Steven LaForge

Performs audits on data for data quality.

Steven earned a B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ, where he was also a Division‐1 All‐Conference baseball player. Steven became an observer in January of 2013, certified in NEFOP, ASM, High Volume, and Pot/Trap fisheries. He then moved into FMRD as a data debriefer in September of 2013. He moved into his current role as a data auditor in 2017. Steven performs final data quality checks on observer trips to ensure the highest quality data. Steven also confirms the ID of sharks encountered by observers. He has prior experience training, maintaining, and troubleshooting marel scales (motion-compensating digital scales issued to observers). His interests include large pelagic species, in particular bluefin tuna, as well as lionfish as an invasive species.