Develop a Proposal for a Rotational Assignment Program
in which Stock-Assessment Scientists Work at PFEL

Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Completed – Proposal submitted to NMFS Science Board and presentation to be made to the Board in January 2003.

Background: The NMFS’ Marine Fisheries Stock Assessment Improvement Plan (SAIP) acknowledges the needs to improve stock assessments and to increase the credibility of these assessments. Explicitly considering the effects of environmental variability in stock assessment models can help the NMFS address these needs, but this is almost never done. The SAIP also acknowledges the needs to add ecosystem-scale concepts to assessment models and to develop next generation assessments. Both of these needs can also be addressed by building assessment models that explicitly consider environmental variability. The PFEL is uniquely qualified to train stock-assessment scientists to build such models.

Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: Improve the NMFS’ stock assessments, train stock-assessment scientists to use environmental data in assessment models, and align expectations about the production of living marine resources and the performance of fisheries with the reality of fluctuating environmental conditions.

Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: Written proposal submitted to the NMFS Science Board. The proposal outlines both the rationale for a training program in which scientists learn to explicitly consider environmental variation in stock-assessment models and the way in which such a program might proceed.

Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): Our proposal offers the Science Board a concrete method of addressing a number of needs that are outlined in the SAIP.

Problems: None.

Key Contact: George Watters, (831-648-0623, gwatters@pfeg.noaa.gov).