Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division
The Fisheries Research and Monitoring Division (FRMD) consists of two branches:
Fisheries Biology and Stock Assessment Branch
Fisheries Biology and Stock Assessment studies are based on biological observations collected in field surveys with a variety of sampling gears, laboratory studies of biological specimens, and data from tag and recapture experiments (conventional, archival, and pop-up archival tags are all utilized). The FBSAB provides fundamental biological and ecological research on Federally managed species to allow for improved understanding of the mechanisms that influence resource distribution and abundance.
- Age and growth
- Tagging (Satellite pop-up archival tags, archival tags, and conventional tags)
- Diet and food web modeling
- Reproduction and fecundity
- Essential Fish Habitat needs and threats
The FBSAB studies a variety of species including tunas, swordfish, billfish, mahimahi (dolphin fish), sharks, bottomfish, and crustaceans.
Fisheries Monitoring Branch
The Fisheries Monitoring Branch (FMB) consists of two distinct programs that conduct a wide variety of fisheries monitoring and research in the Pacific Islands Region and surrounding international waters. FMB's mission is to provide the best available fisheries-dependent data, fishery reporting, technical support, and advice in support of federal fisheries management in the central and western Pacific. The data collected, processed, compiled, analyzed, and provided by FMB and its WPacFIN partner agencies make up a substantial fraction of the foundational fishery statistics and information needed by fishery scientists and managers in the Pacific Islands Region.
