class: right, bottom, my-title, title-slide .title[ # Operationalizing Ecosystem and Habitat Indicators to Support Climate-Ready Fisheries Management in the Mid-Atlantic ] .subtitle[ ## MAFMC Project Overview <br />February 2026<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> ] .author[ ### <br />Sarah Gaichas, Hydra Scientific LLC<br /> Gavin Fay, UMass Dartmouth<br /> Kelsey Roberts, UMass Dartmouth<br /> Sophie Wulfing, UMass Dartmouth ] --- class: top, left background-image: url("https://github.com/NOAA-EDAB/presentations/raw/master/docs/EDAB_images/MAFMC+Jurisdiction+Map+v3-01.jpg") background-size: 230px background-position: right 50px bottom 50px <style type="text/css"> .remark-slide-number { display: none; } </style> ## Operationalizing Ecosystem and Habitat Indicators to Support Climate-Ready Fisheries Management in the Mid-Atlantic: Project Objectives .pull-left-70[ 1) Review and assess existing ecosystem and habitat indicators in the Northeast and evaluate their utility to support management objectives; 2) Identify and develop priority ecosystem and habitat indicators, including associated targets and thresholds as appropriate, and identify specific pathways for incorporation into Council management processes, documents, or actions; and 3) Create workflow and communication tools to support regular updates of indicators and that enhance usability of indicators in the management process. ] .pull-right-30[]  ??? .pull-left[ # Project Team Sarah Gaichas Gavin Fay Kelsey Roberts Sophie Wulfing Students: Connor Coscino Sarah Hope ] .pull-right[ # Project Oversight Team Brandon Muffley Julia Beaty Julian Garrison Scott Large Geret DePiper ] --- .pull-left[ .center[ # Project Big Picture To develop operational indicators, *start with Management Objectives and Decisions* then find Information Supporting Decisions. SMART indicators are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound *for a particular Objective and Decision.* Priority management decisions were identified in December. The review of existing indicators will identify information sources and gaps to develop indicators specific to the priority management decisions. Then indicators will be simulation tested. ] ] .pull-right[  ] --- # Workplan: Objective 1 *Review and assess existing ecosystem and habitat indicators in the Northeast and evaluate their utility to support management objectives* .pull-left[ **Indicator Review:** *continuing* * Current Council Indicators * State of the Ecosystem Report * EAFM Risk Assessment * Ecosystem Socioeconomic Profiles * Relevant New Indicators * US EPA, MARCO, State, Local * Global sources (FAO) * Peer-reviewed literature * Compile indicator attributes in [SMART format](https://mafmc.github.io/SMARTindicatorsData/) * Summarize and develop indicator search tool ] .pull-right[ **In Person Workshop 1:** *December 10 2025* * Identify and prioritize Council management decisions that could be supported by operational use of ecosystem indicators * Format * Introduce preliminary list of Council decisions/processes * Discuss and clarify list and fill gaps * From full list, identify top 3 priority decisions for indicator development and analysis * Identify preliminary indicators that may support priority decisions ] **Deliverables:** Indicator review with SMART screening evaluation relative to priority management decisions --- # Progress .pull-left[ ## Workshop 1 Complete Priority Decisions: * Risk Policy * Catch/Quota Specification * Measures Setting * Spatial Management ## SMART Indicator Reports Pulling indicator attributes from existing resources Initial framework to evaluate against SMART criteria Not yet specific to management decisions https://mafmc.github.io/SMARTindicatorsData/ ] .pull-right[ ## SMART Indicator Summary Tool Prototype to sort indicators by attributes  ] --- # Workplan: Objective 2 *Identify and develop priority ecosystem and habitat indicators, including associated targets and thresholds, and identify specific pathways for incorporation into Council management processes, documents, or actions* .pull-left[ **Online mini-workshop, indicator development** * Mini-workshop identifies indicators for priority management decisions using SMART screening * Identify desirable and undesirable states for management outcomes * Identify potential indicator targets and thresholds linked to states * Indicator and target/threshold development * Literature review for existing thresholds * Indicator data acquisition and/or model development as necessary * Empirical threshold identification and testing ] .pull-right[ **In person Workshop 2, Indicator simulation testing** * Workshop develops performance criteria * Review preliminary indicators, targets, thresholds * Identify measures of management success and "good" vs "bad" indicator levels * Identify uncertainties to include: environment? markets? * Simulation testing indicator-based management * Evaluate management performance under the range of uncertainties * Highlight optimal conditions for indicator use and pathways for inclusion in Council management ] ??? * Use models at the appropriate level of complexity for the management decision --- # Example Workplans: Objective 2 *(Contingent on Workshop 1 Decisions) Identify and develop priority ecosystem and habitat indicators, including associated targets and thresholds as appropriate, and identify specific pathways for incorporation into Council management processes, documents, or actions* .pull-left-30[ **Example analyses if ABC is a priority decision** * Extend current process using risk table approaches from other regions? * Standardize ecosystem profile approach for within stock assessment use? * Build in other indicators in addition to climate vulnerability for ABC uncertainty buffers? * Simulation testing ] .pull-right-70[ **Example analyses for other management decisions if selected as priorities** * Hypothetical: spatial management measures * Evaluate with indicators of fishery and species spatial overlap * Simulate distribution shifts, fleet movement constraints, etc. * Which spatial management measures meet objectives with minimal side effects? * Hypothetical: habitat productivity * Evaluate indicators of favorable or unfavorable habitat conditions * Simulate management with different risk tolerance under different environmental conditions * Which habitat-adjusted risk tolerance meets objectives across species portfolio? ] ??? * Recommend practical pathways for implementation --- background-image: url("https://github.com/sgaichas/HSpresentations/raw/main/docs/images/NRHAapp.png"), url("https://github.com/sgaichas/HSpresentations/raw/main/docs/images/PreyAnalysisApp.png") background-size: 600px, 600px background-position: top right, bottom right # Workplan: Objective 3 .pull-left[ *Create workflow and communication tools to support regular updates of indicators and that enhance usability of indicators in the management process* * [MAFMC GitHub Organization](https://github.com/MAFMC) established for open access code storage * GitHub training for interested Council staff * Student and early career scientist participation to train analysts with knowledge of management processes and needs * Visualization tool, shiny app, and dashboard development and deployment to facilitate Council access and use of products * Workflow automation to facilitate future operational updates of Council-selected indicators <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> ] .pull-right[ .center[ <br /><br /><br /><br /> .contrib[ ↑ https://nrha.shinyapps.io/dataexplorer/ https://fishmaps.shinyapps.io/prey/ ↓ ] ] ] ??? --- # Deliverables and Schedule: Phase 2 **Project duration ~2 years, with monthly Project Oversight Team updates** * **TBD March 2026:** Online Council Mini-workshop selecting indicator subset for development and testing, early career researcher and student experience in Council processes * **February-December 2026:** Indicator development and testing: data acquisition, model development, preliminary target and threshold analysis, visualization and communication tool development and deployment, Council staff training in reproducible workflows * **TBD December 2026:** In person Council Workshop 2 identifying indicator performance metrics, review preliminary targets and thresholds, early career researcher and student experience in Council processes * **January-June 2027:** Indicator target/threshold simulation testing under a range of uncertainties, identify pathways for management use, indicator workflow automation * **30 June 2027:** Final Report to Council, Present all project results including operational infrastructure at Council meeting