Southern New England Collaborative Research Initiative (SNECRI)
The Southern New England Collaborative Research Initiative (SNECRI) is a research program designed to provide support to teams of scientists, managers, and members of the commercial fishing industry working together collaboratively on fisheries research projects important to the commercial fishing industry based in the southern New England region. The overall goals of the SNECRI Research Program are to provide accurate, timely, and credible data to better inform management, policy, and investment decisions, and to develop solutions to common management problems.
The SNECRI program is designed to support 1-2 year research projects, and addresses a range of research priority areas including the following:
1. Fisheries Resource Sustainability
- Improving Stock Assessment Information
- Bycatch Reduction
2. Ecosytems – As Related to the Re-building Fisheries Stocks Important to Southern New England
- Healthy Habitats
- Changing Ecosystems
3. Socio-Economics of the Southern New England Industry
- Added Value: Creating New Business Opportunities and Enhancing Existing Ones
- Evaluating Cumulative Impacts of Regulations on the Southern New England Fishing Industry
The projects funded by the CFRF under the SNECRI Research program include:
· Bycatch Reduction in Squid Fishery - “The Reduction of Butterfish and Scup Bycatch in the Inshore Loligo Squid Fishery” – Project Team: David Beutel (URI/RI Sea Grant), Laura Skrobe (URI/RI Sea Grant), Christopher Brown (FV Grandville), Steve Arnold (FV Elizabeth Helen)
· Discard Mortality Rates - “Discard Mortality Estimation of the Southern New England Flatfish Complex Using RAMP Methods” – Project Team: Dr. Kevin Stokesbury (UMass), Adam Barkley (UMass), Steve Cadrin (UMass), Christopher Brown (FV Grandville), Jim Kendall (New Bedford Seafood Consulting)
· Job Satisfaction -“Job Satisfaction, Well-being and Change in Southern New England Fishing Communities” – Project Team: Richard Pollnac (URI), Russell Wallis (Commercial Fisheries Center of RI), Rich Fuka (RI Fishermen’s Alliance), Lisa Colburn (NOAA)
· Lobster Settlement - “Examining Settlement Dynamics of Postlarval American Lobster, (Homarus americanus), in Lobster Management Area 2” – Project Team: Robert Glenn (MA Div. of Marine Fisheries), Mark Gibson (RI DEM), Richard Wahle (Bigelow Laboratories), Jim Manning (NMFS), Lanny Dellinger (RI Lobstermen’s Association), Arthur DeCosta (MA Lobstermen’s Association), Tom Angell (RI DEM), Tracy Pugh (MA Div. of Marine Fisheries), Kelly Whitmore (MA Div. of Marine Fisheries), Steve Wilcox (MA Div. of Marine Fisheries)
· Lobster Reproduction - “The Buzzards Bay Lobster Resource: Are Changes in Reproduction Having a Negative Impact on the Fishery?” – Project Team: Dr. Winsor Watson (UNH), Robert Glenn (MA Div. of Marine Fisheries), Arthur DeCosta (MA Lobstermen’s Association), Tracy Pugh (UNH), Jason Goldstein (UNH)
· Turtle Excluder Device -“Evaluation of a New Turtle Excluder Device (TED) Design in the Southern New England and Mid-Atlantic Summer Flounder Trawl Fisheries” – Project Team: Dr. Joseph DeAlteris (URI), Chris Parkins (URI), Capt. Joel Hovanesian (FV Excalibur), Capt. Jim Ruhle (FV Darana R)
· Dogfish Surveys -“Temporal Aspects of Habitat Utilization and Interspecies Competition: Defining the Ecological Impacts of Spiny Dogfish in Structuring the Ecosystem Dynamics of Southern New England” -Dr. James Sulikowski, University of New England, Dr. Alexia Morgan, Christopher Brown F/V Proud Mary, Steve Arnold, F/V Elizabeth Helen, Eric Brazer, Jr., GB Cod Fixed Gear and Hook Sectors; Coordinator, CCCHFA
· Lobster Ventless Trap Survey - “Expansion of the Coastwide Ventless Lobster Trap Survey in Southern New England” Robert Glenn, MA Div. of Marine Fisheries; Tracy Pugh, MA Div. of Marine Fisheries; Arthur DeCosta, commercial lobsterman
· Quahog Larval Supply - “An Assessment of Quahog Larval Supply and Distribution in the Upper Narragansett Bay with a Focus on Spawning Sanctuaries and Alternative Area Management Strategies” Dale Leavitt, Roger Williams University; Dennis Erkan, Mark Gibson, Najih Lazar, RI DEM; Chris Kincaid, Dave Ullman, Christelle Balt, URI; Michael McGiveney, RI Shellfishermen’s Association; Scott Rutherford, Tim Scott, Roger Williams University
· Sea Scallop Viscera - “Assessment of Potential Value of Sea Scallop Viscera Hydrolysate as Specialty Aquaculture Feed and Marine NutraceuticalI Ingredients” - Chong Lee, URI; Emmanouil Apostolidis, URI; Geoffrey Day, Seafood Research Associates; Michael Marchetti, Eastern New England Scallop Association
· NEAMAP Survey - “Data Collection and Analysis in Support of Single and Multispecies Stock Assessments in the Mid-Atlantic: North East Area Monitoring and Assessment Program Nearshore Trawl Program, 2011” -Christopher F. Bonzek, VA Institute of Marine Science, Dr. Robert J. Latour, VA Institute of Marine Science, James Gartland, VA Institute of Marine Science, James Ruhle, Captain, F/V Darana R
· Fish Habitat - “Mapping and Characterizing Fish Habitat in Rhode Island and Block Island Sounds” - Jeremy S. Collie, URI, John King, URI, James Gartland, VIMS, Michael Marchetti, Owner/Operator F/V Mister G, Captain Robert Fisheries Inc., James Ruhle, Captain, F/V Darana R, David Taylor, Roger Williams University
· Dogfish Stocks - “Is Cape Cod a Natural Delineation for Migratory Patterns in US and Canadian Spiny Dogfish Stocks?”- Roger A. Rulifson, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, East Carolina University, Jennifer L. Cudney-Burch, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, East Carolina University, Andrea Dell’Apa, Institute for Coastal Science and Policy, East Carolina University, Michael Pratt, Commercial Fisherman, Thomas J. Bell, Commercial Fisherman, Ian Parente, Commercial Fisherman
· Winter Flounder Bycatch Reduction - “A Method to Reduce Winter Flounder Retention Through the Use of Avoidance Gear Adaptations in the Small Mesh Trawl Fishery Within the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Winter Flounder Stock Area”- Emerson Hasbrouck, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, John Scotti, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Tara Froehlich, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Kristin Gerbino, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, Patrick Sullivan, Cornell University, Christopher Glass, University of New Hampshire, Jonathan Knight, Superior Trawls, Charles Weimar, F/V Rianda S, Bonnie Brady, LI Commercial Fishing Association
· Dogfish Bycatch Reduction - “Design and Test of an Innovative Large Mesh Whiting Trawl to Reduce Spiny Dogfish Bycatch in the Southern New England Whiting Fishery”- Pingguo He, Ph.D., UMass Dartmouth – SMAST, Elias Olafsson, Dantrawl Inc., Patrick McGlade, F/V Enterprise, Donald Follett, F/V Cody
· Yellowtail Founder Survey - “An Industry-based Survey for Yellowtail Flounder in Southern New England” Adam Barkley, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Steve Cadrin, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Greg DeCelles, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Captain Steve Follett, F/V Heather Lynn
· Lobster Nurseries - “A Fisherman-Scientist Collaboration to Re-assess Lobster Nurseries in Narragansett Bay After Two Decades of Environmental Change” Richard Wahle, University of Maine; Lanny Dellinger, RI Lobstermen’s Association; Scott Olszewski, RI DEM
· Channeled Whelk - “Determining Size and Age at Maturation as well as Monitoring Seasonal Gonadal Changes for the Channeled Whelk in Buzzard’s Bay, Martha’s Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound” Kenneth Oliveira, UMASS, Dartmouth; Robert Glenn, MA Div. of Marine Fisheries; Jarrett Drake, fisherman, MA Lobstermen’s Association; Steven Wilcox, MA Div. of Marine Fisheries
· Winter Flounder Survey - “An Industry-Based Survey for Winter Flounder in Southern New England”- Greg DeCelles, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Steve Cadrin, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Sally Roman, SMAST, UMASS, Dartmouth; Captain Einar Barlow, F/V Lena Pearl; Captain Niles Pearsall II, F/V Black Sheep; Captain James Jordan, F/V Hopeful