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Population Dynamics Branch: Invertebrate Task

Larry Jacobson, Ph.D., Supv., Research Fishery Biologist

The Invertebrate Resources Task provides stock assessments, research, and other analytical products used by managers of invertebrate fisheries off the Northeast USA, including Loligo and Illex squids, Atlantic surfclam, sea scallops, ocean quahog, deep sea red crabs, American lobster and northern shrimp. These fisheries are important because their combined revenues are approaching $1 billion per year and because sea scallops and lobsters are the most valuable commercial fisheries in the US. We also carry out research to improve stock assessment results and data collection programs. Most of our work is collaborative and involves academic, state, industry, New England Fishery Management Council, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and Atlantic States Marine Fishery Commission staff.

The Program also conducts considerable research and development of new methods for stock assessment research, and has participated in major field programs to estimate bivalve populations directly from the results of expanded research vessel survey catches. The Program also provides support to the Invertebrate Working Group of the SARC.

This program provides information vital to the management of marine fishery resources worth many millions of dollars to the US economy. Information on the current status and likely future trends of fishery resources, their distribution and other relevant biological information is used to better manage fisheries that provide income to commercial and recreational user groups.

Information on the present and likely future status of fishery resources is developed by several other states as well as by this program. That information is summarized by assessment working groups, peer-reviewed by the Stock Assessment Review Committee and presented to fishery managers at semi-annual Stock Assessment Workshops. The peer reviewed results are made available to fishery managers as reports from those workshops.