Marine Recreational Information Program Teams

Executive Steering Committee

The Executive Steering Committee (ESC) monitors the work of MRIP Teams and overall progress of MRIP, and identifies resource needs and program priorities for consideration by NOAA Fisheries. It also provides a process for overseeing the certification of new and improved recreational fisheries survey designs. Members of the ESC provide a connection between MRIP and federal and state marine fisheries agencies, interstate marine fisheries commissions, regional fishery management councils, and MAFAC. 

ESC Members

The ESC includes senior managers and representatives from NOAA Fisheries and interstate marine fisheries commissions, as well as participants from the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) and the eight regional fishery management councils.

Evan Howell (Chair)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Gordon Colvin (Executive Secretary)
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Robert Beal
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Kelly Denit
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

David Detlor
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Dave Donaldson
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

Russ Dunn
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Assistant Administrator

Doug Mecum
NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Regional Office

Clay Porch
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

ESC Participants

Kellie Ralston
Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

Miguel Rolon
Caribbean Fishery Management Council

Kitty Simonds
Western Pacific Fishery Management Council

Program Management Team

The Program Management Team:

• Identifies policy and process needs, develops policy advice, drafts policy and procedural documents, and oversees the maintenance of the MRIP Procedures Manual.
• Maintains the MRIP Strategic Plan; oversees, monitors, and assures the completion of Strategic Plan Tactics and Annual Implementation Plan deliverables; and develops the Annual Implementation Plan Update.
• Serves as a liaison to MRIP Regional Implementation Teams.

Program Management Team Members

The Program Management Team includes the MRIP Program Manager, the Executive Secretary of the ESC, and the MRIP Team Leads.

Rob Andrews
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Dave Bard
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Richard Cody
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Gordon Colvin
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

David Detlor
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Lauren Dolinger Few
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

John Foster
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Katherine Papacostas
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Mike Ruccio
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Sarah Lazo
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

The Core Business Team includes the Fisheries Statistics Division Chief, Recreational Branch Chief, and MRIP Program Manager, as well as contractor staff assigned to program management support.

Richard Cody
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Gordon Colvin
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Lauren Dolinger Few
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

John Foster
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Katherine Papacostas
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Sarah Lazo
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Program Management Team Documents

Program Management Team Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). This document describes the goals; member expertise, roles, and responsibilities; and communication, reporting, and information and data sharing practices of the MRIP Program Management Team.

Regional Implementation Teams

Regional Implementation Teams develop Regional Implementation Plans that identify regional recreational fishing catch and effort information needs based on unique management needs and priorities in each region. They also help coordinate regional review of relevant programmatic policies, standards, procedures and other documents. 

Regional Implementation Team Members

In the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico, Regional Fishery Information Networks (FINs) serve as Regional Implementation Teams. Ad hoc Regional Implementation Teams have been formed in the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and Alaska, and for highly migratory species in the Atlantic.

Regional Implementation Council Members

Gregg Bray
Gulf State Marine Fisheries Commission

Josh DeMello
Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council

Cliff Hutt
NOAA Fisheries, Highly Migratory Species

Adam Reimer
Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Marlowe Sabater
NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Sarah Stephenson
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Chris Wheaton
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Geoff White
Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program

Regional Implementation Team Documents

Regional Implementation Team Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). This document describes the goals; member expertise, roles, and responsibilities; and communication, reporting, and information and data-sharing practices of the MRIP Regional Implementation Teams. View Regional Implementation Plans.

Transition Team

• Develops and recommends a standardized process to ensure continued consistency of the critical long-term trend information that helps inform management decisions when implementing new or improved survey designs. 
• Develops and recommends methods to compare historical estimates to estimates produced with new or improved survey designs, so meaningful comparisons can be made. 
• Works collaboratively to establish guidelines on improved survey and estimation design implementation to minimize disruptions to stock assessments, catch monitoring, and management regulations to the greatest extent possible.

Transition Team Members

Richard Cody (Co-Chair)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Mike Ruccio (Co-Chair)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Kevin Anson
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Carolyn Belcher
Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Gregg Bray
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

Jason Cope
NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Dave Gloeckner
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

James Hilger
NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Matt Hill
Mississippi Department of Marine Resources

Cliff Hutt
NOAA Fisheries, Highly Migratory Species

Moira Kelly
NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

Toni Kerns
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Kathy Knowlton
Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Michael Larkin
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Laura Lee
North Carolina Department of Environment & Natural Resources

Sabrina Lovell
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Hongguang Ma
NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Jason McNamee
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Richard Methot
NOAA Fisheries, Senior Scientist for Stock Assessment

Beverly Sauls
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Julie Scheurer
NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Regional Office

Mark Terceiro
NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Chris Wheaton
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Transition Team Participants

Dave Bard
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

John Carmichael
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Chip Collier
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Jamie Cournane
New England Fishery Management Council

Jason Didden
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

John Froeschke
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

Sarah Lazo
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Graciela García-Moliner
Caribbean Fishery Management Council

Marlowe Sabater
Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council

Chris Wright
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Survey Operations Team

The Survey Operations Team works together to oversee the administration of survey operations to support national recreational fisheries data needs. This includes the conduct of survey methodologies and the management of information produced to meet MRIP standards. The Survey Operations Team:

• Coordinates the administration of MRIP surveys and information management for survey data and statistics.
• Works to ensure MRIP survey standards are applied in the implementation of certified survey designs.
• Reviews survey quality assurance and quality control measures.
• Participates in regional implementation planning.

Survey Operations Team Members

The Survey Operations Team includes Fisheries Statistics Division staff who support survey operations and information management. It also includes recreational fisheries data and survey operations managers from the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) and Fisheries Information Networks (FINs).

Lauren Dolinger Few (Team Lead)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Rob Andrews
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Gregg Bray
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

Alex DiJohnson
Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program

Jason Edwards
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Hongguang Ma
NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Adam Rettig
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Daemian Schreiber
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Survey Operations Team Documents

Survey Operations Team Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). This document describes the goals; member expertise, roles, and responsibilities; and communication and reporting practices of the MRIP Survey Operations Team.

Research and Evaluation Team

The Research and Evaluation Team advises other MRIP Teams on topics relevant to survey methodology and sampling statistics. The Research and Evaluation Team:

• Prioritizes research needs identified in the MRIP Strategic Plan, Regional Implementation Plans, and annual Implementation Plan Updates.
• Develops mechanisms (e.g., ad hoc working groups, peer review panels, and requests for proposals) to test and evaluate new survey methods and potential improvements to existing methods.
• Evaluates survey designs for adherence to MRIP survey and data standards and industry best practices.
• Reviews project reports and provides recommendations regarding the acceptability of project methods, results, and conclusions.
• Evaluates and advises on catch and effort estimates identified for extended review through the estimate review process.

Research and Evaluation Team Members

The Research and Evaluation Team includes Fisheries Statistics Division statisticians and other Office of Science and Technology staff whose duties involve the development and/or application of survey methods or sampling statistics. The Research and Evaluation Team is supported by a team of statistical consultants.

Rob Andrews (Team Lead)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

John Foster
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Lucas Johansen
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Ryan Kitts-Jensen
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Yong-Woo Lee
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Research and Evaluation Team Documents

Research and Evaluation Team Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). This document describes the goals; member expertise, roles, and responsibilities; and communication and reporting practices of the MRIP Research and Evaluation Team.

Communications and Education Team

The Communications and Education Team supports MRIP's strategic communications and programmatic goals and enhances partnership and customer relationships. This team supports two regional communications working groups. The Greater Atlantic and Southeast working groups include a subset of the Communications and Education Team, as well as outreach staff from regional fishery management councils and interstate marine fisheries commissions. These teams identify regional outreach priorities and opportunities for regional collaboration.

Communications and Education Team Members

Sarah Lazo (Team Lead)
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Dave Bard
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Lisa Belskis
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Ken Brennan
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Andrew Cathey
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Gordon Colvin
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate, Office of Science & Technology

Russell Dunn
NOAA Fisheries, Office of the Assistant Administrator

Steve Ellis
NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

Amber Fandel
NOAA Affiliate, Office of Legislative & Intergovernmental Affairs

Keith Kamikawa
NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Regional Office

Moira Kelly
NOAA Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

Lindsey Kraatz
NOAA Fisheries, Directorate

Hongguang Ma
NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

Vivian Matter
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Sean Meehan
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Regional Office

Matt Nuttall
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Katherine Papacostas
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Tim Sartwell
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Communications

Scott Steinback
NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Daniel Studt
NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Regional Office

John Thibodeau
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science & Technology

Scott Ward
Fifth Estate Communications

Chris Wright
NOAA Fisheries, Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Communications and Education Team Documents

Communications and Education Team Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). This document describes the mission, structure, membership, and meeting schedule of the MRIP Communications and Education Team.

More Information

• About MRIP