The main goal of the Shark Population Assessment Group is to understand the population dynamics of exploited marine elasmobranch fishes (sharks, skates, and rays) to provide scientific advice for their conservation and management. Thus, we analyze fisheries and resource survey data, and attempt to incorporate species life history into our models. We use both matrix-based approaches and stock assessment methodologies to represent the population dynamics of these vertebrates. Because of the pervasiveness of data limitations and uncertainty in vital rates and other natural processes, we are particularly interested in simulation models that allow us to characterize uncertainty and stochasticity. Our main interests include statistical standardization of time series of relative abundance, development of conservation and stock assessment models that consider different sources of error, and use of methodologies that allow us to make projections of the effects of alternative harvesting strategies on stock rebuilding (risk analysis). Research opportunities include (1) developing new methods of assessment-especially age- or size-structured models that capture the peculiarities of elasmobranch life histories, (2) developing spatially explicit models, (3) developing individual-based models (4) studying time series forecasting, and (5) developing data mining and meta-analytical approaches.

 

Keywords:

Elasmobranchs; Stock assessment; Modeling; Population dynamics; Uncertainty; Conservation; Fisheries;

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

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral and Senior applicants