Fisheries Dynamics

The main goals of this theme are:

  • To enhance our understanding of fisheries and ecosystem dynamics in support of the management of fisheries and marine protected species, and,
  • To provide educational opportunities in this area.

Activities under this theme support NOAA missions under the strategic goal Environmental Stewardship: Build Sustainable Fisheries; Recover Protected Species

CIMAS has a long history of research that focuses on applications of prediction models to specific fisheries. Recently emphasis has shifted to the development and use of risk assessment methods that take into account the role of uncertainty in our understanding of ecosystem and fishery dynamics and the impact of uncertainty in the management process. CIMAS research complements that carried out in the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), the Miami laboratory of NOAA/NMFS.

The current NOAA emphasis on rational management of fishery resources is coincident with an increasing demand for these resources, often in the face of declining fish catches. Emphasis is also placed on proper management of marine protected species. Analysis has shown that there are fundamental constraints on our knowledge of fisheries systems in the context of marine ecosystems. In particular, theoretical models are mostly based on hypothesized relationships among the various components of marine ecosystems, including exploitation by humans. Most models are still in the development stage and they have limited ability as forecasting tools.

Accordingly, the specific objectives under Theme 2 are:

  • To describe and quantify (through the design of precise sampling procedures) functional bio-physical relationships and processes that control and impact marine fishery systems. This includes oceanographic, trophic, and habitat relationships of harvested species and marine protected species.
  • To develop simulation models for marine protected species, ecosystems, and fishery systems. These models will encompass stochastic relationships, multivariable interactions, non-linear dynamics and spatial processes. This type of modeling allows for the incorporation of uncertainty measures in the both models and data; this approach attempts to quantitatively characterize the impact that these uncertainties have on the quality and implications of the results.
  • To develop procedures and methods for the evaluation and implementation of regulatory options in management of marine fisheries and protected species - for example, in managing marine reserves, in establishing catch quotas, in defining essential fish habitat. Procedures include those designed to develop fishery-independent indices and those designed to evaluate the performance of management in reaching its objectives. Fishery management objectives must often contend with conflicting demands - for example, the need to balance biological conservation with maximization of economic returns or the need to balance the allocation of resources to different fishing groups. Consequently the analytical methods in assessment must be designed to allow for the statistical analysis of risks.

To assist in attaining these objectives, a sub-unit was created within CIMAS, the Cooperative Unit for Fisheries Education and Research (CUFER). CUFER was established in 1992 in response to a need for the development of methods for improved quantitative assessment of fish populations and as a source of advice for resource sustainability. These activities complement the NOAA/NMFS mission of resource stewardship. CUFER offers the opportunity to work on research issues with long-time horizons, an advantage afforded by academic research. An important ancillary component of CUFER is to develop the human resources and expertise needed for the future research and management of Florida and Caribbean fishery resources. However, the program is broadly applicable to tropical and subtropical fisheries.

Another fisheries-related unit housed in CIMAS is the Center for Independent Experts (CIE), established in 1998. The primary function of CIE is to organize and facilitate independent peer reviews of stock assessments carried out by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The goal of CIE is to strengthen NMFS Quality Assurance efforts under the NOAA Strategic Plan. Under the program, CIE arranges for the solicitation and selection of qualified scientists who carry out reviews of ongoing and completed assessments and who serve as independent experts on advisory panels and working groups.

The CIMAS activities in fisheries research is a component of broader activity in the School which is home to a broad array of fisheries-related programs. These include the Center for Sustainable Fisheries, Fisheries Ecosystem Modeling and Assessment Research (FEMAR), Fisheries Oceanography, Larval and Early Juvenile Ecology, and the Experimental Hatchery