The CFRF and RI DEM Black Sea Bass Research Fleet
Black sea bass sampled to date:
67,174
general description:
In recent decades, black sea bass populations have surged off the coast of Southern New England, likely related to climate change. This resulted in data gaps for the fishery, so the Black Sea Bass Research Fleet was established in 2016 by the CFRF and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to help fill in these gaps. This project partners with fishermen to collect important data on black sea bass in Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic region. Participant fishermen collect data at sea during commercial fishing activities using the CFRF’s custom-designed tablet application, On Deck Data. The data is being used to characterize the composition of discarded and landed black sea bass and to improve the stock assessment for this species.
project goals:
Collect and communicate critically needed black sea bass data (catch and effort, bycatch, and biological) in a cost-effective way using modern electronic technology and fishermen’s time on the water.
Contribute to the improvement of the northern Atlantic black sea bass stock assessment.
Develop a model approach for fishery-dependent data collection involving commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Project Team:
Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation
Hannah Verkamp - Project Lead
N. David Bethoney
Lizzy Soranno
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
Jason McNamee
Conor McManus
Current Participant vessels:
F/V Sweet Misery - Newport, RI
F/V More Misery - Newport, RI
F/V Johnny B - Newport, RI
F/V Matrix - Wickford, RI
F/V Lucy Rose - Wickford, RI
F/V Priority Too - Point Judith, RI
F/V Debbie Sue - Point Judith, RI
F/V Harvest Moon - Point Judith, RI
F/V X-Terminator - Little Compton, RI
F/V Brooke C - Point Judith, RI
F/V Catherine Ann - Newport, RI
F/V Savannah Paige - Cape May, NJ
F/V Ruthless - Cape May, NJ
F/V New Hope - Point Judith, RI
F/V Cristina Faith - Point Judith, RI
PREVIOUS VESSELS INVOLVED WHO CONTRIBUTED TO DATA COLLECTION:
F/V Excalibur - Point Judith, RI
F/V Lady Clare - Point Judith, RI
F/V Second Wind - Point Judith, RI
F/V Saturn - Cape May, NJ
F/V Nancy Beth - Point Judith, RI
F/V Laura Lynn - Point Judith, RI
F/V Virginia BAE - Newport, RI
F/V Blue Label - Newport, RI
F/V Rayna and Kerstin - Newport, RI
MEDIA COVERAGE:
"New Effort Underway To Study Black Sea Bass In Southern New England"- Rhode Island NPR, Sept. 2016
"Cooperative Research Seeks to Fill in Data Gaps to Support Fisheries Science and Management Efforts"-ASMFC Fisheries Focus, February/March 2018
"Front line of climate change: Black sea bass surge off R.I." - Providence Journal, July 2018
Scientific Publications
“Mobilizing the fishing industry to address data gaps created by shifting species distribution” by Heimann, T., H. Verkamp, J. McNamee, and N.D. Bethoney. 2023. Frontiers in Marine Science 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1043676
This project is supported by:
Project Photos:
