Northeast Consortium, University of New Hampshire, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Research Funding

Priority Areas for Northeast Consortium Funding

The Northeast Consortium funds projects that address current fisheries and ocean management issues in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Here are brief summaries of topic areas that the Advisory Committee has determined to be appropriate for Northeast Consortium collaborative research funding; however, the range of topics that can be proposed is not restricted.

  • Fishing gear selectivity. Gear research that enhances selectivity, targets healthy stocks, minimizes harvest losses and bycatch, reduces or eliminates technical barriers to trade, and improves fishing practices.
  • Evaluation of closed areas. Studies of environmental conditions, bio-diversity, oceanographic processes, and fisheries recruitment in areas closed to fishing; development and use of less invasive or non-fishing approaches for the evaluation of closed areas; consideration of the historical character of these regions; use of commercial fishermen's knowledge to formulate hypotheses and design and implement field studies; and analysis of ecosystem impacts of area closures. Proposals that involve study in closed areas should have a well justified and specific rationale for research that is consistent with the reason for the closure.
  • Fish habitats. Inclusion of industry-based information for essential fish habitat designations.
  • Commercial harvest and species sampling. Additional and alternative analysis of species distribution and abundance to improve the accuracy and reliability of existing information; analysis of life history features, behavior, and dispersal.
  • Oceanographic and meteorological monitoring. Better information on weather, sea-state, oceanographic and fishing conditions, commercial harvest data, synoptic coverage of large regions, and use of satellite telemetry. Use of commercial fishing vessels as platforms for coastal monitoring, modeling, and prediction.
  • Socioeconomic impacts. Better understanding the effects of fisheries, coastal and ocean management decisions and the impacts of collaborative research on the fishing industry and fishing communities.
  • Outreach and education. Enhancing knowledge sharing among fishermen, scientists, and managers; increased awareness of collaborative research among K-12 students and the general public. Projects should focus on collaborative research generally, not just activities funded by the Northeast Consortium.

 

For specific research ideas, click here.