Pathways toward modernizing fisheries-independent surveys
Abstract
Fisheries-independent survey(s) (FIS(s)) are conducted worldwide to study the status of marine populations and ecosystems and provide consistent time-series data for use in stock assessments, ecosystem assessments, ecological studies, and forecasting. These time series allow researchers to track changes in populations and ecosystem responses to environmental variation over time and can be used to reveal trends and patterns that single observations cannot capture. However, the consistency and continuity of a FIS time series may be impacted by natural forces (e.g. changes in environment, stock distribution, and weather) or anthropogenic actions (e.g. funding, vessel availability, new sampling objectives, new technology, and reduction of sampling area due to spatial closures or restrictions). These issues, and others, are increasingly common due to changes in marine ecosystems, increased human activities in and around FIS areas, and the evolution of FIS technologies and statistical methods. We review drivers that are triggering changes in FISs and propose pathways for adapting existing FISs to these changes while ensuring consistency in the information provided by FIS time series. We show that there is potential for advanced technologies (e.g. autonomous vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and eDNA) to improve information collected from traditional FIS methods (e.g. trawls, longlines, acoustics, and pots). The modernization of FISs is best achieved through incremental incorporation and calibration of new technologies to existing FIS designs and operations, rather than a wholesale replacement of existing methods that would disrupt the historical baseline of a time series. These transitions of FISs in a changing world can be aided by developing methods to collect FIS data using multiple types of equipment and/or from multiple FIS platforms.
Related
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- Conflict with industrial fleets undermines the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development in vulnerable regions.
- When an endangered species’ recovery became a social issue: Humpback whale and artisanal fisheries conflict in Brazil
BibTeX
@article{kotwicki2026pathways,
title = {{Pathways toward modernizing fisheries-independent surveys}},
author = {Stan Kotwicki and Richard L. O'Driscoll and Nathan M. Bacheler and Diana Baetscher and Lewis A. K. Barnett and Derek G. Bolser and Lyle L. Britt and David A. Demer and Catherine Foley and Edward A. Laman and Andrew Lipsky and Patrick Malecha and Emily H. Markowitz and Cecilia A. O'Leary and Kotaro Ono and Zack S. Oyafuso and Pierre Petitgas and Patrick H. Ressler and Sean K. Rohan and Margaret C. Siple and Paul Spencer and Duane E. Stevenson and James T. Thorson},
journal = {ICES Journal of Marine Science},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1093/icesjms/fsag134},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05854050v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Pathways toward modernizing fisheries-independent surveys
AU - Stan Kotwicki
AU - Richard L. O'Driscoll
AU - Nathan M. Bacheler
AU - Diana Baetscher
AU - Lewis A. K. Barnett
AU - Derek G. Bolser
AU - Lyle L. Britt
AU - David A. Demer
AU - Catherine Foley
AU - Edward A. Laman
AU - Andrew Lipsky
AU - Patrick Malecha
AU - Emily H. Markowitz
AU - Cecilia A. O'Leary
AU - Kotaro Ono
AU - Zack S. Oyafuso
AU - Pierre Petitgas
AU - Patrick H. Ressler
AU - Sean K. Rohan
AU - Margaret C. Siple
AU - Paul Spencer
AU - Duane E. Stevenson
AU - James T. Thorson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - ICES Journal of Marine Science
DO - 10.1093/icesjms/fsag134
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05854050v1
AB - Fisheries-independent survey(s) (FIS(s)) are conducted worldwide to study the status of marine populations and ecosystems and provide consistent time-series data for use in stock assessments, ecosystem assessments, ecological studies, and forecasting. These time series allow researchers to track changes in populations and ecosystem responses to environmental variation over time and can be used to reveal trends and patterns that single observations cannot capture. However, the consistency and continuity of a FIS time series may be impacted by natural forces (e.g. changes in environment, stock distribution, and weather) or anthropogenic actions (e.g. funding, vessel availability, new sampling objectives, new technology, and reduction of sampling area due to spatial closures or restrictions). These issues, and others, are increasingly common due to changes in marine ecosystems, increased human activities in and around FIS areas, and the evolution of FIS technologies and statistical methods. We review drivers that are triggering changes in FISs and propose pathways for adapting existing FISs to these changes while ensuring consistency in the information provided by FIS time series. We show that there is potential for advanced technologies (e.g. autonomous vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and eDNA) to improve information collected from traditional FIS methods (e.g. trawls, longlines, acoustics, and pots). The modernization of FISs is best achieved through incremental incorporation and calibration of new technologies to existing FIS designs and operations, rather than a wholesale replacement of existing methods that would disrupt the historical baseline of a time series. These transitions of FISs in a changing world can be aided by developing methods to collect FIS data using multiple types of equipment and/or from multiple FIS platforms.
SN - 1054-3139
SN - 1095-9289
ER -