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Fisheries management and conservation require consideration of fish, habitat, and people. In fisheries science, a growing body of research on human values, perspectives, and behaviours around fish—known as 'human dimensions' research—has emerged from the realization that management and conservation require a better understanding of people. Surveys are a common and versatile tool in human dimensions research, but not all surveys are equal. Large-scale, probabilistic surveys draw random samples from known populations (e.g., all license-holding recreational fishers in a jurisdiction) and represent the 'gold standard' in survey research. However, these surveys may fall short of this standard for various reasons. Surveys using non-probabilistic sampling are also common in human dimensions research. Non-probabilistic surveys are attractive to researchers facing time, cost, and other constraints, but differ notably from their probabilistic counterparts: data from non-probabilistic samples are typically unfit for population estimates and other inferences due their uncertain representativeness. Nonetheless, a wealth of research with non-probabilistic data within and outside of fisheries (e.g., in health sciences) suggests that these methods have valid applications and advantages in some contexts. We reviewed the literature on non-probabilistic surveys and sampling in the human dimensions of fisheries, and explored seminal literature from other thematic areas where such methods are common, to better understand their strengths, weaknesses, and applications relative to probabilistic methods. Here, we describe (1) how researchers have used non-probabilistic methods to study the human dimensions of fisheries, (2) how mismatching research questions, objectives, and methods can produce 'awkward surveys,' and (3) how researchers can use non-probabilistic surveys in ways that invoke their methodological strengths. While uncertain representativeness may limit the utility of non-probabilistic data in some contexts, non-probabilistic methods are time- and cost-effective, and have distinct advantages in studies of niche groups and phenomena, emergent or understudied phenomena, and in supplementary roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a reflection on the author's recognition for their contributions to utilizing economics in the sustainable management of environmental resources. The author discusses the importance of breaking down disciplinary silos in fisheries science and emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, ethical engagement, and global jurisdiction in addressing environmental challenges. The author also highlights their work in interdisciplinary oceans and fisheries economics, including their role as Project Director of the OceanCanada Partnership, which aims to foster resilient and sustainable oceans along Canada's coasts. The article concludes with a call for responsible resource extraction and the preservation of the ocean's ecosystem for future generations. [Extracted from the article]

Fisheries science and practice are challenging and require learning, thinking, and sharing across boundaries. The idea of boundary crossing can be described as some form of multiple disciplinarity (e.g. interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity), yet that inherently implies that the boundaries crossed are purely disciplinary in nature. After working across various other boundaries (i.e. realms, regions, disciplines, sectors, domains, and knowledge systems) for most of our educational journeys and professional careers, we reflect on our lived experiences with a focus on identifying the benefits and challenges of engaging in different types of boundary crossing. We submit that our personal and professional lives have been enriched by stepping outside of our immediate comfort zones and expertise (i.e. fish ecology) and engaging in active listening and learning with colleagues in other disciplines (i.e. various social sciences) and with stakeholders and policymakers. We have learned much from working across boundaries and encourage others, especially early career professionals, to do the same. What may superficially appear to be a bridge too far may in fact provide novel ways of thinking about a given issue or topic that generates actionable science for sustainable fisheries management and conservation. Many of the projects that we consider to be our greatest successes represent ones that involved boundary crossing, examples of which we provide in this essay. There is a need to prepare the next generation of problem solvers for engaging in boundary crossing and celebrating examples of where such efforts have led to meaningful advances in fisheries science and practice. Ensuring that institutional and cultural barriers that may constrain boundary crossing are addressed while also supporting those doing such work will be key to address the many fisheries and aquatic science challenges of today and tomorrow in both marine and freshwater systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social‐ecological systems like fisheries provide food, livelihoods and recreation. However, lack of data and its integration into governance hinders their conservation and management. Stakeholders possess site‐specific knowledge crucial for confronting these challenges. There is increasing recognition that Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) is valuable, but structural differences between ILK and quantitative archetypes have stalled the assimilation of ILK into fisheries management, despite acknowledged bias and uncertainty in scientific methods. Conducting a systematic review of fisheries‐associated ILK research (n = 397 articles), we examined how ILK is accessed, applied, distributed across space and species, and has evolved. We show that ILK has generated qualitative, semi‐quantitative and quantitative information for diverse taxa across 98 countries. Fisheries‐associated ILK research mostly targets small‐scale and artisanal fishers (70% of studies) and typically uses semi‐structured interviews (60%). We revealed large variability in sample size (n = 4–7638), predicted by the approach employed and the data generated (i.e. qualitative studies target smaller groups). Using thematic categorisation, we show that scientists are still exploring techniques, or 'validating' ILK through comparisons with quantitative scientific data (20%), and recording qualitative information of what fishers understand (40%). A few researchers are applying quantitative social science methods to derive trends in abundance, catch and effort. Such approaches facilitate recognition of local insight in fisheries management but fall short of accepting ILK as a valid complementary way of knowing about fisheries systems. This synthesis reveals that development and increased opportunities are needed to bridge ILK and quantitative scientific data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this review, several chemical quality markers of Atlantic salmon, a widely farmed and consumed fish, are identified and discussed. Lipids, especially omega-3 fatty acids are of special importance as they relate to nutritional benefits. Pigmentation, resulting from the carotenoid deposition and retention in the muscles is one of the main factors that drive the market value of the fish. Both these quality markers are heavily influenced by the diet, and a variety of other important factors. Perhaps less obviously, contaminants and pollutants play a role in determining the overall quality of Atlantic salmon. Monitoring these quality parameters is performed via various analysis methods, many of which are considered industry standard due to many decades of producing reliable and accurate results. However, recent advances in spectroscopic techniques present faster, non-invasive techniques that have considerable potential in fisheries science. The following text outlines influences on the chemical quality markers in Atlantic salmon and compares various analysis techniques that can be used for quantification and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding age and growth are important for fisheries science and management; however, age data are not routinely collected for many populations. We propose and test a method of borrowing age–length data across increasingly broader spatiotemporal levels to create a hierarchical age–length key (HALK). We assessed this method by comparing growth and mortality metrics to those estimated from lake–year age–length keys ages using seven common freshwater fish species across the upper Midwestern United States. Levels used for data borrowing began most specifically by borrowing within lake across time and increased in breadth to include data within the Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 10 watershed, HUC8 watershed, Level III Ecoregion, and finally a species‐wide data ALK using all available data with our study for a species. Median deviation in mean length of age‐3 fish was within 1 cm for the most specific HALK levels, and median deviation in total annual mortality was close to 0 for most species when borrowing occurred within HUC10 and HUC8 watersheds. Percent error in growth curves increased with data borrowing, but plateaued—or even decreased—for some species when data borrowing expanded across spatial levels. We present the HALK as a method for gaining age information about a fishery when age data are unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries scientists compare processes among species to estimate species productivity, management reference points, and climate sensitivities. Ecologists have developed "phylogenetic comparative methods" (PCMs) to address these questions, but there is surprisingly little application of PCM within fisheries science. Here, I bridge this gap by introducing PCM (including Brownian motion, Ornstein–Uhlenbeck, and Pagel's kappa and lambda models for species covariance), thereby showing that PCM generalizes the nested taxonomic random effects that are commonly used in fisheries science. I next summarize phylogenetic structural equation models (PSEMs), which extend the linear models that are commonly used in fisheries. Finally, I re‐analyse a high‐quality database used to predict mortality rates from longevity and/or growth parameters. I specifically propose a PSEM that reverts to a longevity‐based prediction when longevity information is available but uses phylogenetic corrected growth parameters otherwise. Using this single PSEM replaces the common practice of fitting and predicting using separate linear models depending upon what data are available for a given species. Cross‐validation suggests that the relationship between log‐mortality rate and longevity does not vary based on phylogeny, and therefore, linear models and PSEM both explain 82% of variance when longevity is available. When longevity is unavailable, by contrast, the linear model explains only 37% of variance while the PSEM explains 52% of variance, where this gain occurs from conditioning predictions on phylogenetic similarities. I therefore conclude that PCM and PSEM provide a general and user‐friendly replacement for linear models and can improve performance for fisheries meta‐analyses that are used for fisheries management applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides concise summaries of various symposiums that took place at the 153rd AFS Annual Meeting. The symposiums covered a wide range of topics related to fisheries science and management. Some of the topics discussed included invasive and introduced species, climate change impacts on fisheries, Great Lakes research and management, hatchery programs, offshore wind and fisheries, aquatic food webs, fish passage at barriers, data-limited endangered and invasive species, and walleye management. The symposiums showcased innovative research and approaches to address challenges in fisheries science and management. [Extracted from the article]

The article highlights the talented awardees of the Equal Opportunities Section's travel awards at the American Fisheries Society's Annual Meeting. Rosie Pandit, a high school student, is conducting research on salmonoids in the Yakima River basin. Ojo Pelumi, an undergraduate student from Nigeria, is studying fish nutrition and biotechnology. Hannah Mulligan and Miriam Moreno, graduate students, are researching invasive species and ecological impacts. Shay Valentine, a PhD candidate, is studying the resource use of native Mississippi River fishes. The article also features the experience of Grace Colvin, an animal science major, attending her first fisheries conference and the impact it had on her. The Women of Fisheries is offering a $250 award for early career professionals in the fisheries science field. [Extracted from the article]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) was established in 2001 as a multi-institutional collaborative program with the goal of preparing a diverse future STEM workforce in marine and fisheries sciences. Using best practices for recruiting, mentoring, and training students, the Center has had a significant impact on the number of individuals from underrepresented groups earning degrees in NOAA-related sciences. From 2001 to 2022, the LMRCSC recruited and trained 1,092 students (516 BS, 241 MS, 89 PhD, and 246 non-degree students), and graduated 630 (401 BS/BA, 173 MS/MA, 56 PhD) students. About 77% of the graduates belong to underrepresented groups. Of the LMRCSC graduates, 41 work for NOAA or NOAA contractors. Since 2016, 67 graduate students have taken part in internships at NOAA Laboratories across the United States. Institutional capacities built using NOAA funds have enabled Historically Black Colleges and Universities collaborating with the Center to leverage funds to develop several programs, including a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates site in marine and estuarine science. The NOAA LMRCSC has become a model collaborative educational partnership that should be replicated elsewhere to enhance diversity in STEM disciplines, particularly the geosciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In fisheries science research and farmed fish monitoring, acquiring individual fish echoes is the basis for the growth assessment, tracking, and target strength estimation of farmed fish. However, individual fish echo detection methods based on narrowband signal features cannot be applied well to high-density aquaculture scenarios. The broadband signaling system can improve the distance resolution of the detected target and can help to improve the performance of individual fish echo detection. In this study, for the broadband signal system and the characteristics of the underwater fish acoustic echoes, an individual fish echo detection method is proposed using the matched filter output envelope peak interval and instantaneous frequency characteristics of the echo as evaluation indices, and the simulation and experiments of the method are carried out in an anechoic water tank. The results show that the broadband signal system and the corresponding detection method perform better in detecting single target echoes than the narrowband signal system. Compared with the broadband single echo detection method that only relies on the peak interval of the matched filter envelope, the joint detection method that incorporates the instantaneous frequency characteristics of the echo signal has a better rejection capability for overlapping echoes, which can reduce the probability of misjudging the overlapping echoes. The combined detection methods may provide a better detection performance for individual fish echoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding community responses to climate is critical for anticipating the future impacts of global change. However, despite increased research efforts in this field, models that explicitly include important biological mechanisms are lacking. Quantifying the potential impacts of climate change on species is complicated by the fact that the effects of climate variation may manifest at several points in the biological process. To this end, we extend a dynamic mechanistic model that combines population dynamics, such as species interactions, with species redistribution by allowing climate to affect both processes. We examine their relative contributions in an application to the changing biomass of a community of eight species in the Gulf of Maine using over 30 years of fisheries data from the Northeast Fishery Science Center. Our model suggests that the mechanisms driving biomass trends vary across space, time, and species. Phase space plots demonstrate that failing to account for the dynamic nature of the environmental and biologic system can yield theoretical estimates of population abundances that are not observed in empirical data. The stock assessments used by fisheries managers to set fishing targets and allocate quotas often ignore environmental effects. At the same time, research examining the effects of climate change on fish has largely focused on redistribution. Frameworks that combine multiple biological reactions to climate change are particularly necessary for marine researchers. This work is just one approach to modeling the complexity of natural systems and highlights the need to incorporate multiple and possibly interacting biological processes in future models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Sackett vs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which narrows the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The court ruled that wetlands must have a continuous surface connection to a larger water body to be protected under the act, disregarding the goals and objectives of the law. This decision leaves the responsibility of protecting wetlands and streams to states that may lack the resources and political will to do so effectively. The article highlights the importance of wetlands and nonpermanent water bodies for ecosystem services and biodiversity, and calls for continued advocacy and education on the importance of safeguarding these resources. [Extracted from the article]

Fisheries science uses quantitative methods to inform management decisions that reflect cultural preferences which, in turn, indirectly influence the states of ecosystems. To date, it has largely supported Eurocentric preferences for the commodification of marine organisms under the tenets of maximum sustainable yield, whereby abundances are intentionally maintained far below their historical baselines despite broader socio‐ecological trade‐offs. In contrast, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) adhere to the principle of "take only what you need and leave lots for the ecosystem," implementing lower fishery removals to support socio‐ecological resilience. Despite the power imbalance favouring Eurocentric preferences in decision‐making, fisheries scientists increasingly recognize that the pairing of IKS and Western science, or Two‐Eyed Seeing, would lead to more holistic management goals. For recognition to transcend tokenism, meaningful collaborations and co‐governance structures underlying knowledge co‐production must carry through to legislated policy changes. Using recent co‐governance developments for fisheries management and spatial protections involving federal, provincial and Indigenous governments in Pacific Canada, we illustrate how the precautionary approach, including reference points and harvest control rules broadly applied in international fisheries, could be revised to make collaborative fisheries management compatible with IKS and improve biodiversity and fisheries protections. Our recommendations may create socio‐economic trade‐offs at different timescales for commercial fishers. Pre‐empting that challenge, we discuss IKS‐compatible economic approaches for addressing shorter term costs arising from reduced exploitation rates. Although our case study derives from Pacific Canada, the insights provided here are broadly applicable elsewhere in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which assessed how the bioenergetics of scattering layer forays by a model predator vary across biomes using an interdisciplinary approach. Topics discussed include archival tagging and geolocation, dive extraction and classification of layer prey, and construction of light attenuation profiles from the archival depth-light series data.

Ecosystems & Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) is a joint research program between the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. FOCI was established by NOAA in 1984 to study the variability in recruitment success of commercially valuable fin and shellfish in Alaskan waters. The project initially studied walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the context of western Gulf of Alaska oceanography and meteorology. Transitioning from FOCI to EcoFOCI, the program broadened into ecosystem research in the North Pacific and US Arctic (including climate), drawing on multiple scientific disciplines, and continuing to match NOAA scientists with academic colleagues working at NOAA's cooperative institutes and other universities. EcoFOCI is an authoritative provider of scientific information that supports decisionmaking and environmental stewardship in Alaskan marine ecosystems through collaborative partnerships, innovation, and scientific integrity. Here, we discuss the origins of EcoFOCI and highlight a few of the scientific accomplishments of the program in understanding the drivers and impacts of long-term oceanographic trends, as well as extreme and episodic events, in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Island ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and understanding the behavior of fishing vessels are important in facilitating effective management, preventing illegal fishing, informing fishing grounds and evaluating effects of harvests on fishery resources. In recent decades, a large quantity of real-time data of fishing vessels have become available with the development of vessel-tracking systems, making it possible to study the behavior of fishing vessels in high spatial and temporal resolutions. To effectively and efficiently deal with the large amount of data, algorithms from artificial intelligence (AI) are increasingly applied in the study of fishing vessel behavior. In this paper, we first introduce the various data sources for studying fishing vessel behavior and compare their pros and cons. Secondly, we review the AI methods that have been used to monitor and extract the behavior of fishing vessels from big data. Then, studies on the physical, ecological and social mechanisms affecting the behavior of fishing vessels were synthesized. Lastly, we review the applications of fishing vessel behavior in fishery science and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bottom temperature is routinely measured as part of the bottom-trawl survey conducted every summer on the continental shelf of the eastern Bering Sea by the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center. These data are widely used in ecosystem, stock assessment, and ocean modeling. We assessed the effect of alternative sampling designs and effort reduction on the quality of bottom-temperature information from the survey. Simplerandom and stratified-random sampling were simulated and compared with the systematic sampling of fixed stations in the regular grid used in the standard survey, with respect to the use of survey data in the estimation of bottom temperatures and related indices. The effort simulated ranged from 34% to 100% of the full effort. In the simulated surveys, the use of each of the 3 sampling designs resulted in values of bottom-temperature metrics that are close to those from the real survey, even with as little as half the effort. Lower effort resulted in larger and more variable prediction errors of the indices. The decrease in prediction performance is most noticeable at the 34% effort level. Systematic sampling performed slightly better than simplerandom and stratified-random sampling. One reason for this difference in performance is that random sampling may have been less effective than the standard sampling in capturing a small cold pool that is characteristic of the current warm ocean state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human dimension is one major source of uncertainty in the management of social-ecological systems such as fisheries. Agent-based models (ABMs) can help to reduce these uncertainties by making it possible to model and simulate human behavior. To understand how ABMs can be applied in fisheries science, a classification scheme was developed based on reviews in other social-ecological domains, theoretical frameworks, and documentation standards. This classification scheme was subsequently used to review agent-based simulation studies that modeled human decision-making in a fisheries context to identify trends and knowledge gaps. Applying the classification scheme revealed that the existing fisheries-related ABMs employ a variety of decision theories, policies, social interactions, agent memories, and data sources, and revealed a wide potential for applications of ABMs to a broad range of research questions and management recommendations. Nevertheless, it turned out that it is, so far, virtually unexplored how environmental factors influence fishing decisions or how social norms and learning influence fishing behavior. It also became clear that the documentation and provenance information of ABMs need to be improved – e.g., by applying standardized documentation procedures, such as ODD + D and TRACE – to enhance the credibility, transparency, and reusability of ABMs in fisheries science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common goal among fisheries science professionals, stakeholders, and rights holders is to ensure the persistence and resilience of vibrant fish populations and sustainable, equitable fisheries in diverse aquatic ecosystems, from small headwater streams to offshore pelagic waters. Achieving this goal requires a complex intersection of science and management, and a recognition of the interconnections among people, place, and fish that govern these tightly coupled socioecological and sociotechnical systems. The World Fisheries Congress (WFC) convenes every four years and provides a unique global forum to debate and discuss threats, issues, and opportunities facing fish populations and fisheries. The 2021 WFC meeting, hosted remotely in Adelaide, Australia, marked the 30th year since the first meeting was held in Athens, Greece, and provided an opportunity to reflect on progress made in the past 30 years and provide guidance for the future. We assembled a diverse team of individuals involved with the Adelaide WFC and reflected on the major challenges that faced fish and fisheries over the past 30 years, discussed progress toward overcoming those challenges, and then used themes that emerged during the Congress to identify issues and opportunities to improve sustainability in the world's fisheries for the next 30 years. Key future needs and opportunities identified include: rethinking fisheries management systems and modelling approaches, modernizing and integrating assessment and information systems, being responsive and flexible in addressing persistent and emerging threats to fish and fisheries, mainstreaming the human dimension of fisheries, rethinking governance, policy and compliance, and achieving equity and inclusion in fisheries. We also identified a number of cross-cutting themes including better understanding the role of fish as nutrition in a hungry world, adapting to climate change, embracing transdisciplinarity, respecting Indigenous knowledge systems, thinking ahead with foresight science, and working together across scales. By reflecting on the past and thinking about the future, we aim to provide guidance for achieving our mutual goal of sustaining vibrant fish populations and sustainable fisheries that benefit all. We hope that this prospective thinking can serve as a guide to (i) assess progress towards achieving this lofty goal and (ii) refine our path with input from new and emerging voices and approaches in fisheries science, management, and stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catch-and-effort data are among the primary sources of information for assessing the status of terrestrial wildlife and fish. In fishery science, elaborate stock-assessment models are fitted to such data in order to estimate fish-population sizes and guide management decisions. Given the importance of catch-and-effort data, we scoured a comprehensive dataset pertaining to albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) in the north Pacific Ocean for novel ecological information content about this commercially valuable species. Specifically, we used unsupervised learning based on finite mixture modelling to reveal that the north Pacific albacore-tuna stock can be divided into four pseudo-cohorts. We discovered that smaller body mass pseudo-cohorts inhabit relatively high—subtropical to temperate—latitudes, with hotspots off the coast of Japan. Larger body mass pseudo-cohorts inhabit lower—tropical to subtropical—latitudes, with hotspots in the western and central north Pacific. These results offer evidence that albacore tuna prefer different habitats depending on their body mass, and point to long-term migratory routes for the species that the current tagging technology is unlikely to capture in full. We discuss the implications of the results for data-driven modelling of albacore tuna in the north Pacific, as well as the management of the north Pacific albacore-tuna fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the science supporting fisheries management has generally been dominated by the natural sciences, there has been a growing recognition that managing fisheries essentially means managing economic systems. Indeed, over the past seven decades, economic ideas and insights have increasingly come to play a role in fisheries management and policy. As an illustration of this, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has been actively seeking to expand the scope of its scientific expertise beyond natural sciences [another inter-governmental marine science organization which has done this over the same period is the North Pacific Marine Science organization (PICES)]. In particular, the recently created ICES Working Group on Economics set out to review current work and key future needs relating to economic research and management advice on marine capture fisheries. This article presents the results of this review and addresses how economic research can be incorporated into the science of ICES to provide integrated perspectives on fisheries systems that can contribute to the provision of advice in support of policy development and management decision-making for sustainable uses of living marine resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding and predicting recruitment, longstanding goals in fisheries science and ecology, are complicated by variation in the importance of environmental drivers coupled with the dynamic nature of individual ecosystems. Developing an understanding of recruitment from well‐monitored stocks offers an opportunity to overcome these complexities. We used a systematic literature review, a survey, and a workshop attended by professionals with expertise in recruitment of Walleye Sander vitreus to identify common environmental drivers of Walleye recruitment and additional sources of variation (i.e., context dependencies) among populations. The importance of individual environmental drivers, as well as the direction of their influence, differed as a function of geographic region, lake surface area, and Walleye life stage. The literature suggested abiotic conditions (e.g., temperature) during the first year of life were influential in determining recruitment. Professional opinion noted the importance of biotic factors, with prey availability and predation risk having the most consistent relationships with recruitment. We synthesized this information to propose a conceptual model that illustrates the suite of characteristics that shape Walleye recruitment over large spatial and temporal scales. Our findings emphasize the importance of first‐year growth and system‐specific contextual factors, which can alter the relative importance of the environmental drivers of recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching statistics to generalist students oriented toward a profession, rather than academic merits, may be challenging. As statistics courses also tend to have a low student appeal, tailoring a course toward this type of audience is demanding. Framed within the theory of statistical thinking and literacy, this article shows how an investigative process, using domain data and real‐life examples, may facilitate meaningful learning and motivate students. Describing and reflecting upon the methods used, both in teaching and assessment, the article contributes to the practice of teaching statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand and manage marine ecosystems for conservation, particle-tracking simulation based on a realistic ocean model is one of the most basic and essential scientific numerical techniques for a multidisciplinary approach. In Japanese waters, this technique was first used under somewhat simplified conditions in the 1980s, and then it continued to be developed, with the number of studies using this technique increasing drastically after the mid-2000s. At that time, mesoscale eddy-resolving ocean forecast systems moved into operational phase, and since then, those reanalysis or analysis products have been publicly shared among scientists. This article provides an overview of the history and current status of particle-tracking simulation for marine biology around Japan (e.g., target species, ocean models utilized, configurations and timescales of particle-tracking models, and related biological data) and summarizes the scientific resources to be maintained and some issues to be resolved in the next future step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "data-limited fisheries" is a catch-all to generally describe situations lacking data to support a fully integrated stock assessment model. Data conditions range from data-void fisheries to those that reliably produce quantitative assessments. However, successful fishery assessment can also be limited by resources (e.g., time, money, capacity). The term "data-limited fisheries" is therefore too vague and incomplete to describe such wide-ranging conditions, and subsequent needs for management vary greatly according to each fishery's context. Here, we acknowledge this relativity and identify a range of factors that can constrain the ability of analyses to inform management, by instead defining the state of being "data-limited" as a continuum along axes of data (e.g., type, quality, and quantity) and resources (e.g., time, funding, capacity). We introduce a tool (the DLMapper) to apply this approach and define where a fishery lies on this relativity spectrum of limitations (i.e. from no data and no resources to no constraints on data and resources). We also provide a ranking of guiding principles, as a function of the limiting conditions. This high-level guidance is meant to identify current actions to consider for overcoming issues associated with data and resource constraints given a specific "data-limited" condition. We apply this method to 20 different fisheries to demonstrate the approach. By more explicitly outlining the various conditions that create "data-limited situations" and linking these to broad guidance, we aim to contextualize and improve the communication of conditions, and identify effective opportunities to continue to develop and progress the science of "limited" stock assessment in support of fisheries management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the drivers behind fluctuations in fish populations remains a key objective in fishery science. Our predictive capacity to explain these fluctuations is still relatively low, due to the amalgam of interacting bottom-up and top-down factors, which vary across time and space among and within populations. Gaining a mechanistic understanding of these recruitment drivers requires a holistic approach, combining field, experimental and modelling efforts. Here, we use the Western Baltic Spring-Spawning (WBSS) herring (Clupea harengus) to exemplify the power of this holistic approach and the high complexity of the recruitment drivers (and their interactions). Since the early 2000s, low recruitment levels have promoted intense research on this stock. Our literature synthesis suggests that the major drivers are habitat compression of the spawning beds (due to eutrophication and coastal modification mainly) and warming, which indirectly leads to changes in spawning phenology, prey abundance and predation pressure. Other factors include increased intensity of extreme climate events and new predators in the system. Four main knowledge gaps were identified related to life-cycle migration and habitat use, population structure and demographics, life-stage specific impact of multi-stressors, and predator–prey interactions. Specific research topics within these areas are proposed, as well as the priority to support a sustainable management of the stock. Given that the Baltic Sea is severely impacted by warming, eutrophication and altered precipitation, WBSS herring could be a harbinger of potential effects of changing environmental drivers to the recruitment of small pelagic fishes in other coastal areas in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries are important sources of nutrients for people, but fisheries science and management do not consider nutrient information. The result is that fisheries are conducted without knowledge of how exploited species portfolios produce nutrients, how these yields have changed over time, and how they may change in the future. Here, we develop approaches for nutrient-informed analysis, and illustrate their use by applying them to catches from northwest Atlantic fisheries from 1950 to 2014. Relative to catch weights, nutrient yields showed more change over time and greater degrees of concentration in fewer taxa. Species that were minor from a weight perspective were identified as key sources of specific nutrients. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) emerge as a cornerstone of regional nutrient yields, with recent yields of some nutrients so disproportionately reliant upon herring as to indicate a potential lack of resilience. Insights such as these emphasize the need for nutrient informed approaches to fisheries assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishers' Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) has multidimensional contributions to improve fisheries and aquatic ecosystems science, ranging from algae to whales and including management, conservation, ecology, and impact assessment. The challenges are to sustain this knowledge, recognize its value, and to include ILK holders in resource management and decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many STEM fields, women are considered an underrepresented social group and have been the subject of research and initiatives focused on increasing their representation. However, research suggests that focusing solely on numerical representations of a single measure of diversity often ignores how the combination of identities influence experiences. This study investigates how women and women of color perceive that their social identities (gender, race, and/or ethnicity) influence their experiences in marine, aquatic, and fisheries science‐related careers. Findings revealed positive experiences connected to social identities, including examples of feelings of belonging and positive evaluations of members of their in‐groups. However, findings also highlighted negative experiences resulting from social identities and instances of out‐group discrimination and bias. While all participants in this study identified as women, findings revealed differences in experiences across racial and ethnic groups, highlighting the importance of exploring diversity and experiences through an intersectionality framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interdisciplinary data fuel fisheries oceanography research and the ecosystem‐based approaches to management and sustainable development it informs. Underlying this is a distributed ocean observing framework that is integrated, interoperable, interactive, and accessible. In recognition of the 30th anniversary of Fisheries Oceanography the journal, this paper reviews the evolution of observing instruments and platforms used in contemporary fisheries oceanography the science. Illustrated with personal anecdotes, past efforts to create or adopt observing technologies, and examples of their use in research, this highlights the spectrum of instruments, systems, and programs used to survey and monitor ocean ecosystems. Modern ocean observing systems are complex and varied, reflecting the range and diversity of data required by fisheries oceanographers. These systems require a large and ongoing investment and an interdisciplinary community of scientists, engineers, and technicians to design, build, install, operate, and maintain them. Common themes emerge from a review of past successful instrument R&D and deployments. It is a highly collaborative, integrative, and iterative process. Most systems are the result of vision, planning, and perseverance, backed by careful calibration and intercomparison. Long‐term support is essential; public–private partnerships that leverage funding, technology, and infrastructure are critical. Sustaining long time series for monitoring population and ecosystem change and to support fisheries oceanography research is a priority. Future areas of focus include continuously innovating and updating technologies, implementing a backbone of core observations, and maintaining a nimble infrastructure and R&D capacity to seize new opportunities and address emerging challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kassem, H.; Amos, C.L., and Thompson, C.E.L., 2023. Sea surface temperature trends in the coastal zone of southern England. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(1), 18–31. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Sea surface temperature (SST) trends along the south coast of England (northern English Channel) were examined based on data from systematic buoy measurements deployed by the National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes of England (NNRCMP) since 2003. These data were supplemented with: (1) long-term, coastal SST measurements by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS); (2) global data sets compiled by the Hadley Centre since 1900, and (3) satellite-derived observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Aqua) since 2002. These data sets were used to evaluate de-seasoned nearshore trends in SST along the south coast of England and examine links to regional ocean-atmosphere teleconnections. The analyses of long-term, CEFAS data support the proposal that prior to the mid-1980s there were no de-seasoned trends in SST and conditions from year to year were relatively stable. Subsequently, interannual fluctuations appear to have increased, associated with a period of warming between 1985 and 2003 (0.28 °C/decade). Post 2003, interannual fluctuations in SST monitored by the NNRCMP buoys continued, and the warming trend appears to be greater (0.42 °C/decade). This trend in SST is greatest in the nearshore and decreases with distance offshore. The warming in SST also varied greatly from month to month. The greatest warming took place from December to March, whilst the least heating (and sometimes cooling) occurred between September and November. Analysis of Hadley (HadSST1.1) and MODIS data sets substantiated these trends. The greatest warming (post 2003) was found west of Portland Bill (up to 0.76 °C/decade) and decreased towards the Strait of Dover. Despite this west-to-east trend, all 12 NNRCMP stations between Penzance and Folkestone showed remarkably similar results, suggesting regional and global sources of heat rather than local sources. This is corroborated through wavelet coherence analysis linking SST anomalies to regional/global ocean-atmosphere teleconnection indices at seasonal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pelochelys cantorii is critically endangered and rarely seen in the wild, and only 13 adults are being kept in captivity in China. For the purpose of reinforcing the conservation and management of P. cantorii, the Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute (Chinese Fishery Academy of Sciences) successfully bred more than 800 turtles from 2015 to 2020. In this study, we developed and characterized 10 simple sequence repeat markers from the RNA transcriptome of P. cantorii, established two multiplex PCR systems, and obtained the genetic structure and genetic diversity of the artificially conserved population. The aim was to obtain viable second-generation P. cantorii with the highest genetic diversity to implement population recovery plans for this species. To understand the genetic structure of the protected turtle species Pelochelys cantorii we used transcriptome data to design more than 30,000 tri- and tetranucleotide repeat microsatellite primer pairs, of which 230 pairs were used for laboratory experiments. After two screenings, only 10 microsatellite markers with good specificity, high amplification efficiency, and polymorphisms were obtained. Using the selected primers, two multiplex PCR systems were established to compare and analyze the genetic diversity of artificially assisted breeding generations from four parents (two females and two males) continuously bred over two years. A total of 25 alleles were detected among the 10 microsatellite loci of the offspring. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.313–0.674, with an average of 0.401, among which two loci were highly polymorphic (PIC ≥ 0.5). The number of alleles was 2–5 and the number of effective alleles was 1.635–3.614. The observed heterozygosity was 0.341–0.813, with an average of 0.582, whereas the average expected heterozygosity was 0.389–0.725, with an average of 0.493. Moreover, on the basis of Nei's genetic distance and the Bayesian clustering algorithm, the 182 offspring were divided into two subgroups, and the results corresponded to the two maternal lines. This is the first study to investigate the molecular markers of P. cantorii, and the results obtained can be used to protect genetic resources and provide a genetic basis for the design of population recovery plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been many studies on the taxonomy of lanternfishes, morphological similarities during larval and juvenile stages make it difficult to identify species and understand their early life histories. During an ichthyoplankton survey in the Northwest Pacific (East Sea, East China Sea) between 2017 and 2020, a research vessel from the National Institute of Fisheries Science collected larvae and juveniles that belonged to the family Myctophidae using a bongo net. To accurately identify species, mtDNA sequences encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal RNA were obtained and compared with those of adult voucher specimens. These comparisons led to the identification of four previously unknown larval lanternfish species (Diaphus chrysorhynchus, Diaphus suborbitalis, Diaphus watasei and Lampanyctus fernae), which are described here for the first time. The authors also describe the cryptic diversity of Benthosema pterotum and provide identification keys for 10 species of larval lanternfish, in accordance with their developmental stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constant challenge in fisheries stock assessment and management is having sufficient data to inform research and analyses. Nontraditional data sources like citizen science, when collected and applied appropriately, can help fill such data gaps. Use of nontraditional data sources is on the rise, but its use and application in fisheries science and management remains largely untapped. In order to examine the use of such data sources, we held a symposium at the 2020 American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting entitled "How Citizen Science and Nontraditional Data Sources can be Better Incorporated Into Fisheries Stock Assessments and Management" (https://bit.ly/3V13vHe). The session included 12 talks and a panel discussion to examine best practices. This paper reviews seven nontraditional data programs and projects used to support fisheries management featured in this special issue of Fisheries. It concludes with key lessons from the panel discussion for best applying nontraditional data sources in fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Deep 7" bottomfish complex, which consists of six snapper and one grouper species, is a complex that carries high economic and cultural importance to the islands of Hawaii. These bottomfish have been monitored through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Deep 7 fishery‐independent surveys since 2016. These surveys use underwater stereo camera systems that produce hundreds of thousands of images that must be annotated by human analysts in order to generate species‐specific, size‐structured abundance estimates. We developed a citizen science project, called "OceanEYEs," as a means to effectively process this imagery. A beta test was conducted to determine the accuracy of citizen science annotations in comparison to expert annotators. Our results suggest that aggregated citizen scientist data can achieve accuracy levels approaching that of expert annotators, which has the potential to improve image annotation efficiency and produce large volumes of high‐quality training data to improve machine learning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific careers and publishing have radically changed in recent decades creating an increasingly competitive environment for early career scientists (ECS). The lack of quantitative data available on ECS in marine and fisheries sciences prevents direct assessment of the consequences of increased competitiveness. We assessed the contributions of ECS (up to 6 years post first publication) to the field using an indirect approach by investigating the authorships of peer-reviewed articles. We analysed 118461 papers published by 184561 authors in the top 20 marine and fisheries sciences journals over the years 1991–2020. We identified a positive long-term trend in the proportion of scientific articles (co-)authored by ECS. This suggests a growing contribution by ECS to publications in the field. However, the mean proportion of ECS (co-)authors within one publication declined significantly over the study period. Subsequent tests demonstrated that articles with ECS (co-)authors receive fewer citations and that the proportion of ECS (co-)authors on an article has a significant negative effect on the number of citations. We discuss the potential causes of these inequalities and urge systematic support to ECS to achieve more balanced opportunities for funding and publishing between ECS and senior scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "adaptive zone" appeared in paleontology and evolutionary biology, where it was not clearly defined, and gradually became obsolete and is now rarely used. This paper provides an updated definition of the term applicable in modern ecology and biogeography. It is shown that an adaptive zone is a particular case of Petersen-type communities. Sixteen implications were formulated that were theoretically derived from the facts known about range, Hutchinson's niche, Petersen-type community, and their relationships with adaptive zone amended definition. The review includes the creation of simple and logical methods for finding, naming, and classifying adaptive zones. This regulates the conceptual apparatus of biology and opens up new lines of research in several of its branches. The applied aspects of the new adaptive zone concept are many current issues that include fisheries, aqua- and agriculture, forestry and hunting, natural nidality, combating alien species, weeds, pests and parasites, environmental protection, and artificial ecosystem creation. A Case Study is included that contains examples of maps of the adaptive zones of fauna from the far eastern seas and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, which is one of the most important fishing regions in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the New England shelf break, cold, less saline shelf water collides with warmer saltier slope water to form a distinct oceanographic front. During the Office of Naval Research Sediment Characterization Experiment in 2017, the front was mapped by narrowband (18 and 38 kHz) and broadband (70–280 kHz) shipboard echo sounders. The acoustically determined cross-shelf velocity of the front ranged in amplitude from 0.02 to 0.33 m/s. Acoustic surveys revealed aggregations of scatterers near the foot of the front. Acoustic backscatter in conjunction with Northeast Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys identified longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus) as the most likely scatterers in the aggregations. A mixed species scattering model was developed and further refined by the use of a matching method used for distribution of the lengths of each species. The mean length of squid and mackerel, respectively, using the matching method was 4.45 ± 1.00 and 20.25 ± 1.25 cm compared with 6.17 ± 2.58 and 22.76 ± 1.50 cm from the trawl data. The estimated total biomass of the aggregation was a factor of 1.64 times larger when using the matching method estimated length distribution compared to the trawl length distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in imaging systems have facilitated the collection of high-volume imagery datasets in fisheries science. To alleviate the costs of sorting these datasets, automated image processing techniques are used. In this study, we investigate a machine learning-enabled imaging technique for automating individual fish detection from stereo image pairs of orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus). We performed a set of object detection experiments to investigate how well a Single Shot Multi-Box Detector (SSD) model worked under dynamic real-world conditions when trained over a small number of epochs. We tested model generalization between the port and starboard side cameras; at variable fish densities; different benthic substrates; and at different altitudes above the seafloor. We show that (1) changes in perspective between starboard and port images are not enough to break the object detector, (2) the object detector begins to have trouble differentiating individuals at high fish densities (>20 fish per image), (3) substrate type does not affect model performance, and (4) altitude is not a major factor contributing to model error. Ideally, this type of real-world dataset exploration should be performed prior to committing the resources to train the final object detector over several hundred epochs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay explores shifting scientific understandings of fish and the evolution of fisheries science, and it grapples with colonialism as a system of power. We trace the rise of fisheries science to a time when Western nation-states were industrializing fishing fleets and competing for access to distant fishing grounds. A theory of fishing called "maximum sustainable yield" (MSY) that understands fish species in aggregate was espoused. Although alternatives to MSY have been developed, decision-making continues to be informed by statistical models developed within fisheries science. A challenge for structured management systems now rests in attending to different systems of knowledge and addressing local objectives, values, and circumstances. To deepen and illustrate key points, we examine Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) and the expansion of commercial herring fisheries and state-led management in British Columbia, Canada. A feedback between colonialism and fisheries science is evident: colonialism generated the initial conditions for expansion and has been reinforced through the implementation of approaches and tools from fisheries science that define and quantify conservation in particular ways. Some features may be unique to the herring illustration, but important aspects of the feedback are more broadly generalizable. We propose three interconnected goals: (a) transform the siloed institutions and practices of Western science, (b) reimagine and rebuild pathways between information (including diverse values and perspectives) and decision-making, and (c) devolve governance authority and broaden governance processes such that multiple ways of knowing share equal footing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid climate change is altering Arctic ecosystems and significantly affecting the livelihoods and cultural traditions of Arctic Indigenous peoples. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), growing evidence suggests that climate change is altering marine environments. In this project we recorded and synthesized Inuvialuit knowledge of Pacific salmon. We used methods that are emergent in fisheries science to combine interview information with voluntary harvest data and better understand changes to salmon in the Arctic. We conducted 53 interviews with Inuvialuit fishers about the history of Pacific salmon harvest, how it has changed in recent decades, and concurrent changes to local environments and fish species. Our interviews show that historical, incidental salmon harvest in the ISR ranged from infrequent to common among western communities, but was rare or unprecedented among eastern communities. Participants in all six communities reported a recent increase in salmon harvest and attributed this shift to regional environmental change. Fishers were concerned that salmon would negatively affect their cultural traditions and preferred fish species. Given uncertainty about the effects of salmon on local fisheries, research on salmon in the Arctic, the likelihood of their establishment, and their potential to provide subsidies to Arctic freshwater ecosystems is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Handling and conducting invasive procedures are necessary for aspects of fisheries science, invariably inducing a stress response and imposing energetic demands on fish. Anaesthesia or immobilisation techniques are often used in an attempt to mitigate stress and improve welfare, yet these also come with their own impacts on post‐release recovery. Here, the authors investigated whether changes in cardiac activity (heart rates over time, heart rate maxima, and scopes) differed in adult walleye (Sander vitreus) anaesthetised with AQUI‐S® 20E (eugenol), electroanaesthetised with a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit or electrostunned with a commercially developed stunning unit. This experiment was divided into two trials. In the first trial, fish were implanted with heart rate loggers and left to recover for c. 4 days. In the second trial, fish were implanted with heart rate loggers, given 3 days to recover and re‐exposed to their initial treatments (excluding surgery). Post‐treatment cardiac activity was quantified for both trials. Although highly variable across individuals, the authors found no significant differences in heart rate changes over time or recovery times among treatments. Maximum heart rates were consistent among treatment groups, yet significant differences in heart rate scope provided further evidence of strong interindividual variation in the second trial. Based on these results, the authors did not identify any welfare‐relevant differences or concerns associated with one treatment over another. Further investigations of the relationships between measures of cardiac function and other physiological stress markers would be beneficial towards identifying best practices for fish handling in fisheries science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphology and feature selection are key approaches to address several issues in fisheries science and stock management, such as the hypothesis of admixture of Caspian common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and farmed carp stocks in Iran. The present study was performed to investigate the population classification of common carp in the southern Caspian basin using data mining algorithms to find the most important characteristic(s) differing between Iranian and farmed common carp. A total of 74 individuals were collected from three locations within the southern Caspian basin and from one farm between November 2015 and April 2016. A dataset of 26 traditional morphometric (TMM) attributes and a dataset of 14 geometric landmark points were constructed and then subjected to various machine learning methods. In general, the machine learning methods had a higher prediction rate with TMM datasets. The highest decision tree accuracy of 77% was obtained by rule and decision tree parallel algorithms, and "head height on eye area" was selected as the best marker to distinguish between wild and farmed common carp. Various machine learning algorithms were evaluated, and we found that the linear discriminant was the best method, with 81.1% accuracy. The results obtained from this novel approach indicate that Darwin's domestication syndrome is observed in common carp. Moreover, they pave the way for automated detection of farmed fish, which will be most beneficial to detect escapees and improve restocking programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Body size estimation method for seasonally growing farmed yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata in an aquaculture net cage using a stereo camera" published in Fisheries Science. The correction addresses an error in the author's name, which was incorrectly written as Kazusyoshi Komeyama instead of Kazuyoshi Komeyama. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, maintains a neutral stance on jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Kazuyoshi Komeyama, Atsushi Ikegami, Kichinosuke Fukuda, Azusa Ishida, Yuto Sasaki, Hitoshi Maeno, Shigeru Asaumi, Takashi Uchida, Yusei Katahira, Akio Seki, Tetsuo Oka, Yasuhiko Shiina, and Yuki Takahashi. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a correction notice regarding a duplicate publication in the journal Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture. The article titled "Future Feeds: Suggested Guidelines for Sustainable Development" by Albert G. J. Tacon, Marc Metian, and Aaron A. McNevin, published in 2021, has been removed as it is a duplicate of an article with the same title published in 2020. The correction provides the correct publication information for the original article. [Extracted from the article]