Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management

The Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division produces more than twenty-five groundfish and crab stock assessments annually which are used by resource managers at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to set catch quotas and other management measures for commercial and recreational fisheries in Alaska. Economic and ecosystem assessments are also produced and used to inform fisheries management decisions.

Status of Stocks and Multispecies Assessment Program

Scientists in the Status of Stocks Multispecies Assessment Program incorporate biological and oceanographic data collected by NOAA Fisheries and others into statistical models to detect trends in abundance, predict future fish population size and provide recommendations to resource managers on safe harvest limits for commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries in Alaska. 

Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Program

The Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling program creates various types of statistical models that incorporate ecosystem information such as predator-prey relationships, food web relationships, diet analysis and socio-economic data that is used to inform fishery management decisions for Alaska groundfish species. Each year ecosystem status reports are produced for the four Alaska marine ecosystems.

Age and Growth Program

The Age and Growth Program derives fish age estimates from otoliths (fish ear bones) to provide a broader understanding of the age classes/groups that comprise fish populations. This information is used in fish stock assessment models to help determine future fish population size.

Economic and Social Sciences Research

The Economic and Social Science Program staff provide economic and community information to resource managers, industry leaders, and other agencies.  Each year, socio-economic indicators are produced as part of ecosystem status reports for the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Arctic. These data are used to inform resource management decisions.