Seminar Series: How Citizen Science Can Support Stock Assessments

Citizen science is a growing field of interest within fisheries science in the U.S., and the primary federal agency responsible for fisheries management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. We analyzed how data from citizen science projects have been incorporated into stock assessments using four different approaches. Our analyses looked at domestic and international examples found in the literature, as well as specifically taking a look at projects coordinated by NOAA Fisheries. Our analyses provide insights into how often data from citizen science projects are used in stock assessments, as well as what data are used and how they are used. We discuss where citizen science holds the most potential for contributing to marine fishery stock assessments, the factors that contribute to success, and the challenges to more routine incorporation of citizen science data in the stock assessment process. We also explore stock assessment data targets and research priorities in the South Atlantic region and identify areas where citizen science could help close them and potentially improve stock assessments.

Presenters:

Abigail Furnish is a program analyst with NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology, where she provides planning and coordination on a variety of tasks, including communication, stock assessments, and science planning.

Jeff Vieser is a data product manager with ECS Federal supporting NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Science and Technology in the Assessment & Monitoring Division. His portfolio focuses on stock assessment performance and transparency, where he manages NOAA Fisheries’ Species Information System database and its Stock SMART portal.

Laura Oremland is an Education Program Manager in the NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology and helps coordinate citizen science for NOAA.