ARF has collaborated with the scientific community for over 50 years.

Together, we have made discoveries that have had a significant impact on the understanding of Pacific Albacore Tuna and changing ocean conditions.

Since its founding in 1971 ARF has pursued numerous Pacific Albacore Tuna-related research and education projects including tagging, diet studies, sea surface temperature, Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD) research, migration patterns, weather-related projects, logbook development, genetic studies and other topics.

Project partners include government agencies, universities, students, and private research groups. ARF welcomes ideas for new Pacific Albacore Tuna research and public education projects that cover the Pacific Ocean region.

Working with ARF provides researchers with unique access to a broad spectrum of resources:

“Fishermen and processors are our eyes, ears, and brains on the water. Their livelihood is understanding the patterns that researchers are trying to quantify. The scientists bring their expertise to take a deeper dive into biology and develop a quantitative link to the patterns. This partnership is critical for understanding connections between the fish and their environment, especially in a changing ocean.”

— Heidi Dewar, NOAA Fisheries

“Cooperative research programs benefit the fishing industry, individual fishermen, fisheries scientists, and fisheries managers in several ways. Working directly with fishermen and the fishing industry allows researchers access to biological samples and better data at a lower cost. Knowledge gained from fishermen that are on the water every day is invaluable when it comes to designing, implementing, and interpreting research. Community partnerships among fishermen and researchers builds mutual understanding and respect that in turn improves the credibility and quality of data used in fisheries management.”

— Owyn Snodgrass, NOAA Fisheries