Tag Archives: nefsc
How lobstermen gather temperature data from the bottom of the ocean
A few decades ago, Jim Manning wanted to know what was at the bottom of the sea. And after years of studying waterways on the Atlantic coast, he says he’s seen a steady change in ocean temperatures that he calls ‘unprecedented.’ Manning is an oceanographer at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He partners with lobstermen on the Northeast Shelf from Maine to New York, attaching low-cost temperature and depth loggers to some of the millions of lobster traps deployed throughout New England. The project, called eMOLT (Environmental Monitors on Lobster Traps) records and plots . click here to read the story 09:31
Northeast Cooperative Research Program Review
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center initiated an independent review of its Northeast Cooperative Research Program in 2016. The final reviewer report, NEFSC response, and action plan are now available and posted below. The review found that the NCRP has demonstrated success working with fishing industry partners on research that can improve fishery science and management. Examples include long-term efforts like the NEFSC study fleet, development of electronic reporting tools for catch and environmental data, enhanced sampling opportunities of fishery resources, and specialized industry-based survey collaborations. Click here to continue reading. 16:10
NEFSC, R/V Hugh R. Sharp Lose HabCam during Scallop survey, Fisheries Survival Fund takes them to task!
Last Thursday, May 19, 2016, while on the current scallop survey, the NEFSC crew lost the HabCam when it separated from the vessel. According to initial reports, it was inadvertently driven into the side of a known and charted shipwreck while being operated by a volunteer, losing at least a week of valuable sea time. Several knowledgeable sources have suggested that there could be as much as $100,000 in damage. Accordingly, the researchers must return to port to acquire a remote operated vehicle, which they will use to attempt to find the lost HabCam. The loss of a key piece of scallop survey equipment demonstrates the need for an overhaul of how the federal government assesses the species. The Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF), which represents the majority of the limited access scallop fleet, calls for reforms to how scallop surveys are conducted to prevent such an incident from derailing surveys in the future. Read the rest here 17:25
July 22 Meetings for Fishermen on Upcoming Groundfish Operational Assessments
The NEFSC is holding outreach meetings on July 22 in Portland, Gloucester, Woods Hole, and New Bedford for fishermen interested in the upcoming operational assessments for 20 stocks of Northeast groundfish. Click link for information on webinar, meeting times and locations Two assessment analysts will be on hand to meet with interested fishermen, to learn more about recent observations from the fleet that might help focus future research to improve assessments. There will also be a short webinar on the timeline for the assessments, what new information will be considered, and how the results will be reviewed before they are sent into the fishery management process. Read the notice here2013 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Awards Announced
Eighteen researchers from seven different institutions have been awarded 2013 research grants focused on the region’s most valuable commercial fishery, 
. Fourteen projects involving more than 20 scallop and research vessels will be supported with awards totaling just over $12.5 million. continued
