We are a team of eight full time federal social science researchers with expertise in economics, anthropology, marine policy, and human-focused data collection methods. We also have extensive partnerships with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and its Alaska Fisheries Information Network (AKFIN), as well as the University of Washington and the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES).
Who We Are
In addition to the full-time NOAA staff listed below, our work is supported by Alaska Fisheries Information Network staff Jean Lee and Anna Abelman. We also work with Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission staff on a number of projects.
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Michael Dalton, industry economist Commercial fisheries, bioeconomic models, markets and trade, climate change and adaptation, ocean acidification |
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Russel Dame, economist Recreational fisheries, non-market valuation surveys and research, bioeconomics of recreational halibut, Aquaculture Opportunity Areas |
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Brian Garber-Yonts, economist Commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, economic data collection and synthesis, catch share programs and quota markets, economic information for annual TAC determination: Crab Economic SAFE |
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Stephen Kasperski, economist Economic performance and risk analysis, catch share programs and quota markets, bioeconomics and fleet modeling of commercial fisheries, community participation in commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries, coastal communities and well-being, management strategy evaluation (MSE), integrated ecosystem assessments (IEA) and social-ecological systems (SES), valuing fishery independent surveys |
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Dan Lew, economist Recreational fisheries, protected resources, non-market valuation surveys and research, ecosystem services, catch share programs and quota markets |
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Chang Seung, economist Regional economic impact modeling of commercial and recreational fisheries, integrated modeling and research, and climate change and adaptation |
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Marysia Szymkowiak, social scientist Coastal communities and well-being, fisheries access and upward mobility, women in fisheries, integrated ecosystem assessments and social-ecological systems, climate integrated modeling projects, aquaculture opportunity areas, climate adaptation, individual/fleet/community climate vulnerability, fisheries adaptation planning, catch share programs and quota markets |
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Sarah Wise, social scientist Fishing communities and well-being, women in fisheries, Integrated Ecosystem Assessments and social-ecological systems, climate integrated modeling for adaptation and resilience, knowledge production in fishing and Indigenous communities, bridging knowledge systems in federal assessments, co-production research, food sovereignty. |
What we do:
We collect and analyze economic, social, and cultural data in support of the NMFS’ stewardship responsibilities in the conservation and management of marine resources in the North Pacific and Arctic. Because humans are a key part of the ecosystem, our research includes the social, cultural, and economic aspects of fishery and resource management decisions. We develop models for assessing the effects of changing environmental conditions, economic markets, and fisheries management strategies on fisheries and fishing communities. Our staff serves on numerous internal and external working groups and committees at the national and international level.
Our research can be categorized around the following themes:
| Climate Change and Adaptation | Commercial Fisheries | Human Dimensions of Fishing | Integrated Modeling and Research | Multiple Knowledge Systems and Subsistence | Protected Resources | Recreational Fisheries |
More Information
- Are Alaska Fishing Communities and Fishermen Prepared for Climate Change?
- Accurately Accounting for the Economic Value of Marine Ecosystems
- Fishing Families and Women in Alaska Fisheries
- Voicing the Stories of Women in Alaska’s Fisheries
- Exploring Women’s Engagement in 30 Years of Alaska Fisheries
- Alaska’s Valuable Recreational Fishing Industry
- Public Benefits of Recovering Endangered Beluga Whale Outweigh Costs
- Alaska Economic and Social Sciences Research Data Collection Projects
- Economic Status Reports for the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands
Recent Publications (Selection)
Dame, Russel, Leslie Sturmer, Charles Adams, Richard Weldon, and Kelly A. Grogan. "Financial Risk in Off-bottom Oyster Culture along Florida’s West Coast: FE1070, 9/2019." EDIS 2019, no. 5 (2019): 10-10. https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/download/107226/114506
Punt, André E., M. G. Dalton, Benjamin Daly, Tyler Jackson, W. Christopher Long, William T. Stockhausen, Cody Szuwalski, and Jie Zheng. "A framework for assessing harvest strategy choice when considering multiple interacting fisheries and a changing environment: The example of eastern Bering Sea crab stocks." Fisheries Research 252 (2022): 106338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2022.106338
Punt, André E., M. G. Dalton, Wei Cheng, Albert J. Hermann, Kirstin K. Holsman, Thomas P. Hurst, James N. Ianelli et al. "Evaluating the impact of climate and demographic variation on future prospects for fish stocks: an application for northern rock sole in Alaska." Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 189 (2021): 104951.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2021.104951
Punt, A. E., M.G. Dalton, & Foy, R. J. (2020). Multispecies yield and profit when exploitation rates vary spatially including the impact on mortality of ocean acidification on North Pacific crab stocks. Fisheries Research, 225, 105481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2019.105481
Abbott, J. K., Leonard, B., & Garber-Yonts, B. (2022). The distributional outcomes of rights-based management in fisheries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(2), e2109154119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2109154119
Freitag, Amy, Suzana Blake, Patricia M. Clay, Alan C. Haynie, Chris Kelble, Michael Jepson, Stephen Kasperski, Kirsten M. Leong, Jamal H. Moss, and Seann D. Regan. "Scale Matters: Relating Wetland Loss and Commercial Fishing Activity in Louisiana across Spatial Scales." Nature and Culture 17, no. 2 (2022): 144-169. https://doi.org/10.3167/nc.2022.170202
Kasperski, Stephen, Geret S. DePiper, Alan C. Haynie, Suzana Blake, Lisa L. Colburn, Amy Freitag, Michael Jepson et al. "Assessing the state of coupled social-ecological modeling in support of ecosystem based fisheries management in the United States." Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (2021): 631400. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.631400
