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Center Overview
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) seeks to simultaneously achieve the goals of maintaining sustainable fish and shellfish stocks and preserving sustainable fish and shellfish fisheries. SCEMFIS concentrates on three major groups - shellfish, finfish/squid, and ocean wind energy.
SCEMFIS conducts research into sustainable management of shellfish and finfish resources and into products that enhance awareness of the health benefits of sustainable seafood and increase opportunities for growth within seafood business sectors. SCEMFIS capabilities encompass the range of oceanographic, fisheries, and marine biological disciplines essential for addressing the data resource and analytical challenges in modern-day fisheries management, and the development of the fishing industry including vessel, dealer, and processor components. Over several decades, U.S. fisheries management has formalized the criteria for sustainability and developed sophisticated modeling tools. However, maximum sustainable yield is limited by insufficient information on the finfish and shellfish stocks and fisheries and a lack of numerical applications to surmount the challenges of sustainability. Rapid climate change and complex management requirements continue to expose the limitations of data resources and assessment and model construction. Changing perceptions by seafood consumers, including a new awareness of sustainability and health benefits, continue to challenge marketing and product development.
Universities
- University of Southern Mississippi
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Center Personnel
Mark Borsuk
Center Director
+1 603 667 7454
mark.borsuk@duke.edu
Marc Ragin
Site Director
mragin@uga.edu
Research Focus
Research portfolio includes basic and applied research with a focus on:
- Data collection
- Assessment
- Management
Evaluation of the risk of overfishing under various regulatory options. Development of management strategy evaluation models for:
- Surfclams
- Summer flounder
Assessment teams engaged in major assessment efforts in:
- Mid-Atlantic region
- Northeast region (including surfclams, ocean species)
The ocean quahog is the oldest non-colonial marine species. It presents unique challenges for sustainable management. Research focuses on:
- Population dynamics of ocean quahogs
- Influence of warming bottom waters on these species
A significant aspect of the research:
- Development of first-age frequencies for ocean quahogs
- Evaluation of long-term recruitment trends
Growth rates are analyzed to study:
- Influence of warming bottom waters on clam physiology
- Impact on productivity
- Involves targeted surveys and data analysis.
The development of a growth dataset for ocean quahogs has enabled the reconstruction of global warming history since circa 1800. Implications of the dataset include:
- Dramatic increases in stock rebuilding potential
- Use of ocean quahogs as a bottom water proxy
- Research emphasis on forage fish addresses concerns about reducing forage fish quotas
Projects focus on:
- Addressing predator-prey relationships
- Documenting the state of forage fish populations
- Population dynamics characteristics for chub mackerel
- Development of a new survey design for Atlantic menhaden
Expansion of the menhaden program - Examination of dock-side monitoring effectiveness for Atlantic and Gulf menhaden. Provision of important information on:
- Reproductive stage
- Movement
- Mortality from tagging data analysis
SCEMFIS initiated a series of studies on:
- Influence of wind energy development on East Coast fisheries
- Impact on vessels
- Focus on the economics of the fishing industry
Economic evaluations include:
- Scup fisheries
- Surfclam fisheries
- Loligo squid fisheries
- Summer flounder fisheries
Awards
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) uses academic and commercial finfish and shellfish fisheries resources to address scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS reflects both a continuing expansion of industry-supported research in an era of increased science rigor in management, and the importance of synergistic collaboration between academics, industry, and regulatory agencies in complex management decisions. Phase II will focus research efforts on: (1) precautionary management that maintains quotas below sustainable levels, thereby limiting economic value and jobs, (2) the influence of climate change on sustainable management and long-range planning, (3) resolution of multiple use conflicts (both spatial and over multi-decadal time frames) between fisheries and energy production, and (4) ecosystem management with a focus on forage fish and ecosystem trophic structure. SCeMFiS will develop essential biological data on fish stocks; improve models of sampling design, population dynamics, and fishery performance; evaluate trends in stock structure and their relation to genetics, physiology and sexual dimorphism; and improve approaches to fishing to reduce discards through gear innovation and modifications in fleet deployment. SCeMFiS offers the coalescence of capabilities from a range of oceanographic and marine biological disciplines that is essential to meet the challenges faced by fisheries management. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which a diverse group of fishing companies and organizations can develop a coherent, problem-solving research plan advantaged by access to a wealth of academic resources. Phase 2 will continue to build on this effort. SCeMFiS partners gain ownership of the products developed, and become full partners in assessment and regulatory actions supporting sustainable management. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which industry can publicly demonstrate their support for the goal of sustainable seafood. In Phase 2 we will expand efforts to leverage additional research support emphasizing the integrated efforts of the two sites to achieve industry-wide research goals, stabilize precautionary management actions that would otherwise drive quota reductions, reflect management actions that are responsive to climate change driven variations in fish production and accessibility, with all actions in compliance with federal mandates under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. These goals will be achieved in an environment that promotes graduate education, enables rapid response to emerging data needs, and provides a combined fishery and economics approach to address societal needs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) uses academic and commercial finfish and shellfish fisheries resources to address scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS reflects both a continuing expansion of industry-supported research in an era of increased science rigor in management, and the importance of synergistic collaboration between academics, industry, and regulatory agencies in complex management decisions. This five-year, Phase III renewal for the SCEMFIS Lead Site, The University of Southern Mississippi, will focus its research efforts on: (1) precautionary management that maintains catch quotas below sustainable levels, (2) the influence of climate change on sustainable management and long-range planning, (3) resolution of multiple use conflicts (both spatial and over multi-decadal time frames) between fisheries and wind energy production, and (4) ecosystem management with a focus on forage fish and ecosystem trophic structure. The SCeMFiS industry-university cooperative research center (IUCRC) will develop essential biological data on fish stocks and improve models of sampling design, population dynamics, and fishery performance; evaluate trends in stock structure and their relation to genetics, physiology and sexual dimorphism; and improve approaches to fishing to reduce discards through gear innovation and modifications in fleet deployment. SCeMFiS offers the coalescence of capabilities from a range of oceanographic and marine biological disciplines that is essential to meet the challenges faced by fisheries management. Broader impacts of the work include workforce training of the next generation of fisheries professionals, creation of significant and extensive data archives of fisheries ranges and productivity, and sustainability of a crucial sector of the U.S. marine economy. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which a diverse group of fishing companies and organizations can collectively develop a coherent, problem-solving research plan advantaged by access to a wealth of academic resources. The renewal to a third phase of SCEMFIS research will build on efforts of the previous two successful phases. SCeMFiS partners gain ownership of the products developed, and become full partners in assessment and regulatory actions supporting sustainable management. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which industry can publicly demonstrate their support for the goal of sustainable seafood. In a SCEMFIS Phase III, the Center will expand efforts to leverage additional research support emphasizing the integrated efforts of the two sites to achieve industry-wide research goals, stabilize precautionary management actions that would otherwise drive quota reductions, reflect management actions that are responsive to climate change driven variations in fish production and accessibility, with all actions in compliance with federal mandates under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. These goals will be achieved in an environment that promotes graduate education, enables rapid response to emerging data needs, and provides a combined fishery and economics approach to address societal needs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) uses academic and commercial finfish and shellfish fisheries resources to address scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS reflects both a continuing expansion of industry-supported research in an era of increased science rigor in management, and the importance of synergistic collaboration between academics, industry, and regulatory agencies in complex management decisions. This five-year, Phase III renewal for the SCEMFIS Partner Site, The College of William and Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Scinece, will focus its research efforts on: (1) precautionary management that maintains catch quotas below sustainable levels, (2) the influence of climate change on sustainable management and long-range planning, (3) resolution of multiple use conflicts (both spatial and over multi-decadal time frames) between fisheries and wind energy production, and (4) ecosystem management with a focus on forage fish and ecosystem trophic structure. The SCeMFiS industry-university cooperative research center (IUCRC) will develop essential biological data on fish stocks and improve models of sampling design, population dynamics, and fishery performance; evaluate trends in stock structure and their relation to genetics, physiology and sexual dimorphism; and improve approaches to fishing to reduce discards through gear innovation and modifications in fleet deployment. SCeMFiS offers the coalescence of capabilities from a range of oceanographic and marine biological disciplines that is essential to meet the challenges faced by fisheries management. Broader impacts of the work include workforce training of the next generation of fisheries professionals, creation of significant and extensive data archives of fisheries ranges and productivity, and sustainability of a crucial sector of the U.S. marine economy. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which a diverse group of fishing companies and organizations can collectively develop a coherent, problem-solving research plan advantaged by access to a wealth of academic resources. The renewal to a third phase of SCEMFIS research will build on efforts of the previous two successful phases. SCeMFiS partners gain ownership of the products developed, and become full partners in assessment and regulatory actions supporting sustainable management. SCeMFiS provides a mechanism by which industry can publicly demonstrate their support for the goal of sustainable seafood. In a SCEMFIS Phase III, the Center will expand efforts to leverage additional research support emphasizing the integrated efforts of the two sites to achieve industry-wide research goals, stabilize precautionary management actions that would otherwise drive quota reductions, reflect management actions that are responsive to climate change driven variations in fish production and accessibility, with all actions in compliance with federal mandates under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. These goals will be achieved in an environment that promotes graduate education, enables rapid response to emerging data needs, and provides a combined fishery and economics approach to address societal needs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCeMFiS) uses academic and commercial finfish and shellfish fisheries resources to address scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCeMFiS reflects both a continuing expansion of industry-supported research in an era of increased science rigor in management, and the importance of synergistic collaboration between academics, industry, and regulatory agencies in complex management decisions. Phase II will focus research efforts on: (1) precautionary management that maintains quotas below sustainable levels, thereby limiting economic value and jobs, (2) the influence of climate change on sustainable management and long-range planning, (3) resolution of multiple use conflicts (both spatial and over multi-decadal time frames) between fisheries and energy production, and (4) ecosystem management with a focus on forage fish and ecosystem trophic structure. SCeMFiS will develop essential biological data on fish stocks; improve models of sampling design, population dynamics, and fishery performance; evaluate trends in stock structure and their relation to genetics, physiology and sexual dimorphism; and improve approaches to fishing to reduce discards through gear innovation and modifications in fleet deployment. SCeMFiS offers the convergence of capabilities from a range of oceanographic and marine biological disciplines that is essential to meet the challenges faced by fisheries management. A multi-decadal evolution in fisheries management has formalized the criteria for sustainability and developed numerical models to achieve this goal; but success is limited by insufficient information on fish and shellfish stocks and insufficient development of numerical applications to meet challenges posed by rapid climate change that continues to expose the limitations of present-day data resources and assessment, exacerbating the gap between data availability and data resource needs. SCeMFiS' capabilities encompass the range of oceanographic, fisheries, and marine biological disciplines essential for addressing the data resource and analytical challenges faced by modern-day fisheries. SCeMFiS fosters basic and applied research in the community dynamics, ecology, and environment of the continental shelf. Examples include obtaining the first age-frequency distributions for the US ocean quahog stock, the oldest living non-colonial animals, the first benthic survey east of Nantucket to identify a range shift in surfclams produced by climate change, a software package for evaluation of the adequacy of survey sampling design, and basic biological data on forage fish such as menhaden. These examples show the nexus between applied research directed at basic questions of fishery management and basic research directed at understanding the pelagic, demersal, and benthic realms of the continental shelf. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Read More >
Member Organizations
IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.- Omega Protein Corporation
- Sea Watch International
- Surfside Seafood Products
- Westbank Fisheries
The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.