

Science to support healthy and resilient coastal and marine populations, habitats, communities, and ecosystems on the U.S. West Coast.
The Integrated Marine and Nearshore Ecology (IMENSE) Team at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center conducts innovative, integrative science about connected biophysical and human systems. We do this to inform the stewardship of fisheries, protected species, and ecosystems.
We focus our activities within three broad categories:
These efforts are primarily related to the U.S. West Coast and Puget Sound regions. We rely on approaches that range from highly qualitative to highly quantitative.
We link social and ecological systems to better inform coastal and ocean management and conservation. Our research tends to lie at intersection points of multiple, at-times-conflicting mandates. We support the recovery and conservation planning of species listed under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act. Our work fulfills requirements for science-based fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. We also support the ecosystem-based management of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem and Salish Sea Ecosystem under the National Environmental Policy Act and NOAA Fisheries’ Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Policy.
The research supports multiple NOAA Fisheries initiatives, including implementation of Integrated Ecosystem Assessments, the Western Region Implementation Plan for Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, the Western Region Action Plan for the National Climate Science Strategy, and the Stock Assessment Improvement Plan.
Our expertise is rooted in ecology, ecosystem science, and conservation with specific knowledge of fishes (especially groundfishes and Pacific salmon), invertebrates, marine birds, marine mammals, phytoplankton, and living habitats (such as seagrasses and kelps).
In collaboration with other scientists, we focus our research in several areas:
Jameal Samhouri, Ecosystem Science Program Manager
Chris Harvey, Supervisory Research Fish Biologist
Ecosystem Science for Endangered and Threatened Rockfish in Puget Sound
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management
California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment
Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms on West Coast Fishing Communities
Climate Impacts on West Coast Fisheries and Protected Species
Coastal Restoration to Benefit Salmon and Other Fishes in Puget Sound