The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is pleased to offer a part-time, paid summer internship for an undergraduate or graduate student or recent graduate.
This internship is offered from May through August 2026 with flexible start and end dates. The selected intern will receive at least $18/hour for 20 hours a week.
Visit the internship page to learn more and apply!
Applications are due March 27th.
We are excited to release the CFRF Annual Impact Report summarizing the work we conducted during our Fiscal Year 2025!
We are thrilled to share our accomplishments with you, and we value your involvement as we collaborate towards our mission. Thank you for your time and interest in our efforts.
The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is dedicated to increasing awareness of fisheries topics, educating others about our research, and training the next generation of fisheries scientists through outreach and education initiatives.
We are proud to launch our free, by-request workshop to introduce students to fisheries science and provide resources for students interested in pursuing an impact-driven, community-oriented career in science.
Formal and Informal Educators: Learn how you can request a workshop for your students here!
We recently completed a pilot project to implement a plan to improve boulder relocation practices during offshore wind development. Read below to learn what we did and what we learned!
Offshore wind energy development often requires the relocation of large boulders to provide scour protection, stabilize turbine foundations, and clear routes for cables. Relocated boulders can pose safety risks to fishermen by creating new 'hangs' in which gear may become caught, as well as potentially affect the habitat structure and fish communities in established fishing grounds. In April 2025, we co-hosted an event focused on these issues with Rhode Island Sea Grant, the University of Rhode Island, and the Commercial Fisheries Center of Rhode Island (CFCRI).
In response to the feedback from stakeholders at the event, we collaborated with CFCRI on a pilot project to identify relocated boulders that pose fishing hazards in the Revolution Wind Farm lease area and demonstrate a simple and effective path for future applications to reduce the negative impacts of boulder relocation on fishing.
Construction of the Revolution Wind Farm resulted in nearly 2,800 boulders being relocated. We interviewed mobile gear fishermen who historically fished within this wind farm lease area and used the information gathered to map previously towable fishing grounds within the Revolution Wind Farm. We found that only five of the relocated boulders were within these fishing areas (click map to enlarge).
These problematic boulders represent <1% of the nearly 2,800 relocated boulders, which indicates the issue of boulder relocation as it relates to fishing safety may be relatively easily overcome. In the future, this project’s approach could be conducted during relocation planning to identify boulders that need to be relocated strategically outside of towable fishing areas. This approach could minimize direct impacts on fishing vessel safety and contribute to a more positive and collaborative working relationship between offshore wind developers and fishermen.
It’s time to put Rhode Island Seafood on your plate!
We are excited to debut a brand new charity license plate for Rhode Islanders that supports research on the fresh, local, and sustainable seafood species our state is known for! The plate, designed by Andrew Lloyd Goodman, Assistant Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island, features eight iconic seafood species that are sustainably harvested in Rhode Island state waters and enjoyed throughout the state, region, and world.
License plates are available for pre-order* now! Each license plate costs $42.50, with $20 going directly to the CFRF. Proceeds from the license plate will directly support research focused on enhancing the sustainability and value of Rhode Island state fisheries.
