Fisheries stock assessment CRSP

Researchers from the Universities of Maryland, Washington, and Rhode Island will work with researchers in the Philippines and Costa Rica on nine interrelated subprojects (SP"s). The University of Maryland will administer the project. To improve analytical and sampling methods for determining the size, mortality rates, and growth rates of natural tropical fish populations, the following SP"s will be conducted: (1) multiple-species fisheries research; (2) systematic investigation of variability in fish stocks; (3) sampling catch; (4) age/size dependent modeling and corresponding age independent modeling; (5) age-size relationships and consequences of errors; (6) application of shallow-water hydroacoustic techniques for assessment of fish stocks subject to artisanal fisheries; (7) economic and probabilistic extensions of standard fishery models; (8) empirical analyses and modeling; and (9) multispecies field studies. SP research will include data collection, models testing, field sampling, and analysis of statistics from multispecies, tropical fisheries. A manual describing the stock assessment methods developed by the project and their application to tropical fish populations will be produced. Amendment of 7/14/88 authorizes $4 million to allow Missions, regional Bureaus, and other centrally funded projects to buy-in to the project"s research services. A companion basic ordering agreement will be established as the mechanism by which these services can be accessed. (PD-AAY-234)