Catch Rate Standardization

Standardized catch rates are an increasingly popular tool in fisheries management for estimating relative abundance. This method incorporates fishery data from logbooks, vessel trip reports, and at-sea observers to get improved indices of abundance that account for different fishing patters. By working with the fishing community, these analyses are providing more meaningful, reliable results.

Cod

Dr. Steve Cadrin and former post-doc, Alex Hansell, recently provided standardized indices of catch-per-unit effort for the New England cod stock. Their catch-per-unit-effort indices account for seasonal and spatial patterns in fishing, as well as vessel size and depth. These indices are being implemented into assessments for the fishery.

Figure displaying the standardization of New England cod data, accounting for different fishing patterns

 

PhD candidate, Max Grezlik, is currently exploring a multispecies application of standardized catch-per-unit-effort for Western Gulf cod Maine cod.

Monkfish

Dr. Steve Cadrin and Masters candidate, Sierra Richardson, are working in collaboration with the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance to develop standardized catch rates for monkfish. They are working closely with monkfish gillnetters and trawlers along the coast to incorporate their expertise into their research. Learn more about the project here!

Poster distributed to the monkfish industry for CPUE workshop

Multispecies Management

The various possible mixes of a portfolio of fishes caught in a fishery can provide a range of revenues, risks and efficiencies. Image credit: Jason Link. Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

Steve Cadrin and his lab have been working on portfolio management theory, an approach towards ecosystem-based fishery management. The portfolio approach utilizes available landings and revenue data to incorporate fisheries interaction and economic effects into fisheries management. Read more about multispecies management HERE.

Evaluating Offshore Wind Impacts on Fish Populations

Block Island Wind Farm

The Cadrin Lab has been working on a number of projects aimed at understanding how offshore wind development affects fish populations and the fisheries surrounding them. Lab technician, Ali Frey, has been a part of two key projects here, “Using Acoustic Telemetry to Assess Interactions Between Offshore Wind Development and Cod Spawning on Cox Ledge” and “Connectivity, Movement, and Distribution of Fish in Offshore Wind Farm Areas”. One way she is assessing the fisheries is by tagging various species around the developing wind farm areas, then monitoring each tag’s movements around the turbines, and how the fish behaviors are changing as they continue to develop.

Lauran and Ali tagging striped bass off the Block Island Wind Farm