Biology, Assessment, and Management of North Pacific Rockfishes
23rd Lowell Wakefield Fisheries
Symposium, and
part of
the American Fisheries Society 135th
Annual meeting
Anchorage, Alaska, USA
September 13–15, 2005
For information on the proceedings book, contact: Sue Keller, fnsk@uaf.edu
Symposium Information
Proceedings
Alaska Sea Grant will publish a peer-reviewed proceedings, including full papers based on oral and poster presentations, soon after the symposium. A guide to manuscript preparation (PDF; 179 KB) is available online.
This symposium will be held as part of the 2005 annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, "Creating a Fisheries Mosaic." The 5-day AFS meeting will include contributed papers, workshops, a trade show, and symposia on several topics.
Background
The rockfish symposium is the 23rd Wakefield Fisheries Symposium, organized by Alaska Sea Grant. One of the tenets of the Wakefield Symposium Series is that fishery managers and policy makers must have credible, research-based information on which to base management decisions. This principle is ever more important for the assemblage of rockfish species in the genus Sebastes. Rockfish species are diverse, are difficult to distinguish, and have a large and enthusiastic following in the commercial and recreational fishery. It is not surprising, given the array of color polymorphisms in some species, that Sebastes translates to "Magnificent" (Love et al. 2002).
Some of the 100+ rockfish species of the northwestern and northeastern Pacific are currently experiencing declines in abundance, especially off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. Some rockfish are more vulnerable to exploitation based on species-specific life history traits such as long life, variable recruitment success, habitat fidelity, and changing oceanographic conditions. In the long tradition of Lowell Wakefield Fisheries symposia, this rockfish symposium will extend the knowledge base and bridge the gap between contemporary rockfish science and management challenges since the Wakefield rockfish symposium held in 1986 in Anchorage.
Goal
The goal of this symposium is to convene scientists, fishery managers, and industry to discuss rockfish biology, taxonomy, assessment techniques, and management strategies to promote sustainability and conservation on both sides of the North Pacific. It is also a prime opportunity to address future research needs.
Session Topics
Session topics will include:
- Biology and life history
- Genetics and speciation
- Ageing and growth
- Fishery management
- Habitat requirements
- Stock assessment
Agenda
The agenda is on the Web and will be updated as needed.
The official language of the symposium is English. Participants needing interpretation or translation services should provide their own, and notify the symposium coordinator.
Abstract Submission
Abstracts for oral or poster presentations were due no later than March 18, 2005. If you have any questions about the online abstract submission form, please contact the AFS Abstracts Coordinator.
Presenter guidelines are available on the AFS Web site and were updated August 16, 2005. Please note that PowerPoint presentations must be submitted by Wednesday, September 7, to the IMIG A/V website (see link above for details).
Location and Registration
AFS meeting sessions will be held at the Egan Center and the Performing Arts Center, downtown Anchorage. Sessions for the Wakefield rockfish symposium will be held at the Hilton Anchorage Hotel. Guest rooms will be available at a special rate for meeting participants at the Hilton Hotel and other nearby hotels. Lodging information and meeting registration are available through the AFS Web site. Online registration is available to both AFS members and nonmembers; to register as a nonmember, choose "Non-AFS Member" under Registration Type on the form.
Student Poster Award
Mrs. Frankie Wakefield, widow of Lowell Wakefield after whom the symposium series is named, recently passed away. To honor her commitment to the Wakefield Symposium series, we will provide a cash award plus gift certificate to the winning student poster at this meeting. All those wishing to enter the competition should notify Sherri Pristash, symposium coordinator, at fyconf@uaf.edu or 907-474-6701.
Organizing Committee
- Jane DiCosimo
North Pacific Fishery Management Council - Tony Gharrett
University of Alaska Fairbanks, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Juneau Center - Jon Heifetz
NOAA Fisheries, Auke Bay Lab - Rod Moore
West Coast Seafood Processors Association - Victoria O'Connell
Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Sherri Pristash
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant - Mike Rust
NOAA Fisheries, Northwest Fisheries Science Center - Rick Stanley
Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Biological Station - Brian Allee
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant
Sponsors
- Alaska Sea Grant College Program
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game
- NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service )
- NOAA Research
- North Pacific Fishery Management Council
- Wakefield Endowment, University of Alaska Foundation
For More Information
If you have questions or comments regarding this symposium, please address them to:
Sherri Pristash, Symposium Coordinator
Alaska Sea Grant College Program
PO Box 755040
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5040 USA
Phone: 907-474-6701
Fax: 907-474-6285
fyconf@uaf.edu
Reference
Love, M.S., M. Yoklavich, and L. Thorsteinson. 2002. The Rockfishes of the Northeast Pacific. University of California Press, Berkeley.
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