SouthEast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR) is the cooperative process by which stock assessment projects are conducted in NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Region. SEDAR was initiated to improve planning and coordination of stock assessment activities and to improve the quality and reliability of assessments. SEDAR strives to provide an open and transparent approach for development and review of the scientific information on fish stocks that is critical to management decision making.
From its beginnings in 2002 with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center and Southeast Regional Office, the program has grown to include the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commissions, and NOAA Fisheries HMS Division. Program guidance is provided through a Steering Committee, composed of representatives from the 3 Councils, 2 Commissions, and 3 NOAA Fisheries Offices, collectively referred to in the Program as "Cooperators". SEDAR is operated as a Council process, with dedicated staff and administered through the South Atlantic Council.
All SEDAR workshops and webinars are open to the public and all information related to those assessments is available here on this website. Public comment, in person or in writing, is accepted throughout the process as well as during subsequent review and action by the cooperating agencies. Workshop times and locations are noticed in advance through the Federal Register and posted on this site.
The basic SEDAR products are stock assessment reports prepared through SEDAR assessment projects. Projects are numbered for organization and tracking, and each may include assessments on multiple stocks. In most instances projects are devoted to single Cooperators, although there are exceptions such as when dealing with stocks managed jointly by 2 Cooperators. The SEDAR Project List provides a quick reference for past and future assessments and is updated annually following the fall Steering Committee meeting.
Specific assessment projects can be found on this site using the various search options provided. The "find a project" menu in the header bar provides assessment listings by species and Cooperator. A full listing of all projects is available through the "SEDAR Assessments" entry of the "SEDAR Projects" menu. This menu also provides access to various other types of projects supported by SEDAR. Finally, those who know the project they are interested in can jump right to it using the blue Quick Link buttons on the right column.
