About Us
Our Mission
SCEMFIS utilizes academic, recreational and commercial fishery resources to address presently urgent and emerging scientific problems that could limit sustainable fisheries.
SCEMFIS provides academic research products with a goal of enhancing efficient management of shellfish and finfish resources.
SCEMFIS provides scientific research products essential in enhancing awareness of the health benefits of sustainable seafood as well as increasing opportunities for valued growth within seafood business sectors.
Who We Are
SCEMFIS is a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC)
SCEMFIS provides academic research products essential for the sustainable management of shellfish and finfish resources.
What We Do
The science agenda of SCEMFIS includes the development of essential biological data on fish stocks, including fecundity, age structure, and sources of mortality; support for cooperative surveys and survey augmentation needs; improved models of sampling design, population dynamics, habitat, and fishery performance; evaluation of geographic and depth variations in stock structure and how these relate to the genetics, physiology and sexual dimorphism of species; improved approaches to fishing to limit discard reduction through gear innovation, but also through modifications in fleet deployment consistent with oceanographic processes; development of improved sustainability criteria and evaluation of sustainability; improved assessment model formulations to better integrate available data; and refined approaches to establishing biological reference points.
Our 6-D Process
01
Discover
Discover the needs of our industry partners through biannual meetings with the goal of advancing fishery management science.
02
Define
Define research projects that best solve stock assessment problems related to each area of interest.
03
Design
Design the most effective projects with academic partners involved in research sampling.
04
Develop
Develop new methods and technologies to answer the most pressing scientific questions and provide improved reference points.
05
Deploy
Deploy fishery management initiatives via stock assessment working groups or policy-makers.
06
Deliver
Deliver answers to improve stock assessments and reduce scientific uncertainty.
Why choose SCEMFIS?
Members benefit from projects impacting current fishing regulations, fisheries assessments, and gear modifications.
Stakeholder-led science ensures buy-in from commercial fishermen actively involved in the planning and sampling for research.
Using scientific data to reduce uncertainty in fisheries management decisions and to provide improved reference points for important commercially managed stock assessments.
Collaborators include professional fisheries researchers from USM, VIMS, Rutgers, Univ. of Washington, Univ. of Maryland, Univ of Mass – Dartmouth as well as U.S. and Canadian consultants.
Would you like to partner with us?
SCEMFIS continues to accept letters of intent from other interested parties. Please feel free to contact our members for more information on SCEMFIS.