MAFMC Research Priorities
The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires that each federal Council develop a five-year research priorities document. The research priorities developed by the Council should address “fisheries, fisheries interactions, habitat and other areas of research that are necessary for management purposes.” NOAA Fisheries and the regional science centers are to consider these research priorities when developing their own research priorities and budgets within the region of the associated Council(s).
2020-2024 Research Priorities
In December 2019, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a Comprehensive Five Year (2020-2024) Research Priorities document. This document outlines broad priority themes and species-specific research priorities and was developed with input from the Council’s Research Steering Committee, SSC, Advisory Panels, Monitoring Committees, and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC). The document includes a review of the existing priorities document and was also re-organized and prioritized to develop a more useful, tactical, and strategic document to effectively advance scientific and management information that is aligned with Council and NEFSC resources and priorities.
Research Priority Review and Tracking
The 2020-2024 Research Priorities document and Strategic Plan identified a number of objectives and strategies to track, monitor, and improve the Council’s research priorities document to ensure its successful implementation. In 2020, the Council developed a process to track progress made in advancing research priorities. Then in 2021, the Council conducted its first biennial review of all existing research priorities to ensure the document is reflective of the Council’s current science and management needs. The review recommended a variety of research priority modifications including the addition/removal of priorities, edits the existing priority language, and changes in the priority order. In addition to the recommended changes, the review also found that nearly 41% of all existing research priorities have been completed, are currently being reviewed, or are in the process of being addressed. More information about the biennial review process, recommendations, and findings can be found in the documents below.