Speaker: Caren Barcelo, Postdoctoral Scholar, CIMERS, Oregon State University

Topic: Integrating spatial population structure and ecosystem information into stock assessment

Climate change is affecting the distribution of target species, fisheries, and fish communities in ways that influence the productivity and population structure of harvested species. Stock assessments must therefore be able to include ecosystem information at a spatiotemporal scale relevant to the population. Nevertheless, there is no clear guidance on how best to integrate ecosystem information or spatial population structure into stock assessment models.  Currently, there are several assessment platforms that can incorporate spatial structure (either explicitly or implicitly), each with unique features of methodology, modelling approach, or underlying assumptions. In this presentation, focused on EBFM, I will discuss:  1) the current state of applying spatial structure in stock assessments used for management and 2) an ongoing simulation-based participatory research experiment to elicit current successes, existing limitations, and future research needs of spatial stock assessments.