an iterative, collaborative process has evolved to formulate ecosystem advice and to apply it in decision making
Ecosystem reporting linked to management objectives
Used within Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Ecosystem Process (Muffley, et al., 2020)
Collaborative process key to getting information used
an iterative, collaborative process has evolved to formulate ecosystem advice and to apply it in decision making
"So what?" --John Boreman, September 2016
Clear linkage of ecosystem indicators with management objectives
Synthesis across indicators for big picture
Objectives related to human-well being placed first in report
Short (< 30 pages), non-technical (but rigorous) text
Emphasis on reproducibility
In 2016, we began taking steps to address these common critiques of the ESR model Many indicators presented at WGNARS, used in larger Ecosystem Status reports Shorter, fishery specific State of the Ecosystem (SOE) report with conceptual models prototyped based on California Current reporting Feedback from fishery managers redesigned reporting to align with objectives outlined by WGNARS
cover, 3 pager with visualizations, 34 pages of narrative/plots, 1 page contributors, 1 page orientation, 2 pages references
2016 Ecosystem Approach to Fishery Management (EAFM) Policy Guidance document: http://www.mafmc.org/s/EAFM-Doc-Revised-2019-02-08.pdf
Mid-Atlantic EAFM framework (Gaichas, et al., 2016):
The Council’s EAFM framework has similarities to the IEA loop on slide 2. It uses risk assessment as a first step to prioritize combinations of managed species, fleets, and ecosystem interactions for consideration. Second, a conceptual model is developed identifying key environmental, ecological, social, economic, and management linkages for a high-priority fishery. Third, quantitative modeling addressing Council-specified questions and based on interactions identified in the conceptual model is applied to evaluate alternative management strategies that best balance management objectives. As strategies are implemented, outcomes are monitored and the process is adjusted, and/or another priority identified in risk assessment can be addressed.
Council staff and scientists create examples based on Council input
↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ↑ ↓ ...
Council discusses, clarifies, revises with public input
Element | Definition | Indicators |
---|---|---|
Economic | ||
Commercial Revenue | Risk of not maximizing fishery value | Revenue in aggregate |
Recreational Angler Days/Trips | Risk of not maximizing fishery value | Numbers of anglers and trips in aggregate |
Commercial Fishery Resilience (Revenue Diversity) | Risk of reduced fishery business resilience | Species diversity of revenue |
Commercial Fishery Resilience (Shoreside Support) | Risk of reduced fishery business resilience due to shoreside support infrastructure | Number of shoreside support businesses |
Social | ||
Fleet Resilience | Risk of reduced fishery resilience | Number of fleets, fleet diversity |
Social-Cultural | Risk of reduced community resilience | Community vulnerability, fishery engagement and reliance |
Food Production | ||
Commercial | Risk of not optimizing seafood production | Seafood landings in aggregate |
Recreational | Risk of not maintaining personal food production | Recreational landings in aggregate |
Element | Definition | Indicators |
---|---|---|
Management | ||
Control | Risk of not achieving OY due to inadequate control | Catch compared to allocation |
Interactions | Risk of not achieving OY due to interactions with species managed by other entities | Number and type of interactions with protected or non-MAFMC managed species, co-management |
Other ocean uses | Risk of not achieving OY due to other human uses | Fishery overlap with energy/mining areas |
Regulatory complexity | Risk of not achieving compliance due to complexity | Number of regulations by species |
Discards | Risk of not minimizing bycatch to extent practicable | Standardized Bycatch Reporting |
Allocation | Risk of not achieving OY due to spatial mismatch of stocks and management | Distribution shifts + number of interests |
This element is applied at the ecosystem level. Revenue serves as a proxy for commercial profits.
Risk Level | Definition |
---|---|
Low | No trend and low variability in revenue |
Low-Moderate | Increasing or high variability in revenue |
Moderate-High | Significant long term revenue decrease |
High | Significant recent decrease in revenue |
Ranked moderate-high risk due to the significant long term revenue decrease for Mid-Atlantic managed species (red points in top plot)
Key: Black = Revenue of all species combined;
Red = Revenue of MAFMC managed species
This element is applied at the ecosystem level. Revenue serves as a proxy for commercial profits.
Risk Level | Definition |
---|---|
Low | No trend and low variability in revenue |
Low-Moderate | Increasing or high variability in revenue |
Moderate-High | Significant long term revenue decrease |
High | Significant recent decrease in revenue |
Ranked moderate-high risk due to the significant long term revenue decrease for Mid-Atlantic managed species (red points in top plot)
Key: Black = Revenue of all species combined;
Red = Revenue of MAFMC managed species
Indicators: Commercial and recreational landings
Key: Black = Landings of all species combined;
Red = Landings of MAFMC managed species
Multiple drivers: ecosystem and stock production, management, market conditions, and environment
Is biomass driving?
Key: Black = NEFSC survey;
Red = NEAMAP survey
Key: Orange background = Tipping point overfishing threshold, Link and Watson 2019 Green background = Optimal range, Link and Watson 2019
One change: Butterfish Bstatus
Key: Black = Landings of all species combined;
Red = Landings of MAFMC managed species
Drivers:
market dynamics affecting commercial landings of surfclams and ocean quahogs
other drivers affecting recreational landings: shark fishery management, possibly survey methodology
Monitor:
Because ecosystem overfishing seems unlikely, stock status is mostly acceptable, and aggregate biomass trends appear stable, the decline in commercial landings is most likely driven by market dynamics affecting the landings of surfclams and ocean quahogs, as quotas are not binding for these species.
Climate change also seems to be shifting the distribution of surfclams and ocean quahogs, resulting in areas with overlapping distributions and increased mixed landings. Given the regulations governing mixed landings, this could become problematic in the future and is currently being evaluated by the Council.
Species level risk elements
Species | Assess | Fstatus | Bstatus | FW1Pred | FW1Prey | FW2Prey | Climate | DistShift | EstHabitat |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ocean Quahog | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | highest | modhigh | lowest |
Surfclam | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | modhigh | lowest |
Summer flounder | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest |
Scup | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest |
Black sea bass | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | modhigh | highest |
Atl. mackerel | lowest | highest | highest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | lowest |
Butterfish | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | highest | lowest |
Longfin squid | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | modhigh | lowest |
Shortfin squid | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | highest | lowest |
Golden tilefish | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | lowest |
Blueline tilefish | highest | highest | modhigh | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | lowest |
Bluefish | lowest | lowest | highest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | highest |
Spiny dogfish | lowmod | lowest | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | highest | lowest |
Monkfish | highest | lowmod | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest |
Unmanaged forage | na | na | na | lowest | lowmod | lowmod | na | na | na |
Deepsea corals | na | na | na | lowest | lowest | lowest | na | na | na |
Ecosystem level risk elements
System | EcoProd | CommRev | RecVal | FishRes1 | FishRes4 | FleetDiv | Social | ComFood | RecFood |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mid-Atlantic | lowmod | modhigh | highest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | lowmod | highest | modhigh |
Species and Sector level risk elements
Species | MgtControl | TecInteract | OceanUse | RegComplex | Discards | Allocation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ocean Quahog-C | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | modhigh | lowest |
Surfclam-C | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowest | modhigh | lowest |
Summer flounder-R | modhigh | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest | highest |
Summer flounder-C | lowmod | modhigh | lowmod | modhigh | modhigh | highest |
Scup-R | lowmod | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | modhigh | highest |
Scup-C | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | modhigh | modhigh | highest |
Black sea bass-R | highest | lowest | modhigh | modhigh | highest | highest |
Black sea bass-C | highest | lowmod | highest | modhigh | highest | highest |
Atl. mackerel-R | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest |
Atl. mackerel-C | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest | lowmod | highest |
Butterfish-C | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest | modhigh | lowest |
Longfin squid-C | lowest | modhigh | highest | highest | highest | lowest |
Shortfin squid-C | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | lowest | lowest |
Golden tilefish-R | na | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest |
Golden tilefish-C | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest |
Blueline tilefish-R | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | highest |
Blueline tilefish-C | lowest | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | highest |
Bluefish-R | lowmod | lowest | lowest | lowmod | modhigh | highest |
Bluefish-C | lowest | lowest | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | highest |
Spiny dogfish-R | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest | lowest |
Spiny dogfish-C | lowest | modhigh | modhigh | modhigh | lowmod | lowest |
Chub mackerel-C | lowest | lowmod | lowmod | lowmod | lowest | lowest |
Unmanaged forage | lowest | lowest | modhigh | lowest | lowest | lowest |
Deepsea corals | na | na | modhigh | na | na | na |
Changes: Butterfish B status risk increased from lowest to low-mod (below Bmsy) Allocation risk decreased for 4 fisheries from high to low (intermediate rankings not applied) Black sea bass regulatory complexity risk decreased from highest to moderate-high
Potential new indicators from new SOE sections on climate risk, habitat vulnerability, offshore wind
Habitat vulnerability analysis writeups--comments?
Working group of habitat, biology, stock assessment, management, economic and social scientists developed:
Final conceptual model and supporting information at December 2019 Council meeting, (DePiper, et al., 2021)
In this interactive circular graph visualization, model elements identified as important by the Council (through risk assessment) and by the working group (through a range of experience and expertise) are at the perimeter of the circle. Elements are defined in detail in the last section of this page. Relationships between elements are represented as links across the center of the circle to other elements on the perimeter. Links from a model element that affect another element start wide at the base and are color coded to match the category of the element they affect.Hover over a perimeter section (an element) to see all relationships for that element, including links from other elements. Hover over a link to see what it connects. Links by default show text for the two elements and the direction of the relationship (1 for relationship, 0 for no relationship--most links are one direction).For example, hovering over the element "Total Landings" in the full model shows that the working group identified the elements affected by landings as Seafood Production, Recreational Value, and Commercial Profits (three links leading out from landings), and the elements affecting landings as Fluke SSB, Fluke Distributional Shift, Risk Buffering, Management Control, Total Discards, and Shoreside Support (6 links leading into Total Landings).
The process takes time – need to recognize that early and be willing to invest the resources to see it through
Collaboration is key
Timely and understandable scientific information
Bastille, K. et al. (2020). "Improving the IEA Approach Using Principles of Open Data Science". In: Coastal Management 0.0. Publisher: Taylor & Francis _ eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2021.1846155, pp. 1-18. ISSN: 0892-0753. DOI: 10.1080/08920753.2021.1846155. URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2021.1846155 (visited on Dec. 09, 2020).
DePiper, G. et al. (2021). "Learning by doing: collaborative conceptual modelling as a path forward in ecosystem-based management". In: ICES Journal of Marine Science. ISSN: 1054-3139. DOI: 10.1093/icesjms/fsab054. URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab054 (visited on Apr. 15, 2021).
Gaichas, S. K. et al. (2018). "Implementing Ecosystem Approaches to Fishery Management: Risk Assessment in the US Mid-Atlantic". In: Frontiers in Marine Science 5. ISSN: 2296-7745. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00442. URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00442/abstract (visited on Nov. 20, 2018).
Gaichas, S. K. et al. (2016). "A Framework for Incorporating Species, Fleet, Habitat, and Climate Interactions into Fishery Management". In: Frontiers in Marine Science 3. ISSN: 2296-7745. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2016.00105. URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2016.00105/full (visited on Apr. 29, 2020).
Muffley, B. et al. (2020). "There Is no I in EAFM Adapting Integrated Ecosystem Assessment for Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management". In: Coastal Management 0.0. Publisher: Taylor & Francis _ eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2021.1846156, pp. 1-17. ISSN: 0892-0753. DOI: 10.1080/08920753.2021.1846156. URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/08920753.2021.1846156 (visited on Dec. 09, 2020).
Objective Categories | Indicators reported here |
---|---|
Provisioning and Cultural Services | |
Seafood Production | Landings; commercial total and by feeding guild; recreational harvest |
Profits | Revenue decomposed to price and volume |
Recreation | Days fished; recreational fleet diversity |
Stability | Diversity indices (fishery and ecosystem) |
Social & Cultural | Community engagement/reliance status |
Protected Species | Bycatch; population (adult and juvenile) numbers, mortalities |
Supporting and Regulating Services | |
Biomass | Biomass or abundance by feeding guild from surveys |
Productivity | Condition and recruitment of managed species, Primary productivity |
Trophic structure | Relative biomass of feeding guilds, Zooplankton |
Habitat | Estuarine and offshore habitat conditions |
Characterizing ecosystem change for fishery management
Spatial scale
A glossary of terms, detailed technical methods documentation and indicator data are available online.
Key to figures
Trends assessed only for 30+ years: more information
Orange line = significant increase
Purple line = significant decrease
No color line = not significant or < 30 yearsGrey background = last 10 years
Request | Year | Source | Progress | Memo Section |
---|---|---|---|---|
Report card and summary visualizations | 2019 | Both Councils | SOE new report card table and summary visualizaitions of synthesis themes | 1 |
Ecosystem Overfishing indicators (Link and Watson, 2019) | 2020 | Both Councils | SOE two ecosystem overfishing indicators included | 2 |
Primary production required, interpretation of decline? | 2020 | Both Councils | SOE indicator reworked along with Link and Watson metrics | 3 |
Climate Change context | 2020 | NEFMC | SOE reorganized; Risks section added emphasizing climate change | 4 |
Clarify language (e.g., primary production required) | 2020 | Both Councils | SOE edited by Research Communications Branch; glossary included | 5 |
Copy Editing | 2020 | Both Councils | SOE edited by Research Communications Branch | 6 |
Ocean Acidification | 2020 | NEFMC | SOE indicator added with in-situ data linked to preliminary lab work on thresholds | 7 |
Include examples of High/Low engaged ports | 2020 | NEFMC | SOE indicator reworked to show individual ports and social vulnerability | 8 |
Expand wind lease area and habitat overlap | 2020 | MAFMC | SOE indicator expanded to rank species with habitat in wind lease areas by landings in wind lease areas | 9 |
Expand cold pool index | 2020 | MAFMC | SOE indicator expanded with modeled data to include area and other attributes | 10 |
Seperate Bigelow/Albatross catch diversity metric | 2020 | MAFMC | SOE indicator added | 11 |
Shark abundance and catch indicators | 2020 | MAFMC | SOE multiple shark indicators added | 12 |
Uncertainty estimates | 2020 | MAFMC | SOE included for subset of indicators | 13 |
Bycatch index | 2020 | NEFMC | SOE added seal bycatch indicator, retained harbor porpoise indicator | 14 |
Marine Mammal consumption | 2019 | MAFMC | SOE added discussion of seal diets, memo no new consumption ests since Smith et al but could be in the future once work is complete | 15 |
Estuarine Water Quality | 2020 | NEFMC | SOE Chesapeake indicators updated and expanded | 16 |
Forage abundance | 2019 | MAFMC | SOE forage anomaly indicator added | 17 |
Linking Condition | 2020 | MAFMC | in progress; not ready for 2021 | 18 |
Avg weight of diet components by feeding group | 2019 | Internal | in progress; part of fish condition | 19 |
Mean stomach weight across feeding guilds | 2019 | MAFMC | in progress; stomach fullness analysis started--species level | 20 |
Shellfish growth/distribution linked to climate (system productivity) | 2019 | MAFMC | in progress; project with R Mann student to start 2021 | 21 |
Cumulative weather index | 2020 | MAFMC | in progress; data gathered for prototype | 22 |
Management complexity | 2019 | MAFMC | in progress; student work needs further analysis, no further work in 2020 | 23 |
VAST and uncertainty | 2020 | Both Councils | in progress; not ready for 2021 | 24 |
Seal index | 2020 | MAFMC | in progress; not ready for 2021 | 25 |
Incorporate social sciences survey from council | 2020 | NEFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 26 |
Young of Year index from multiple surveys | 2019 | MAFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 27 |
Biomass of spp not included in BTS | 2020 | MAFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 28 |
Estuarine condition relative to power plants and temp | 2019 | MAFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 29 |
Inflection points for indicators | 2019 | Both Councils | unable to start in 2020 | 30 |
Reduce indicator dimensionality with multivariate statistics | 2020 | NEFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 31 |
Breakpoints | 2020 | NEFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 32 |
Re-evaluate EPUs | 2020 | NEFMC | unable to start in 2020 | 33 |
Stakeholder workshops
Iterative process with Committees/Council/Board
Ecosystem reporting linked to management objectives
Used within Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Ecosystem Process (Muffley, et al., 2020)
Collaborative process key to getting information used
an iterative, collaborative process has evolved to formulate ecosystem advice and to apply it in decision making
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