Saving Seafood

Offshore wind arrays will disrupt fisheries assessments, scientists warn

July 29, 2020 — Offshore wind turbine arrays planned off the East Coast will likely impede future fisheries surveys, increasing uncertainty in stock assessments and potentially lowering annual fishing quotas, according to a new critique of the federal government’s Vineyard Wind environmental report.

In a July 22 paper, the Science Center for Marine Fisheries concluded that the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management in its supplemental environmental impact statement directed “insufficient attention… to the impact beyond the Vineyard Wind project, whereas the cumulative impact is the issue of greatest concern.”

The center is a cooperative research group, including representatives of universities and the fishing industry, organized under the National Science Foundation to pursue fisheries science questions. Its review of BOEM’s environmental assessment raises eight key issues, saying that much more research is needed to clarify the potential impacts of up to 15 Atlantic wind energy projects.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Latest Federal Report on Offshore Wind Pays ‘Insufficient Attention’ to Overall Impacts, SCEMFIS Researchers Find

July 28, 2020 — The following was releasd by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

A new report released last week by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) found that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) “paid insufficient attention” to the total impact of offshore wind beyond the proposed Vineyard Wind project in its latest environmental report. SCEMFIS researchers also found that BOEM failed to address the scope and scale of offshore wind’s impacts on fisheries surveys beyond categorizing them as “major.”

BOEM released its supplement to the draft environmental impact statement (SEIS) last month for the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. The SEIS sought to analyze the cumulative impacts of every reasonably foreseeable offshore wind development on the U.S. East Coast in the coming years.

“In the case of the present SEIS, one cannot evaluate the total impact of the proposed development of the Mid-Atlantic Bight as insufficient attention is paid to the impact beyond the Vineyard Wind project, whereas the cumulative impact is the issue of greatest concern,” the SCEMFIS team wrote. While the SEIS analysis is “extensive across potentially affected resources,” its frequent “lack of detail” is a weakness, they wrote.

The most important direct economic impact of offshore wind on fisheries could be the impact of turbine placement on stock assessments, the SCEMFIS report found. Surveys are unlikely to be conducted in wind areas, in which case it is assumed that no stock exists there. This would likely lead to quota reductions, especially due to increased uncertainty in the assessments, and the resulting long-term effects would not be able to be resolved by a single-year compensation plan.

While the SEIS correctly categorized such impacts as “major,” the SCEMFIS team wrote, “it does not address the scale and scope of these impacts.” The SEIS also seemed to overlook potential changes in vessel transit routes that make certain areas no longer profitable to fish, the team wrote.

The biggest indirect threat to fisheries is a likely increase in marine mammal entanglements in and near wind areas, according to the SCEMFIS report. This could result from an increased density of fishing gear due to a reduction in available fishing areas and a new source of entanglements from offshore wind construction and operations that could be mistakenly attributed to fisheries. Greater threats to marine mammals would lead to greater limitations on fishermen, and the SEIS should have classified these impacts as “major” instead of “moderate,” the researchers wrote.

There are also several potential environmental impacts from offshore wind that the SEIS did not adequately explore, the SCEMFIS team found. For instance, the SEIS considered impacts on the ecologically important “cold pool” of water that extends seasonally off the U.S. East Coast, but only focused on impacts during some parts of the year. Seasonally, this region experiences one of the largest transitions in ocean stratification of anywhere in the world. Weakening the cold pool could help generate “the most catastrophic ecological event on the continental shelf the world has ever seen,” the researchers wrote, so great care must be taken to show the chance of an impact from offshore wind is “vanishingly small.” Such science is not present in the SEIS, they wrote.

Additionally, the SEIS mentioned climate change “without coming to grips with the seriousness of the problem,” according to the SCEMFIS team. While the SEIS considered the current state of resources in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, it failed to adequately consider changes in species and fishing distribution that are likely to continue as a result of climate change, the team wrote.

In total, the SCEMFIS report found the Vineyard Wind SEIS needed further work on eight key issues: the totality of impact across the Mid-Atlantic, physical oceanographic processes, climate change, adequacy of the database on finfish and benthic invertebrates, long-lived biota, fishing/surveys/stock assessments, marine mammals, and economics.

The report was written by Eric Powell (University of Southern Mississippi), Andrew Scheld (Virginia Institute of Marine Science), Pat Sullivan (Cornell University), Josh Kohut (Rutgers University), Thomas Grothues (Rutgers University), Daphne Munroe (Rutgers University), Paula Moreno (EcoMarine Integrated Analytics, LLC), and Gavin Fay (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth). The scientific results and conclusions of this report, as well as any views or opinions expressed, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the SCEMFIS Industry Advisory Board, member companies, VIMS, USM, NOAA, or the Department of Commerce. The report can be found on the SCEMFIS website here.

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Funds Over $173,000 in New Research

June 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

At its spring meeting, the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) approved 6 new research projects and awarded $173,547 in funding. Coming as the fishing industry continues to deal with the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, the projects funded by the Center deal with some of the most economically important issues for the future of the industry.

These projects include efforts to study how offshore windfarms impact marine life; how to improve stock assessments for one of the largest fisheries in the country; and how to better use shellfish byproducts as commercial products. All projects were approved by the SCEMFIS Industry Advisory Board (IAB), which is composed of Center members in the finfish and shellfish industries. The SCEMFIS IAB encourages companies with an interest in promoting sustainability in the industry to consider joining.

SCEMFIS is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program, a federal initiative to bring together academic researchers and industry members to fund projects improving our understanding of economically important issues.

The following projects were approved at the spring meeting:

  • Wind energy development team supporting fisheries – As offshore wind farms continue to expand, they will increasingly interact with critical fish species and ocean habitats. Understanding these interactions and assessing their impacts is essential to future coexistence between offshore wind and fisheries. The project, by Dr. Eric Powell (University of Southern Mississippi), will assemble a wind energy team with diverse areas of expertise to advise SCEMFIS members on potential environmental impacts for offshore development. ($20,200 in funding)
  • Could federal wind farms influence continental shelf oceanography and alter shellfish larval dispersal? A literature review – With over 1.7 million acres of federal waters under lease for wind energy development, new wind energy structures have a significant potential to interfere with ocean conditions, including in critical areas such as how shellfish larvae are dispersed. The project, by Dr. Daphne Munroe of Rutgers University, will review existing literature to determine how wind energy development has affected different oceanographic conditions, and prepare a report on these findings for the public. ($17,791 in funding)
  • Developing process and procedures for the refinement of surfclam and ocean quahog shells into calcium carbonate – Calcium carbonate is an important shellfish byproduct, used in animal feed, biomedical products, and other applications. Because of their chemical composition, quahog and surfclam shells are an especially good source of calcium carbonate compared to other shellfish, such as oysters. The project, by Dr. Alireza Abbaspourrad (Cornell University), will develop a process to tailor the carbonate byproduct to its other uses. ($50,000 in funding)
  • Evaluation the impact of plus group definition on the Atlantic and Gulf Menhaden stock assessments –Atlantic and Gulf menhaden are, by volume, two of the largest fisheries in the U.S. But one major source of uncertainty in its stock assessments are the number of older fish in the population. These fish are inadequately assessed by current surveys. The project, from Drs. Genevieve Nesslage (University of Maryland), Robert Leaf (University of Southern Mississippi), and Amy Schuler (National Marine Fisheries Service), will create a new model to simulate how different levels of these older fish would impact the results and accuracy of the menhaden stock assessments. ($53,414 in funding)
  • Atlantic menhaden stock review – The project, by Dr. Steve Cadrin (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth), will provide a technical review of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s stock assessment for Atlantic menhaden, as well as provide a new analysis of estimated rates of menhaden natural mortality, and the percentage of the population that is allocated for ecosystem needs. ($3,520 in funding)
  • Retention of Expertise in SS-III and evaluation of past and predictive modeling of future stock status – Stock assessments for ocean quahog and surfclams rely on a specific modeling tool, the Stock Synthesis V3. The project, from Drs. Eric Powell (University of Southern Mississippi) and Roger Mann (Virginia Institute of Marine Science) will recruit a Ph.D. student to train to use the model, with the goal of maintaining scientific expertise in using and understanding it. ($28,622 in funding)

New Study: Squid fishery responsible for over 2,500 jobs, $240 million in economic impact

May 6, 2020 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS):

Fishing for longfin squid brings in tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue and supports thousands of full-time jobs, according to a new study from the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS). The study finds that the fishery is responsible each year for over $30 million in direct revenue, over $99 million in total income, over 2,500 full-time jobs, and $243 million in total economic output in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region.

The study comes as the squid fishery faces new challenges, and was performed primarily to address potential conflicts with the growth of offshore wind energy, with many proposed developments interfering with important fishing grounds.  Like many fishing communities across the country, squid fishermen are also dealing with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, with demand for squid products like calamari crippled by the closure of restaurants across the country.

Accurately measuring the value of the fishery—and the many jobs that it supports—is crucial not only for managing the future of the fishery from competing ocean development, but also for helping fishing communities understand the value of the fishery lost as a result of the current economic shutdown.

“Loligo squid is a significant part of our business and is also a Marine Stewardship Council-certified, sustainable fishery with its products in demand in the U.S., Europe and Asia,” said Jeff Kaelin, Director of Sustainability and Government Relations for Lund’s Fisheries, in Cape May, New Jersey. “This study shows the extent to which our fishery has grown in size and economic importance, which needs to be considered by both fishery and wind-energy regulators making decisions impacting our future.”

Despite its importance as an East Coast fishery, there have been few attempts to quantify the squid fishery’s total economic impact. The study, from Dr. Andrew M. Scheld at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, relies on data collected from seafood processors and independent vessels, combined with well-established economic impact models to determine the fishery’s employment, revenue, and overall economic contributions.

“The squid fishery has long been an important fishery for us in New Jersey, and for fishing communities across the region,” said Greg DiDomenico, Chairman of the SCEMFIS Industry Advisory Board. “It’s important, especially as we look for ways to support the industry during these current challenges, to know what’s at stake, how many people depend on this fishery, and its economic impact, from the boats to the table.”

According to the study, fishing for longfin squid occurs primarily in Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey, with most of the employment impact coming from the restaurant and seafood harvesting sectors. The study found that longfin squid has a significant international and domestic market; it represents 21 percent of the volume and 78 of the value of U.S. market squid landings.

SCEMFIS is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program, supporting fisheries research improving the future of finfish and shellfish productivity, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Maine. Lund’s Fisheries and the Garden State Seafood Association are original members of the Center’s Industry Advisory Board.

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Releases Evaluation and Summary of Latest Atlantic Menhaden Assessments

February 4, 2020 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Dr. Steve Cadrin, Professor at the School for Marine Science and Technology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and past President of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, has completed an evaluation and summary of the latest Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) Atlantic menhaden stock assessments.  Dr. Cadrin’s evaluation and summary was commissioned by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS).  SEDAR completed two assessments in January, a traditional single-species benchmark assessment, and a first-of-its-kind ecological reference point assessment.

Read Dr. Cadrin’s evaluation here

Among other conclusions, Dr. Cadrin’s evaluation and summary finds that, according to the peer-reviewed assessments, the menhaden population is healthy, with menhaden fishing mortality remaining low. Atlantic menhaden was certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2019. When comparing the two assessments, Dr. Cadrin notes that the single-species assessment “is the best scientific information available for fishery management.”

The evaluation and summary of the Atlantic menhaden assessments was one of the 2020 projects recently approved by SCeMFiS, which is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program. The review was commissioned to provide a non-technical summary of the two 400+ page Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) menhaden assessments, so that menhaden fishery stakeholders would have, in an easily-comprehensible format, the information needed to support the best path to science-based management of the fishery.

Single-Species Assessment Remains Best, Most Reliable Information Available

Dr. Cadrin evaluated and summarized both the traditional, single-species menhaden stock assessment, as well as the new assessment that includes a multispecies focused analysis of menhaden and species which prey upon menhaden as part of their diet. This effort is a key part of the ASMFC’s efforts to transition to ecosystem-based fisheries management.

“The single-species assessment includes much more information on size and age composition, fishery selectivity, and recruitment variability than the multi-species models that were developed, but all models provide similar perceptions of menhaden stock trends since the 1990s,” writes Dr. Cadrin.

Other notable points by Dr. Cadrin include the improvements that the single-species assessment made in getting more accurate measurements of menhaden natural mortality, and the assessment’s conclusion that menhaden fishing mortality remains low, while the estimate of the current stock size is high.

Lower Menhaden Fishing Would Not Help Overfished Striped Bass

Dr. Cadrin’s evaluation and summary of the ecosystem-based assessment focuses in part on how it modeled the relationship between menhaden and striped bass. Most notably, he observes the assessment finds that, due to current overfishing and the overfished status of striped bass, decreasing the menhaden harvest would have little impact on striped bass stocks.

“At the current rate of fishing mortality on striped bass, there is little change in the long-term expectation for the striped bass stock from fishing menhaden at a lower rate than the single species target. Therefore, there appears to be negligible benefit to bass from fishing menhaden lower than the single species target,” Dr. Cadrin writes.

The assessments are the culmination of a two-year effort to gather and analyze available data for Atlantic menhaden from the fishery-independent sampling programs of the Atlantic states, commercial purse-seine reduction fishery, and commercial bait fishery.  All those who worked on the single-species assessment and the ground-breaking ecosystem assessment – the SEDAR 69 Panel, the Atlantic Menhaden Technical Committee (TC), the Stock Assessment Subcommittee (SAS), the ASMFC Ecosystem Reference Points Work Group, the Center for Independent Experts (CIE), the technical reviewer and the review panel chair — deserve credit for the completion of this task.

Both assessments will be discussed at this week’s ASMFC meeting.

About SCeMFiS:
SCeMFiS utilizes academic and fisheries resources to address urgent scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS develops methods, analytical and survey tools, datasets, and analytical approaches to improve sustainability of fisheries and reduce uncertainty in biomass estimates. SCeMFiS university partners, University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution), and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, are the academic sites. Collaborating scientists who provide specific expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal research, come from a wide range of academic institutions including Old Dominion University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, University of Maryland, and University of Rhode Island.

The need for the diverse services that SCeMFiS can provide to industry continues to grow, which has prompted a steady increase in the number of fishing industry partners. These services include immediate access to science expertise for stock assessment issues, rapid response to research priorities, and representation on stock assessment working groups. Targeted research leads to improvements in data collection, survey design, analytical tools, assessment models, and other needs to reduce uncertainty in stock status and improve reference point goals.

Members of SCeMFiS include:

  • Atlantic Capes Fisheries………………………………. Massachusetts, New Jersey
  • Bumble Bee Seafoods…………………………………… New Jersey
  • Garden State Seafood Assn……………………….. New Jersey
  • LaMonica Fine Foods…………………………………….. New Jersey
  • Lund’s Fisheries……………………………………………….. Massachusetts, New Jersey
  • NFI Clam Committee
  • NFI Scientific Monitoring
  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center
  • Omega Protein………………………………………………….. Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia
  • Sea Watch International…………………………….. Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey
  • Surfside Seafood Products………………………… New Jersey

Science Center for Marine Fisheries Takes On Climate Change, Bycatch, and Menhaden in 2020

January 24, 2020 — Three of the thorniest issues in the seafood industry will be looked at by the industry-academic group Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) this year. SCeMFiS researchers will have over $191,000 in funding for three projects involving climate change, bycatch, and Atlantic menhaden.

SCeMFiS is part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program which brings academia and industry together to find solutions to urgent problems. Funding and research priorities are determined by both SCeMFiS scientists and industry members.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Menhaden stock, discards among topics funded by US academic group

January 23, 2020 — The US Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) has approved over $191,000 in funding for new research projects in 2020, it announced.

SCeMFiS researchers from across the country will kick off the decade tackling topics including the effects of climate change, marine mammal interactions, and bycatch.

Part of the National Science Foundation’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program, SCeMFiS brings together scientific institutions and partners in the fishing industry to address urgent needs in finfish and shellfish science. All funding and research priorities are determined on a collaborative basis between SCeMFiS scientists and participating industry members, it said.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

National Science Foundation awards two prestigious research internships to SCeMFiS graduate students

August 22, 2019 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) is proud to announce that two of our graduate students, Laura Solinger and Kathleen Hemeon, have been awarded non-academic research internships with the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The internships, valued at about $45,000 each, will support each student for a 6-month position at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. There they will be working on surfclam and ocean quahog research, two of the most valuable shellfish fisheries in the U.S.

“The NEFSC is thrilled to host Laura and Kathleen and support their burgeoning careers while conducting good science,” said Dr. Mike Simpkins, Division Chief at NEFSC. “This is a win-win for NEFSC, as a scientific agency and a member of SCeMFiS, these internships are the best of both worlds for us.”

The internships are part of NSF’s mission to promote a globally competitive and diverse research workforce, and to advance American scientific and innovation skills. SCeMFiS, which, as an industry/university cooperative research center (I/UCRC), is partially funded through an NSF grant, is also part of that mission.

“Receiving two NSF internships in 2019 demonstrates the quality of graduate student participants in SCeMFiS research,” says Dr. Eric Powell, Director of SCeMFiS. “We are particularly excited in expanding our collaboration with scientists at the NEFSC, while providing important career training for our most promising graduate students.”

SCeMFiS works with its industry partners to fund groundbreaking research around pressing scientific issues in finfish and shellfish fisheries, including a recent study examining how surfclams have adapted to climate change. We are pleased that two of our graduate students will now be able to conduct similar research in their internships with NSF.

“Providing our students with the opportunity to work across the spectrum from science theory to practical application in management is critical as we strive to responsibly and sustainably manage critical fishery resources,” said Dr. Roger Mann, SCeMFiS Site Director at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. “These awards are at the leading edge of that spectrum.”

“The research conducted by SCeMFiS graduate students provides essential knowledge for many critical fisheries,” said Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association and Chairman of the SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board. “The industry is proud to support their work, as well as the work of our scientific partners at the NEFSC.”

About SCeMFiS

SCeMFiS utilizes academic and fisheries resources to address urgent scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS develops methods, analytical and survey tools, datasets, and analytical approaches to improve sustainability of fisheries and reduce uncertainty in biomass estimates. SCeMFiS university partners, University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution), and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, are the academic sites. Collaborating scientists who provide specific expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal research, come from a wide range of academic institutions including Old Dominion University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, University of Maryland, and University of Rhode Island.

The need for the diverse services that SCeMFiS can provide to industry continues to grow, which has prompted a steady increase in the number of fishing industry partners. These services include immediate access to science expertise for stock assessment issues, rapid response to research priorities, and representation on stock assessment working groups. Targeted research leads to improvements in data collection, survey design, analytical tools, assessment models, and other needs to reduce uncertainty in stock status and improve reference point goals.

New Study Finds Surfclams Uniquely Resilient in Face of Climate Change

June 20, 2019 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing the future of marine life, affecting everything from habitats, to migration, to spawning patterns. But new research shows that at least one species has unique features that have allowed it to adapt well to a warming ocean.

The study, published in Marine Ecology Progress Series, finds that surfclams are able to shift their range into previously inhospitable waters as the surrounding oceans temperatures rise. This information will be essential for fisheries managers struggling to effectively manage species in the face of climate change.

The key to this adaptability, according to authors Drs. Jeremy Timbs and Eric Powell, of the University of Southern Mississippi, and Dr. Roger Mann of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, is the number of larvae that surfclams produce. Ordinarily, surfclams produce a massive amount of larvae, which end up distributed across a wide range of the ocean. Most of these larvae will die from predators, lack of food, or inhospitable temperatures. But the study found that, as ocean temperatures shift, the range of acceptable habitat shifts along with it. Larvae that would have died under cooler conditions now survive, gradually changing where surfclams are located.

“For a sedentary species, surfclams are remarkably adaptable to ocean changes that would cause problems for other shellfish,” says Dr. Powell. “This is especially important for fishermen who depend on surfclams, and who are trying to adapt with the rest of the industry to the challenges posed by climate change.”

The study, which examined 30 years worth of surfclam data, was funded through the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS). A collaborative project funded through a National Science Foundation grant and support from the fishing industry, SCeMFiS funds groundbreaking research around pressing scientific issues identified by our industry partners.

“Studies like this confirm what we have been seeing since the 1990s, and help us predict the industry’s future,” said Guy Simmons, of SeaWatch International, which is one of the largest harvesters of clams in the country. “We need to work with our partners in the scientific community as we continue to adapt to a changing ocean.”

SCeMFiS Members Attend Seafood Expo North America Following Second National Science Foundation Grant

March 15, 2019 — The following was released by the Science Center for Marine Fisheries:

The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) brings together industry and academia to conduct groundbreaking fisheries research, and is the only research center funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) dedicated exclusively to fisheries science. As a result of its research track record, NSF awarded SCeMFiS a “Phase 2” second 5-year grant to continue its work. This funding shows that SCeMFiS met the high expectations of NSF for Phase 2 approval, a feat that not every Phase 1 center accomplishes.

Industry members of SCeMFiS will attend this year’s Seafood Expo North America and are available to be interviewed.

Factors that contributed to NSF’s determination that SCeMFiS merited a Phase 2 award included:

  • Successfully undergoing a vigorous 5-year NSF review that included external reviewers;
  • Ongoing solid support from contributing industry member companies and organizations;
  • An extremely high retention rate of contributing members;
  • The exemplary quality of research conducted by SCeMFiS principal investigators.

With its newly approved grant, SCeMFiS plans to use the next 5 years to focus on ways to reduce scientific uncertainty in fisheries science; the effects of climate change on fish stocks and fishing communities; resolving issues between fishing and offshore energy interests; and developing sound ecosystem-based fisheries management.

Since its founding in 2013, SCeMFiS has been at the forefront of finfish and shellfish research. Working with members of the fishing industry, SCeMFiS scientists have conducted innovative studies, including producing the first age-frequency distributions for ocean quahog, and being one of the only institutions to study species like chub mackerel and longfin squid.

“The work of our academic partners at SCeMFiS has been vital in improving our understanding of the species we harvest,” said Jeff Reichle, CEO of Lund’s Fisheries, which was one of the original members of the SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board. “The more we know about these species, the better we’re able to harvest them sustainably.”

The SCeMFiS industry members attending the Seafood Expo are committed to continuing this scientific partnership. Industry members on the SCeMFiS Industry Advisory Board review, approve, and fund all SCeMFiS projects, which are selected to fill gaps in data and meet the industry’s unfilled scientific needs.

“In the last five years, we’ve been able to study and improve the understanding of some of the most pressing scientific issues facing the fishing industry,” said Center Director Dr. Eric Powell, of the University of Southern Mississippi, one of the academic members of SCeMFiS. “We are looking forward to continue our collaborative partnerships and tackle the scientific questions affecting fishermen the most.”

SCeMFiS members will be at the following locations at Seafood Expo North America:

Lund’s Fisheries: Booth 951

Sea Watch International: Booth 423

The Town Dock: Booth 2133

Seafreeze Ltd.: Booth 2407

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