Quarterly Report 2003

Current Status of Accomplishment or Milestone: Completed.

Background: The northeast Pacific is the setting for a number of large marine science and fishery research programs, including US GLOBEC, the NOAA Steller Sea Lion Program, the North Pacific Research Board, and the Exxon Valdez Trust Council. These programs sponsored a joint symposium to review of their activities and key results, and outreach to the public, managers, and policy makers serving the north Pacific.

Purpose of Activity/Goal of Project: Based on research conducted at PFEL related to climate variability and its impacts on fisheries populations, and the prominent role its scientists play in the US GLOBEC Northeast Pacific Program, Frank Schwing was invited to represent US GLOBEC at the symposium “Marine Science In The Northeast Pacific: Science For Resource Dependent Communities”. The purpose of this presentation was to provide an audience of over 500 scientists, resource managers, policy makers, and the public with an overview of the climate variability in the northeast Pacific and its influence on ecosystem structure.

Description of Accomplishment and Significant Results: An invited oral presentation “From Physics to Fish: The Global Climate Connection to the Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem” was given in the plenary session of the Symposium “Marine Science In The Northeast Pacific: Science For Resource Dependent Communities”, held 13-17 January 2003 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Significance of Accomplishment (e.g., to the Center, to Management, and to NMFS Strategic plan Goals): An important aspect of the research conducted in the SWC is interpreting and presenting the key results for other scientists, managers and policy makers, and the public. This symposium was an ideal forum for this outreach. It reflected well the research activities of PFEL and the SWC on environmental and fisheries variability.

Problems: None.

Key Contact: Franklin B. Schwing, (831-648-9034, Franklin.Schwing@noaa.gov)