TNCMaine_Summer26 - Flipbook - Page 10
Taking the Gulf’s
Temperature
How 昀椀shermen are helping gather
information for better 昀椀sheries
management in a changing climate
There’s simply no denying that climate change is driving signi昀椀cant
shifts in our ocean ecosystems and directly affecting the 昀椀shing
communities that depend on the Gulf of Maine for their livelihoods.
Finding the 昀椀sh and managing constraining catch quotas has always
been a challenge, but adapting to shifts in species distribution
and abundance has made it even more di昀케cult than ever to run a
successful business while ensuring sustainable 昀椀sh stocks.
Now, as climate and 昀椀shing conditions become increasingly
variable, TNC is partnering with the Maine Coast Fishermen’s
Association, the Ocean Data Network, the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) Northeast Cooperative Research Branch, and
others to install state-of-the-art environmental sensors on 昀椀shing
vessels to collect water temperature data to help 昀椀shermen and
climate scientists in the Gulf of Maine.
For over a decade, The Nature Conservancy has been partnering
with 昀椀shermen to help tackle these and other challenges head on.
Together, we have secured long-term access to the 昀椀shery through
our permit bank work. We have tested innovative gear to improve
catch of target species while reducing the bycatch of unwanted
昀椀sh. And we co-developed video systems to help 昀椀shermen meet
monitoring requirements in a cost-effective manner. Through
these partnerships, we have helped develop more sustainable
昀椀shing practices and built a foundation for climate-ready 昀椀sheries
management, based on the knowledge of the men and women who
know it best.
This valuable information helps 昀椀shermen better understand
the relationship between bottom water temperatures and the
species composition of their catch. For 昀椀shermen, understanding
temperature differences over time, space, and depth can help
them more effectively target certain species, a critically important
advantage in a regulatory system that necessarily limits how many
pounds of a given 昀椀sh species may be caught.
10 | The Nature Conservancy in Maine
Regional climate scientists are also bene昀椀ting because the collected
data are being used to inform models that better describe current
conditions in the Gulf and predict future changes. Rutgers University
is using the data in its high-resolution ocean circulation and
temperature forecasting model, Doppio. And the Northeastern
