The National Marine Fisheries Service is charged with ensuring productive and sustainable fisheries, recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy ecosystems. This is achieved through sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management. The purpose of this project is to conduct leading edge science in support of advancing ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) for the US Pacific Island region. US Fisheries are complex socio-ecological systems embedded in a management structure and the success of any management strategy is dependent on our ability to successfully predict the impacts of potential management decisions on the system state. Prediction science surrounding EBFM is multifaceted, requiring refinement in areas such as: improving statistical inference from fishery dependent and independent data, species distribution modeling, predicting fishery/species interactions, understanding species interactions, and forecasting future fishery changes. 

Current projects in development within this program include: 

1. Methods to estimate protected species by-cath. Estimation of by-catch of protected species is a key component in the assessment of fishery impact for PIFSC. The level of coverage in a fishery, the methods used to impute interaction for uncensused trips, and the methods used to predict future interactions all influence the suitability of the approach taken to provide reliable estimates.

2. Methods to improve estimates of harvest for US Pacific Island fisheries. Historic creel methods in these multi-species fisheries are being evaluated given large structural changes that have occurred in these regions. The development of new methods through simulation experiments is being explored.

3. Developing phenomenological models to highlight key covariates in fishery/rare species interaction. The final goal of this project is to explore the utility of Dynamic Ocean Management for the conservation of protected species.

Potential NRC Research Associates are encouraged to work with Research Advisers to discuss ideas for specific research projects related to EBFM in the US Pacific Island Region.

key words

ecosystem based fisheries management; protected species; US Pacific Islands; dynamic ocean management; by-catch; longline; fisheries

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and non-U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants