. SCeMFiS partnerships include academia, government agencies, non-profits, trade organizations, and industry members. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) are lead academic institutions and SCeMfiS is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Center program. Other participating partners include Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Bumble Bee Seafoods Incorporated, Garden State Seafood Association, Intershell International Corporation, LaMonica Fine Foods, Lund’s Fisheries Incorporated, National Fisheries Institute Clam Committee, National Fisheries Institute Scientific Monitoring Committee, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Omega Protein, Seafreeze Limited, Sea Watch International, Surfside Seafood Products, and The Town Dock.

Read the release at SCeMFiS

SCeMFiS Announces New Members: Intershell International Corporation and The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd.

July 11, 2017 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Intershell International Corporation, and The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd. have become the newest industry partners at the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS). SCeMFiS is a partnership between fishing industry members, government agencies, non-profits, trade organizations, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the University of Southern Mississippi(USM), and is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry/University Cooperative Research Center program. Other partners include Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Bumble Bee Seafoods Inc., Garden State Seafood Association, LaMonica Fine Foods, Lund’s Fisheries Inc., National Fisheries Institute Clam Committee, National Fisheries Institute Scientific Monitoring Committee, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Omega Protein, Sea Watch International and Surfside Seafood Products.

SCeMFiS is responsible for research projects that have led to major breakthroughs in fisheries science. One project of interest to Monte Rome, Owner of Intershell International Corporation, was the development of the Dameron-Kubiak research dredge. The dredge has allowed researchers to collect various sizes of juvenile clams proving that there is regular recruitment of ocean quahogs to the fishery. This information is a critical component in the development of shellfish management plans.

The Town Dock and Seafreeze Ltd. have pooled their funds to become the first SCeMFiS combined Industry-Advisory Board (IAB) Member. Katie Almeida, Fishery Policy Analyst with The Town Dock and Meghan Lapp, Fisheries Liaison at Seafreeze Ltd. state, “We are both looking forward to working with SCeMFiS to help close scientific data gaps, give more scientific certainty to stock assessments and the fishery management process, and provide stability for the future of our businesses.” The Town Dock is the largest supplier of longfin squid (calamari) in the United States and Seafreeze Ltd. is the largest producer and trader of at sea frozen fish on the U.S. East Coast.

“On behalf of the members of SCeMFiS, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members Intershell International Corporation and The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd.,” states Guy Simmons, SCeMFiS Chair and VP of Marketing and Product Development at Sea Watch International. “The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd. and Intershell International Corporation have joined our organization to seek the ‘Best Science’ available to fortify our respective fishery management plans. Whether a large corporation or smaller independently owned company, our membership levels can accommodate participation in this important endeavor. We appreciate the confidence displayed by our new members in SCeMFiS and look forward to their insights.”

SCeMFiS has 7 newly funded projects covering a broad spectrum of fisheries issues. Several SCeMFiS research projects are especially relevant to the work of The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd. Of particular interest is Evaluation of Alternative Approaches to Risk-Based Catch Advice and representation on the stock assessment team which will provide external support to NMFS for the benchmark assessment working group focusing on the 2017 Atlantic mackerel assessment.

The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd. have chosen to partner with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science as their affiliated academic institution while Intershell Seafood Corporation will partner with the University of Southern Mississippi. “SCeMFiS continues to grow and its research portfolio continues to expand. This year SCeMFiS has taken on important new challenges in survey design, ocean quahog life history, forage fish, and uncertainty in stock assessments. We look forward to working with these new companies in a continuing expansion of our research portfolio,” says Dr. Eric Powell, SCeMFiS Center Director and Professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Dr. Roger Mann, a Professor of Marine Science at VIMS and the Virginia Site Director at SCeMFiS, indicates that there are many ways industry members benefit from partnering with SCeMFiS. “Members gain access to an international group of experts who can focus on technical problems that are challenging your sector of the fishing industry,” said Dr. Mann. He also noted that SCeMFiS follows the research standards of the National Science Foundation, the “gold standard” in U.S. scientific research. “This places the results of any IAB funded effort beyond reproach as these results are used to advance the goals of sustainable harvest.”

By becoming SCeMFiS IAB members and partners, Intershell International Corporation, and The Town Dock/Seafreeze Ltd. help to determine funding for research projects which are pertinent to industry needs. Membership in SCeMFiS allows their businesses to expand upon their current commitment to sustainable and responsible fishing.

Read the full release here

Science center to fund research into surf clams, quahogs

May 30, 2017 — A fisheries science center is funding research projects designed to learn more about a pair of valuable ocean clams.

The work will concern the ocean quahog and surf clam, which are clams of high economic value that are fished along the East Coast. They are popular in chowders and other seafood dishes.

The Science Center for Marine Fisheries is funding the research as part of $200,000 it is allocating for a host of fisheries research projects. The science center is a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center.

The research will include a project to try to explain changes in the abundance of ocean quahogs. There will also be a survey of surf clams southeast of Nantucket that the science center says will be the first of its kind.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at NH1

SCeMFiS Announces $200,000 for Fisheries Management Research on Mammals, Menhaden, Ocean Quahogs, Surf Clams

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) – May 23, 2017 – The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) Industry Advisory Board (IAB) announced $200,000 in funding today for seven fisheries research projects and marine mammal-related work. The funding was approved during the Spring IAB Meeting held in Ocean Springs, Mississippi from April 26-27.

The selected projects will research species such as menhaden, ocean quahogs, surf clams, and marine mammals. They will also address critical management issues related to how fisheries managers conduct and implement stock assessments. Grant recipients include researchers from the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth (SMAST), the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary (VIMS), and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).

“The projects, both shellfish and finfish, that have been funded by SCeMFiS have already shown positive results in contributing to the ‘Best Science’ available,” said Guy Simmons, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Sea Watch International and Chairman of the IAB, in a SCeMFiS release. “I believe the success of the past four years has been validated by new membership recruitment and the acceptance of the science from management agencies. I am especially proud of the work that went into the development and approval of our seven new research projects.”

SCeMFiS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through its Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program, which matches industry, government and other organizations with relevant academic specialists. The SCeMFiS IAB is composed of members of the shellfish and commercial finfish industries and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

“As participants in the Atlantic surf clam and ocean quahog fisheries, many of its stakeholders have been involved in cooperative research with the goal of reducing uncertainty in the fisheries management plan for many years,” said Mr. Simmons. “Since the formation of SCeMFiS, these efforts have been dramatically enhanced by the involvement of all the members as well as the guidance from the National Science Foundation.”

The IAB will review funded projects at its next meeting in Cape May, New Jersey October 31-November 1. A full list of SCeMFiS research projects already underway can be found online here.

Descriptions of the seven new research projects, provided by SCeMFiS, are below:

Risk-Based Catch Advice

Evaluation of Alternative Approaches to Risk-Based Catch Advice – this project will review and evaluate methods applied by Scientific and Statistical Committees of regional fishery management councils to evaluate forecast error and improve optimal yield within an appropriate consideration of uncertainty and risk. Principal Investigator: Steve Cadrin, UMass Dartmouth [SMAST]

Stock Assessment

Stock Assessment Team – the stock assessment team will provide external support to NMFS for benchmark assessment working groups with a focus in 2017 on the Atlantic mackerel assessment. Principal Investigator: Eric Powell, USM

Marine Mammals

Independent Advisory Team for Marine Mammal Assessments – Phase V – this team addresses uncertainties in slow growing marine mammal populations and the interactions between marine mammals and fishing operations. Principal Investigator: Paula Moreno, USM.

Atlantic Menhaden

Evaluation of Sampling Adequacy for Atlantic Menhaden Fisheries – this project will evaluate the current Atlantic sampling program for the characterization of menhaden fishery catch leading to recommendations designed to increase sampling efficiency. Principal Investigators: Geneviève Nesslage, UMCES & Robert Leaf, USM

Ocean Quahog

Ocean Quahog Population Dynamics: Validation of Estimation Procedures for an Age-at-Length Key – this study builds on previous work that developed the first population age frequencies for the U.S. stock by developing and testing approaches for deriving age-at-length keys from sparse datasets. Principal Investigators: Eric Powell, USM & Roger Mann, VIMS
Ocean Quahog Population Dynamics: Population Modeling to Interpret Population Age Frequencies – this project will develop a population dynamics model to explain observed changes in abundance at age over the past 250 yr since ocean quahogs first colonized their present Mid-Atlantic range. Principal Investigator: Eric Powell, USM

Surf Clams

Survey of Surf Clams (Spisula solidissima) Southeast of Nantucket – this will be the first survey of a region providing substantial surfclam catch to determine the need to expand the NMFS stock survey and to evaluate the distribution of complex habitat within the Great South Channel Habitat Management Area. Principal Investigators: Roger Mann, VIMS & Eric Powell, USM

Read a release from SCeMFiS here

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Announces Funding for Four New Research Projects Impacting Fisheries Management

October 26, 2016 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

WILLIAMSBURG, VA — The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) is sponsored by the Industry & University Cooperative Research Program (I/UCRC) of the National Science Foundation. I/UCRC programs bring participants from industry, government, and other organizations in need of science-based solutions into contact with academic scientists capable of providing that expertise. The SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board is composed of members from the shellfish industry, commercial and recreational finfish interests and government agencies such as the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. The organizational structure provided by the Center permits members to control the science agenda in exchange for financial support. The SCeMFiS mission utilizes academic and fisheries resources to address urgent scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries.

SCeMFiS develops methods, tools and analytical approaches to maximize sustainable fisheries and reduce uncertainty in abundance estimates. SCeMFiS university partners, University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution), and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary are the academic sites. Collaborating scientists who provide specific expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal research, come from a wide range of academic institutions including Cornell University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, and University of Washington.

The Industry Advisory Board (IAB) of SCeMFiS has allocated $139,000 in funding for three new research projects and a continuing involvement with the marine mammal assessment process during the Fall IAB Meeting held October 13-14, 2016 in Williamsburg, Virginia (see http://scemfis.org/research.html for a list of research projects underway). The new initiatives are:

Biostatistical and fishery-dependent sampling of Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias), Phase II,
A meta-analysis of the impact of forage fish abundance on predator productivity, and
Design of a cooperative winter pelagic survey for Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) in the Mid-Atlantic.

Currently, there is a growing need for the diverse services that SCeMFiS can provide to industry which has prompted a steady increase in their fishing industry partners. These services include immediate access to science expertise for stock assessment issues, rapid response to research priorities, and representation on stock assessment teams within the various fisheries management councils.

SCeMFiS members identify target species of interest, provide research leading to improvements in models and assessment designs to quantify stock status and develop reference points, determine economic and societal impacts of changes within the fishing industry, and fill critical knowledge gaps in fisheries science. The Center’s research projects are intended to validate and quantify benefits for a sustainable harvest of finfish and shellfish while trying to maintain ecological stability.

“Collaborative research that involves the industry, science and management community is our goal and is crucial to our collective success,” says Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director, Garden State Seafood Association. Funding this October emphasizes research on forage fish. “The management of important forage fish species, like Atlantic menhaden and chub mackerel is challenged by concerns that managers are not leaving enough of these fish in the water to provide necessary ‘ecosystem services’. We are supporting research that balances this view with the opportunity to manage forage fish species to the benefit of coastal communities and the Nation, on a sustainable basis. Providing for the future needs of humans in the system also demands rigorous scientific inquiry. One of SCeMFiS’ core missions is to reduce uncertainties in marine fisheries stock assessment in the region, which directly leads to ensuring robust sustainable fisheries.”, says Jeff Kaelin, SCeMFiS chair and government relations coordinator for Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., a family-owned, vertically-integrated seafood company located in Cape May, New Jersey.

What is the importance of SCeMFiS? Economics. The fishing industry needs urgent answers to maintain the livelihood of many port towns along the coast. However, Tom Murray of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science writes that this importance goes much further. He states, “Commercial fishery product landings begin the product development, processing and distribution changes which create additional economic value and impacts beyond the initial landed value and economic impact.” In other words, the fishing industry is the catalyst to generate economic value not only in fishing ports but throughout a range of economic sectors including transportation, food services, and supporting manufacturing and financial services. Science in support of sustainable fisheries is a critical component underpinning this economic engine.

The IAB will review each of their funded projects at its next meeting that will be held April 26-27, 2017 in Ocean Springs Mississippi at the Gulf Coast Research Lab, University of Southern Mississippi. Learn more about SCeMFiS at http://www.SCeMFiS.org.

See the full release here

KEN COONS: Research Shows Path to a Sustainable Seafood Industry

SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] (Opinion) By Ken Coons — August 6, 2015 — One of the striking things about fishery management here in the Atlantic Region is how often the academics, the regulators, and the fishing and seafood industry talk past each other.

The folks with scientific expertise often speak a language that’s difficult for the layman to understand. Regulators, for their part, are in a defensive crouch distracted by endless litigation and whipsawed by recreational and commercial fishing groups along with their elected state and Congressional representatives and often the media as well. The fishing and seafood industry, for its part, wants cost effective timely research results. Commercial and recreational groups are united in their call for “better science” to address regulatory restrictions.

Too often these three sectors – academics, regulators and the fishing and seafood industry – are classic examples of stovepipes, not collaboration.

It doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, a bold and expanding model of collaboration is happening right now. It is an industry-led collaborative research program that addresses urgent scientific problems. Specifically, the work is focused on reducing the uncertainties in fisheries assessments. The goal is to achieve both sustainable fisheries and a sustainable fishing and seafood industry.

This new program, the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS), is one of the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) supported by the prestigious National Science Foundation. These partnerships are specifically designed by the NSF to promote cooperative research between the academic community and industry. (SCeMFiS is the only fisheries-oriented IUCRC.)

In addition to providing an important imprimatur of legitimacy onto the cooperative research work SCeMFiS is doing under an initial five-year program, NSF’s funding largely covers administrative costs so that industry investments in research flow directly through to actual work and results.

Research institutions that participate in SCeMFiS projects are restricted to a 10 percent indirect cost allowance factor which is way below common practice. The result is a very cost-effective research program for industry sponsors.

The industry sponsors provide critical financial support. All decisions about which research projects to pursue are guided by an Industry Advisory Board (IAB) comprised of industry partners with voting rights. The IAB functions like a Board of Directors. Membership is open to any company or group that is interested in improving science for fisheries management.

Full Partners have two votes on the Industry Advisory Board at an annual cost of $50,000; Associate Partners, at $25,000, have one IAB vote.

To date, the full industry partners on the IAB are the NFI Clam Committee along with the NFI Scientific Monitoring Committee and the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

Associate Partners are: Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc.; Garden State Seafood Association; LaMonica Fine Foods; Lunds Fisheries Inc.; Surfside Seafood Products.

The Advisory Board is fortunate to have the guidance of Russ Brown of the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Science Center in Woods Hole and John Boreman, SSC Chair of the Mid- Atlantic Fishery Management Council, to ensure, insofar as possible, that data developed by a given project will be used in future assessments (otherwise the project does not go forward).

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the College of William and Mary Virginia Institute of Maine Science (VIMS) collaborated to form the Science Center with USM as the lead institution.

Eric Powell, PhD, is the Principal Investigator at USM and Roger Mann, PhD, is the Principal Investigator at VIMS. Dr. Powell was previously at
Rutgers and he and Dr. Mann had worked together with the surf clam/ocean quahog industry on urgent issues. It’s not surprising, therefore, that a good deal of the early research work of the Science Center for Marine Fisheries has focused on research important to the continued viability and employment capacity of the surf clam/ocean quahog industry.

For example, federal clam assessment has now moved to an industry vessel rather than a NOAA vessel. The clam dredges in commercial use are designed to allow juvenile clams to escape, so to conduct a proper resource assessment, a research dredge with a liner was developed to capture juvenile clams. A subsequent project developed an innovative research dredge with adjustable bars in order to capture juvenile clams. (The industry paid the $75K required to develop, fabricate and test this research dredge.)

To allow for accurate assessment despite broken shells a related VIMS project determined how the overall dimensions of an intact clam shell could be reliably inferred from a portion of the broken shell – this was possible since most shells break along the same lateral line.

The ocean quahog is believed to be the oldest living animal on earth. The resource is not classified as “overfished,” but an important project is underway to estimate age and frequency of recruitment. This project is also being used as a teaching tool to demonstrate effects of climate change.

Dr.Powell has also established an advisory team for marine mammal assessment which includes the University of Washington and two other
groups. Marine mammal interactions are a serious concern of fishery management in most coastal regions. There are currently uncertainties in marine mammal stock abundance and bycatch estimates that urgently need to be addressed.

The SCeMFiS is also working with a distinguished team of independent scientists who aren’t affiliated with either USM or VIMS to bring their expertise to bear on important assessment issues. They include Steven Cadrin, PhD, a former stock assessment scientist for 20 years with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and currently at SMAST and Jean-Jacques Maguire, with a lifetime career in international fisheries management issues with DFO, ICES, ICCAT, and the SSC of the NEFMC. He is currently a consultant to a wide range of international clients.

At USM, and also part of the team, is Robert Leaf, PhD, with a background in modeling to achieve effective conservation and management of fisheries. His current work is on stock assessment of Gulf menhaden blue crab and Mississippi red drum.

From all of the above it is clear that this is a new day in fisheries management research. The research capabilities of the Science Center are already lined up and demonstrating results. Future work will be set by those who have invested in partnerships with the assurance that only work which is likely to be influential in regulatory decisions will be funded and go forward.

Now is the time for companies, associations and other entities to step up and fill out the industry leadership role.

By collaborating with others, partners gain access to work that would be cost prohibitive on an individual basis. Accurate resource assessments are vital to protecting access to fisheries while promoting sustainability. This cost effective industry-led collaborative research program, endorsed and supported by the National Science Foundation, is a unique opportunity for industry participation.

For more information go to: scemfis.org [2]

To join the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) contact:

Jeff Kaelin, SCeMFiS Chair at jkaelin@lundsfish.com

Guy Simmons, SCeMFiS Vice-Chair at guy@seaclam.com|

This story originally appeared on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It has been reprinted with permission.