Southeast Cooperative Research Program Competitive Grant

NOAA Fisheries collaborates with the fishing industry and other partners across the nation through cooperative research. These partners play a valuable role in helping improve the evaluation of stock status and the management of fishery resources. The Southeast Cooperative Research Program seeks to increase and improve the working relationships among researchers from NOAA Fisheries, state fishery agencies, universities, fishermen, and other partners. Congress initiated cooperative research funding to assist NOAA Fisheries with improving the fishing industry’s confidence in the data and analyses performed in support of fisheries management.

The goals of the program are to provide a means of involving commercial and recreational fishermen in the collection of fundamental fisheries information to support the development and evaluation of management and regulatory options.

Cooperative research allows scientists and fishermen to bring valuable tools and experience to the objectives of a research project. Scientists realize that fishermen have knowledge, skills, and vessels that would not otherwise be available for research. Fishermen, willing to work with scientists, recognize that the information collected will not be used in management decisions unless it is scientifically credible. The interaction between fishermen and scientists not only improves the design and implementation of research studies but also improves the knowledge and acceptance of scientific results that are produced by such studies. Working together, fishermen and scientists can improve our understanding of the complex interactions between fishery resources and fishing practices.

The intent of the cooperative research program in the Southeast Region is to use the collective experience of fishermen and scientists to produce the best advice to fishery managers based on fishing experience and sound scientific research procedures. The program focuses on critical management needs that have been identified by managers and the NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research. This program, among others, provides information for regional assessments of fishery resources.