Sustaining opportunity: reducing discards in fisheries science and math education

概述：在这个项目中，计划采取双管齐下的方法来“维持机会”，以改善美国的渔业科学和数学教育。第一种办法涉及对渔业管理战略进行评价，该战略的重点是短期区域关闭和渔获平衡条例的效用，冰岛采用了这两种办法。在冰岛，当上岸的幼鱼比例过高时，就会强制关闭两周的区域。捕捞平衡法规允许渔民通过贸易、年度间转移或物种转换来解释配额过剩。这些规则降低幼鱼死亡率和最大化长期收益的能力将在一个理论的多物种、年龄结构的生物经济模型中进行分析，该模型包括“丢弃”。“弃置”指的是将那些由于品种或大小不合法或无法销售而无利可图的鱼类资源扔到海里。该模型将使用冰岛底栖鱼渔业进行参数化，并将结果与基于美国东北部底栖鱼渔业的参数化进行比较。将对每个地点同一物种的种群进行比较分析，以确定种群在重建或枯竭状态下的结果是否会发生变化。对于第二种方法，将通过支持基于课程的在线数学自学工具（Tutor-web）来增加获得免费和公平的数学教育的机会。将开发一个辅助网站（Math is All Around Us），以挑战研究生的任务，通过使用他们研究或现实生活中的例子，将高中课程数学问题置于背景中。该项目将在Gunnar Stefansson博士的赞助下在冰岛大学完成。该研究员每年将在新英格兰花费两个月的时间，与数学教育家、渔业科学家和管理人员就东北底栖鱼类物种的分析进行咨询。智力优势：在这项研究中，研究员将分析仅在冰岛广泛使用的渔业管理法规，从而为一个古老而令人困惑的问题提供一种新颖的方法：如何可持续地管理渔业？这项研究的基础是最近对海洋保护区的评价、渔业种群时间变化的理论根源，以及表明枯竭或重建种群的种群动态可能与健康种群完全不同的研究。这项研究恰逢其时，也很紧迫，因为东北底栖鱼渔业的严重衰退可能会促使对现有法规进行进一步评估。拟议中的网站还将有助于使用自适应算法的创新教育工具。更广泛的影响：该项目将进一步推动渔业政策设计背后的理论，并协助美国和冰岛之间的知识转移。这些分析对渔业的改善将有利于利益相关者和当地社区的社会经济地位，这对国家经济和文化意义至关重要。通过网站项目，在美国国内和国际上建立社会能力的方法被明确地纳入了这个建议中。这将有助于：1)发展情境化的课程数学，2)研究生参与教育，3)研究生对高中生的指导，4)从代表性不足的群体中曝光成功的科学家，5)宣传海洋科学项目和新闻。该博士后奖学金由海洋科学司管理，由国际与综合活动办公室国际科学与工程科资助。

Overview: In this project, a two-pronged approach toward "sustaining opportunity" is planned for improving fisheries science and mathematical education in the United States. The first approach involves an evaluation of a fisheries management strategy that focuses on the utility of short-term time-area closures and catch-balancing regulations, both of which are used in Iceland. Two-week area closures are mandated in Iceland when the percentage of juvenile fish landed is too high. Catch-balancing regulations allow fishermen to account for quota overages through trade, between-year transfers, or species transformations. The ability of these rules to reduce juvenile mortality and maximize long-term profitability will be analyzed in a theoretical multi-species, age-structured bioeconomic model that includes "discarding." Discarding refers to tossing overboard fish resources that are unprofitable because the species or size is illegal or unmarketable. The model will be parameterized using Icelandic groundfish fisheries and results will be compared with a parameterization based on the U.S. Northeast groundfish fishery. Stocks for the same species in each location will be compared for analysis to determine whether results could change for stocks with a rebuilding or depleted status. For the second approach, the opportunity for a free and equitable mathematics education will be enhanced by supporting a curriculum-based on-line math self-tutoring tool (Tutor-web). An auxiliary website (Math is All Around Us) will be developed to challenge graduate students with the task of contextualizing high-school curricular math problems by using examples from their research or real life. This project will be completed at the University of Iceland under the sponsorship of Dr. Gunnar Stefansson. The fellow will spend up to two months per calendar year in New England consulting with math educators and fisheries scientists and managers regarding analysis of Northeast groundfish species. Intellectual Merit: In this study, the fellow will analyze fisheries management regulations that are only used extensively in Iceland, and therefore a novel approach to an old, yet bewildering question: How can fisheries be sustainably managed? This study builds on recent evaluations of marine protected areas, theoretical origins of fishery stock temporal variation, and studies that indicate how the population dynamics of depleted or rebuilding stocks may be wholly different from those of healthy stocks. This study is also well-timed and urgent, as severe declines in the Northeast groundfish fisheries are likely to prompt further evaluation of the current regulations in place. The proposed website will also contribute to an innovative educational tool that uses adaptive algorithms. Broader Impacts: This project will further the theory behind fisheries policy designs, as well as assist in knowledge transfers between the U.S. and Iceland. Improvements to the fishing industry resulting from these analyses will benefit the socioeconomic status of stakeholders and local communities, which are important for the national economy and cultural significance. Methods for building social capacity both within the U.S. and internationally are explicitly built into this proposal through the website project. This will aid in: 1) development of contextualized curricular math, 2) participation of graduate students in education, 3) mentoring of high school students by graduate students, 4) exposure of successful scientists from underrepresented groups, and 5) publicizing of Ocean Science programs and news.This postdoctoral fellowship is managed by the Division of Ocean Sciences and funded by the International Science and Engineering Section of the Office of International and Integrative Activities.