The future and sustainability of our region’s fisheries depends on collaboration. By cultivating meaningful partnerships to support effective research we can develop more efficient fishing gear, better data, and stronger markets.
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Cooperative Research Branch wants to hear from the region’s fisheries stakeholders. Your input is key to creating a strategic, forward-thinking program that builds community and develops effective cooperative research projects.
The Northeast cooperative research summits originally planned for 2020 have been rescheduled for 2023. Registration has reopened. The deadline for registration is December 7, 2022. If you have already registered, summit organizers will be in touch to confirm your participation. We look forward to seeing you all in 2023!
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Cooperative Research Branch is hosting two cooperative research summits in 2023. They are being held in response to stakeholder priorities (PDF, 13 pages) developed during a series of stakeholder engagement sessions in the fall of 2019. One summit will be held January 31, 2023 in the Mid-Atlantic, and the other will be held February 15, 2023 in New England. These 1-day summits will bring together scientists, managers, fishermen, and industry representatives to:
If you would like to attend, please fill out the registration form. If you would also like to present, then you can submit an abstract using the same form. Deadlines for both are the same: December 7, 2022.
There is no fee to participate in this conference, but registration is required.
To encourage industry participation, a travel and participation stipend of $750 will be offered to the first 20 commercial fishermen who register for each summit (New England and Mid-Atlantic).
January 31, 2023
The Mariner's Museum and Park
100 Museum Drive
Newport News, VA 23606
Learn more about the 2023 Mid-Atlantic summit
February 15, 2023
Rhode Island School of Design
20 Washington Place, Auditorium, Room 143
Providence, RI 02903
Learn more about the 2023 New England summit
If your work involves a collaboration between researchers and fishermen, please consider submitting an abstract for either a poster or oral presentation. If you have never been involved in cooperative research, but are interested in learning more and becoming more involved, please consider attending. Submit your abstract using the online form used to register for the summit. The registration and abstract submission deadlines are the same: December 7, 2022.
Data collection for ongoing research and monitoring was a challenge throughout 2020. Individuals and institutions worked to adapt techniques—and expectations—to a new set of physical restrictions combating the spread of COVID-19.
To share with and learn from our partners, we organized two webinars in early 2021. They focused on how scientists and industry partners adapted projects and leveraged self-reported data collection strategies to continue conducting science during a global health crisis. The information exchange by scientists and industry partners revealed many common experiences and lessons learned.
Despite the new challenges that scientists and industry partners had to work through during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sentiment at both webinars was optimistic. Around 175 fisheries professionals fueled an engaging discussion that was well received. Attendees and presenters represented a resourceful and highly motivated community dedicated to conducting cooperative research that benefits all stakeholders.
The first webinar, titled “Cooperative Research Field Work in a Pandemic,” was held on February 25, 2021. It featured four projects that safely completed field work aboard commercial fishing vessels during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second webinar in the series, titled “Filling the Gaps with Self-Reported Data,” was held on March 4, 2021. It featured four projects that engage fishermen in collecting catch, effort, biological, and environmental data to help fill spatial and temporal gaps.
Find out more about our presenters.
The presenters shared their approaches to adapting field work during COVID-19. All of these protocols kept research teams safe and healthy while they collected scientific information critical to managing the region’s fisheries.
They shared ten keys to conducting cooperative research field work during the COVID-19 pandemic:
The presenters shared their experiences with collecting and applying self-reported data during the COVID-19 pandemic, from using novel training and support tools to advanced analytics.
They shared ten insights into conducting cooperative research projects during the pandemic:
In the fall of 2019, we hosted a series of stakeholder engagement sessions. They gathered fishermen and research partners together to discuss research ideas and priorities for future projects, and to share past research successes and lessons learned. One priority that emerged from these sessions was a need to facilitate regional coordination of cooperative research and the development of new partnerships.
After our engagement sessions, we summarized the results across sessions and compiled them into a report. The report analyzed stakeholder suggestions on approaches and research priorities. It also explains our plan to pilot annual stakeholder summits in the region to strengthen our ties with partners in cooperative research.
Get the full report here:
Cooperative Research in the Northeast Region: Stakeholder Priorities (PDF, 13 pages) - Download File
The Fishadelphia team. Credit: Dr. Talia Young.
Restored shoreline along Lake St. Clair at Brandenburg Park. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Four North Atllantic right whales.
Powderhorn Lake. Credit: Luke Franke.