Discover the latest in ARF Pacific Albacore Tuna research.

These studies are peer-reviewed and conducted by scientists at independently funded organizations.

Dynamic human, oceanographic, and ecological factors mediate transboundary fishery overlap across the Pacific high seas
Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Hannah Blondin, Heather Welch, Martin C. Arostegui, Steven J. Bograd, Camrin D. Braun, Megan A. Cimino, Nima Farchadi, Elliott L. Hazen, Desiree Tommasi, Michael Jacox, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Hopkins Marine Station - Stanford University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, San Diego State University, University of California Davis, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Hannah Blondin, Heather Welch, Martin C. Arostegui, Steven J. Bograd, Camrin D. Braun, Megan A. Cimino, Nima Farchadi, Elliott L. Hazen, Desiree Tommasi, Michael Jacox, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Hopkins Marine Station - Stanford University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, San Diego State University, University of California Davis, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson

Dynamic human, oceanographic, and ecological factors mediate transboundary fishery overlap across the Pacific high seas

The management and conservation of tuna and other transboundary marine species have to date been limited by an incomplete understanding of the oceanographic, ecological and socioeconomic factors mediating fishery overlap and interactions, and how these factors vary across expansive, open ocean habitats. Despite advances in fisheries monitoring and biologging technology, few attempts have been made to conduct integrated ecological analyses at basin scales relevant to pelagic fisheries and the highly migratory species they target. Here, we use vessel tracking data, archival tags, observer records, and machine learning to examine inter- and intra-annual variability in fisheries overlap (2013–2020) of five pelagic longline fishing fleets with North Pacific albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga, Scombridae).

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Changes to the structure and function of an albacore fishery reveal shifting social-ecological realities for Pacific Northwest fishermen
Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Mary C. Fisher, Desiree Tommasi, Gwendal Le Fol, Elliott L. Hazen, Stephen S. Stohs, Elena M. Finkbeiner, Michael Jacox, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences - University of Washington, Center for Oceans - Conservation International, Coastal Science and Policy Program - University of California Santa Cruz, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Stephanie Brodie, Mary C. Fisher, Desiree Tommasi, Gwendal Le Fol, Elliott L. Hazen, Stephen S. Stohs, Elena M. Finkbeiner, Michael Jacox, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences - University of Washington, Center for Oceans - Conservation International, Coastal Science and Policy Program - University of California Santa Cruz, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson

Changes to the structure and function of an albacore fishery reveal shifting social-ecological realities for Pacific Northwest fishermen

Marine fisheries around the globe are increasingly exposed to external drivers of social and ecological change. Though diversification and flexibility have historically helped marine resource users negotiate risk and adversity, much of modern fisheries management treats fishermen as specialists using specific gear types to target specific species. Here, we describe the evolution of harvest portfolios amongst Pacific Northwest fishermen over 35+ years with explicit attention to changes in the structure and function of the albacore (Thunnus alalunga, Scombridae) troll and pole-and-line fishery.

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Clustering of disaggregated fisheries data reveals functional longline fleets across the Pacific
Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Heather Welch, Katherine L. Seto, Shui-Kai Chang, Francisco Blaha, Quentin Hanich, Myeonghwa Jung, Elliott L. Hazen, Michael Jacox, Stephanie Brodie, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Department of Environmental Studies - University of California, Santa Cruz, Graduate Institute of Marine Affairs - National Sun Yat-sen University, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) - University of Wollongong, Fisheries Policy Research Division - Korea Maritime Institute, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson Timothy H. Frawley, Barbara Muhling, Heather Welch, Katherine L. Seto, Shui-Kai Chang, Francisco Blaha, Quentin Hanich, Myeonghwa Jung, Elliott L. Hazen, Michael Jacox, Stephanie Brodie, Institute of Marine Sciences - University of California, Santa Cruz, NOAA Fisheries - Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Department of Environmental Studies - University of California, Santa Cruz, Graduate Institute of Marine Affairs - National Sun Yat-sen University, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) - University of Wollongong, Fisheries Policy Research Division - Korea Maritime Institute, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Ericka Carlson

Clustering of disaggregated fisheries data reveals functional longline fleets across the Pacific

Ensuring the long-term sustainability of tuna, billfish, and other transboundary fisheries resources begins with data on the status of stocks, as well as information concerning who catches what fish, when, where, and how. Despite recent improvements in fisheries monitoring and surveillance, such dynamics remain poorly understood across the high seas. Here we delineate and describe pelagic longline activity in the Pacific Ocean using a framework that integrates descriptive vessel information and tracking data with species- specific catch reports. When parsed by distinct vessel behaviors and attributes, disaggregated fisheries data highlight the existence of multi-national, multi-specific (i.e., targeting multiple species) fishing fleets, many of which target waters that span more than one management area. Our findings emphasize the need for increased coordination across regional and sub-regional governance bodies and suggest that effective and equitable management of the sector may require efforts to move beyond single-species, single-area controls and operational distinctions based primarily on vessel flag and/or gear type alone.

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