Learn about special fisheries research

DMF has expanded our involvement in special fisheries research. We are working with 10 different research institutions to cover many groundfish species.

Atlantic cod spawning activity

In 2014, the following groups received a grant from NOAA Fisheries:

• Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF)
• The Nature Conservancy
• SMAST
• NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center
• The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

These groups received the grant to describe the distribution of winter spawning cod in Massachusetts Bay. We know little about the spawning time and location for cod. Our work is instrumental in finding necessary information to create appropriate conservation measures.

Discard mortality

DMF, the New England Aquarium, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST), and the University of New England tracked Atlantic cod to discover their post-release mortality rate. A NOAA Fisheries grant funded the project. The groups used acoustic telemetry to track long-term survival of cod caught by hook and line. DMF and its partners won more federal grants to study the discard mortality of haddock and cusk.

Fishermen’s ecological knowledge of Georges Bank spawning cod

DMF worked with SMAST, Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Penobscot East Resource Center to investigate the spawning distribution of Atlantic cod on Georges Bank. They interviewed current and retired commercial fishermen about their observations from the fishery.

Geolocation of groundfish from archival data storage pages

This projects features DMF working with SMAST, Northeastern University, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The groups develop geolocation methods for reconstructing the movements of tagged fish in the Gulf of Maine. They use the depth and temperature record from data storage tags to work on these methods.