introducing the working group on maturity assessment and ...knowledge of the reproductive biology of...

IntroductionKnowledgeofthereproductivebiologyoffishandcrabstocksiscriticaltostockassessmentestimatesofthereproductivepotential(typicallymeasuredasspawningstockbiomass)ofthestock.Reproductivepotentialisafactoroftenusedtocalculatebiologicalreferencepointsusedforfisheriesmanagement. Whilequantitativeassessmentofreproductiveparametersisessentialforstockassessmentcalculations,qualitativeinformationonspawningdynamicsisalsoimportantasfisheriesmanagementhasbeguntakinganecosystemapproachtomanagement.Inaddition,understandingthespatialandtemporaldynamicsoffishspawningisimportantformanagingfisheryimpactsonprotectedapexpredators.

MARVLS at the AFSCHow it all started…ReproductivestudiesattheNMFSAlaskaFisheriesScienceCenter(AFSC)havehistoricallybeenconductedasindependentstudies,meanttoinformparticularstockassessments.ItbecameapparentthattheAFSCwouldbenefitfromamoreintegratedapproachtocollectreproductivelifehistoryinformation.Thisapproachdemandedtheprioritizationoffutureresearchbyidentifyingknowledgegapsandmanagementchallenges.ThisledtotheformationoftheMaturityAssessment,andReproductiveVariabilityofLifeStages(MARVLS)workinggroupandresultedinareadinggroup,andanAFSCworkshopandwhitepaperdetailingthestatusofreproductivebiologyandmaturityresearchattheAFSC.

MARVLS GOALS• SharemethodsandknowledgeoffishreproductivestudiesacrossallscienceCenters

• EvaluateandstandardizefieldandLabmethodologieswheneverpossiblewithinandacrossNMFSsciencecenters

• FieldCollectionprocedures• Histologicaltechniques• Fecundityanalysis• Databases• Nomenclature• DataAnalysisofageandlengthat50%maturity(A50andL50)

• Trainingmethodsforfieldcollection,histologicalreading,anddataanalysis

• Worktowardsintegratingreproductivevariabilityintostockassessmentandmanagementoffishandcrabspecies

• MostofallconnectwithyourinnerfishsqueezerandlistentoCaptainA50,oursuperhero!

MARVLS goes National

TimeLine2013• AFSCreadinggroupon

reproductivematurity• AFSCworkshopand

whitepaperonthestatusofreproductivebiologyresearchattheAFSC.

2014• NationalMARVLS

workshophostedbyAFSCinSeattle.AttendedbyScientistsfromallNMFSsciencecenters

2015• MARVLSgroup

organizesasymposiumattheAmericanFisheriesSocietySymposiuminPortland

Introducing the Working Group on

MaturityAssessment and Reproductive Variability of Life Stages

FUTUREPLANNEDEVENTS2016• MARVLSgroup

participatesinPICESthemsessioninSanDiego,CA

• 2nd MARVLSnationalworkshopinLaJolla,CA

2017• MARVLSgroupplans

tosubmitICESthemesessionformeetinginFlorida

DISTANTFUTUREMarvls becomesaworldwidephenomenon

Areadinggroupwasestablishedin2013withinterestedscientistsdiscussingpapersandtacklingcurrentissuesandchallengesconnectedwithhistology,fecundityandotherreproductiveecologyquestions.ItwassoonapparentthatscientistsfromallNMFSsciencecentersworkingonreproductiveecologyandlifehistorywereinterestinginaplatformallowingtoshareknowledgeandexchangeinformation.

Contact InformationIfyouwouldliketoreceivefurtherinformationorwouldliketojoinMARVLsdon’thesitatetocontact:SusanneMcDermott Susanne.mcdermott@noaa.gov NOAA,AFSC,SeattleSandiNeidetcher sandi.neidetcher@noaa.gov NOAA,AFSC,SeattleChristinaConrath Christina.conrath@noaa.gov NOAA,AFSC,Kodiak

Susanne McDermott, Sandi Neidetcher, Christina Conrath, Paul SpencerAlaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA

The recommendations andgeneral contentspresentedinthisposterdonotnecessarily represent theviews orofficialpositionoftheDepartment ofCommerce, theNationalOceanic andAtmosphericAdministrationortheNationalMarineFisheries Service.

Strong DATA make strong MODELS!