Bluefin Tuna Research Program

Cooperative agreements to USA nonprofit organizations, IHEs, state and local governments, tribes, individuals, and commercial organizations to conduct research that will enhance the management of fisheries. Applicants are advised that required registrations may take several weeks to complete. Funding is intended to support projects that seek to improve stock assessments of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The objective of the program is to provide a basis for advancing science-based fisheries management for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Such advancement will depend upon improvements in understanding of the fisheries and biology of bluefin tuna, especially regarding the effects of mixing and movement between the eastern and western Atlantic populations.Contracting Parties to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), of which the US is one, and other partners have embarked upon a multi-year research program on bluefin tuna as a step toward improving ICCAT’s science-based management of Bluefin fisheries. Research sponsored under this funding opportunity represents a contribution to this partnership. Proposals that demonstrate collaborations with the ICCAT Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Research Program and other ICCAT partners are strongly encouraged.Program Priorities:The main premise for a Bluefin Tuna Research Program (BTRP) project is to provide usable and relevant information to aid fishery researchers, scientists, and managers to make informed management decisions. The Standing Committee for Research and Statistics (SCRS), which develops scientific advice for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), has developed a list of priorities for research needed to improve bluefin tuna stock assessments. These priorities are summarized below, in no particular order of importance. Proposals must address one of these priority areas as they pertain to Atlantic bluefin tuna Federal fisheries management plans.Research priorities for this funding opportunity include:Representative sampling of hard and soft tissues and associated analytical techniques for studies of population genomics, stock composition, age composition, growth and total reproductive contribution by size and age.Large-scale conventional, electronic and genetic tagging experiments specifically designed to estimate movement rates, abundance, and mortality of the eastern or western stocks.Historical data (both paper copies or archived biological material) mining to sharpen estimates of catch, catch composition, fishing effort, and spatial aspects of catch.Simulation modeling to evaluate the performance of assessment models and management strategies in light of uncertainties related to stock mixing, reproductive potential and other life-history traits.Improving the quality of fishery data for stock assessments (e.g., using advanced technology to obtain representative data on catch per unit effort, size composition, etc…).Developing novel fishery-independent techniques to estimate abundance or mortality (e.g., using advanced technology, genomics, or enhancing coverage through effective multi-institution partnerships).Integration of satellite remote sensing, oceanographic modeling and other multidisciplinary scientific products to consider environmental effects upon biology (recruitment, mortality, movement, etc), fishery operations or to resolve the uncertainties in current and historical recruitment.