This work refines the management strategy evaluation (MSE) framework by improving natural mortality estimates and reducing stock movement uncertainties

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded The Ocean Foundation a Cooperative Agreement valued at $498,793 under the Cooperative Research Program (CFDA 11.472) for the period September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026. The award supports refinement of the Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework through improved natural mortality estimates and reduced stock movement uncertainties for fisheries management. The recipient will deploy 100 new electronic tags on fish populations, update Bayesian mark-recapture models incorporating age, stock-of-origin, and sex data, and employ genomic analysis to identify stock and sex composition of tagged specimens. All processed data will directly support NOAA and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in advancing evidence-based fisheries management decision-making.

This cooperative research initiative represents the type of fundamental fisheries information collection and scientific modeling that the Cooperative Research Program funds to enhance the information base for stock assessment and ecosystem management models. The Ocean Foundation, a Washington DC-based nonprofit specializing in marine conservation and fisheries research, will conduct this work in partnership with federal scientists to strengthen the scientific foundations for sustainable fisheries management of Atlantic bluefin tuna and related species.

The recipient will achieve this by deploying 100 new electronic tags, updating our bayesian mark-recapture models with age, stock-of-origin, and SEX data, and using genomics to identify stock and SEX for tagged fish. All processed data will support NOAA and iccat's management efforts.