Background
Current research plans
This roadmap has been initially developed to track progress of a NOAA RESTORE funded research project to achieve actionable improvements Gulf of Mexico ecosystem management. This project will for an initial 5 years focus on developing and testing methods to improve uncertainty quantification, accuracy, and throughput of stock assessment advice for fisheries management.
The timeline for this project is expected to change as research priorities shift to accommodate the real-time needs of fisheries managers in the Gulf and will be periodically updated to reflect these changes. Research priorities are expected to primarily fall into four research focus areas:
- Interim Assessment Methods Development
- Stock Assessment Projection Improvement
- Model Interpretation and Uncertainty Quantification
- Optimizing Model Complexity
Current Provisional Timeline
| Research Focus Area | Research Activity | Planned Start Date | Planned End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Assessment Methods | - Design hybrid approach and simulation testing plan | January 2024 | May 2024 |
| - Perform simulation testing | April 2024 | October 2024 | |
| - Report results and facilitate implementation | August 2024 | July 2025 | |
| Projection Methods Improvement | - Select optimal methods based on management priorities | October 2023 | Ongoing |
| - Develop simulation testing and implementation software | March 2024 | Ongoing | |
| - Perform simulation testing | July 2024 | Ongoing | |
| - Report results and facilitate implementation | September 2024 | Ongoing | |
| Model Interpretation and Uncertainty Quantification | - Develop model gradient extraction methods | 2024-2025 | TBD |
| - Develop ensemble sampling methods for Stock Synthesis | 2025-2026 | TBD | |
| - Perform simulation testing of methods | 2026-2027 | TBD | |
| - Report results and facilitate implementation | 2026-2027 | TBD | |
| Optimizing Model Complexity | - Develop software for dynamic assessment approach | 2026-2027 | TBD |
| - Develop simulation testing framework | 2027 | TBD | |
| - Perform simulation testing | 2027-2028 | TBD | |
| - Report results and facilitate implementation | 2028 | TBD |