Many coastal and estuarine ecosystems worldwide are becoming increasingly degraded. Several intertwining factors including warming, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, hypoxic events, ocean acidification, and habitat degradation and loss pose significant threats to the management and conservation of fish species. While the co-production of knowledge investigating these impacts by scientists, managers, and fishers has led to an increased ecological understanding, the development of new tools, and an overall refining of management approaches, these systems are constantly evolving requiring near continuous research effort. The objectives of this symposium are to 1) highlight the most recent and pertinent research in these areas, 2) learn from successful partnerships amongst stakeholders, and 3) chart future directions for knowledge co-production amongst communities, fisheries scientists and ecosystem managers. We aim to elicit broad discussion and draw contributions from a diversity of leading experts, young professionals, and students who are actively advancing this discipline of fisheries science.
Organizer: Konstantine Rountos, Department of Biology, St. Joseph’s University, [email protected]
Co-organizers: Abigail Archer, Howard Townsend
Supported by: AFS Estuaries Section and Marine Fisheries Section