This project is a continuation of the FEMS project and involves new partners working on Atlantic Tuna resources. The group at the Imperial College of London has been developing new spatial Bayesian models that use tagging data and that can complement the classical (non-spatial) models incorporated so far in the simulation framework. In addition the University of New Hampshire is leading a program that provides additional information on movement patterns for bluefin tuna and will be integrating this new knowledge into operational movement models for this species. At the University of Miami we are using FEMS modules for the assessment of billfish resources.
A bioeconomic simulation model has been developed to test the performance of proposed Marine Protected Area(s) in the U.S. South Atlantic as a management tool for deep-water species of the Snapper-Grouper complex. Three components interact within the bioeconomic simulator: a biological system, a fishery system, and an econometric system.
A model to test the effects of recent spatial closures imposed in the US swordfish fishery was developed. The model was used to test the combined effects of closures and minimum size in the fishing mortality of young swordfish. Future work will extend this work to evaluating stock wide effects of other ICCAT conservation measures.