Project abstract purpose with increasing ecological variability and uncertainty, the american lobster fishery is facing monumental challenges

As fishermen, scientists, and managers scramble to understand the changing ecosystem, IT is increasingly important for these groups to work together to strengthen trust and generate data that is useful and usable. Navigating these numerous pressing social-ecological challenges requires innovative solutions that weave together different knowledge systems, perspectives, and capacities. Activities to be performed for this project, we propose a collaborative approach to design and implement research, extension, and outreach that addresses emerging priorities impacting american lobster fishing communities in the northeast region by working with and for industry, managers, researchers, and communities to explicitly align project activities with their expressed needs, interests, and questions. This will be accomplished through integrative activities that support and coordinate with both existing american lobster initiative (ALI) efforts and new partnerships to: (1) CO- develop targeted communication strategies and deliverables to synthesize and share previous ALI successes and on-going activities in a way that meets the specific needs of multiple audiences (industry, academia, management, and community); (2) engage in place-based extension, outreach, and education activities; and (3) CO-design and implement a collaborative research call supporting transdisciplinary teams of researchers, industry, management, and community partners. Expected outcomes by focusing on the design, implementation, and dissemination of collaborative research, this project will build and strengthen trusted partnerships to inform current and future management, planning, and research to address impacts on the significant, complex, and dynamic american lobster fishery. Intended beneficiaries this project will provide benefits to the american lobster industry from fishermen to dealers, processors and shore support as well as researchers and management agencies. These benefits will extend to local coastal communities and local economies dependent on the lobster fishery. Subrecipient activities whoi sea grant will execute numerous communications projects with materials targeted at multiple audience segments. New hampshire sea grant will provide outreach and extension support to funded research projects.