March 19, 2024 SSC Meeting

The Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet via webinar March 19, 2024.

Staff Contact: Brandon Muffley, bmuffley@mafmc.org, (302) 526-5260

• March 2024 SSC Meeting Report

Webinar Information

• Link: March 19, 2024 SSC Meeting

• Call-in Number: 1-415-655-0001

• Access Code: 2342 908 0094; Password: rJy3MsPbh22

Agenda and Briefing Materials

• Agenda

• Combined Briefing Materials (zip file)

Ecosystem Science Activities

1. State of the Ecosystem Cover Letter and Request Memo

2. 2024 NEFSC Mid-Atlantic State of the Ecosystem Report

   • Note: draft EAFM risk assessment indicators will be included as part of the State of the Ecosystem presentation

3. Supplemental: EAFM Risk Assessment Review (Materials from October 2023 Council meeting)

4. Presentation

Cooperative Research Branch Overview and Updates

Recent publications of relevant Cooperative Research Branch activities:

1. Design, implementation, and results of a collaborative shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) electronic size monitoring pilot project (Mercer et al. 2023)

2. Bringing in the experts: application of industry knowledge to advance catch rate standardization for northern shortfin squid (Illex illecebrosus) (Mercer at al. 2023)

3. Shelf break exchange processes influence the availability of the northern shortfin squid, Illex illecebrosus, in the Northwest Atlantic (Salois et al. 2022)

4. Learning from the study fleet: maintenance of a large-scale reference fleet for Northeast U.S. fisheries (Jones et al. 2022)

5. Evaluating Potential Impacts of Offshore Wind Development on Fishing Operations by Comparing Fine- and Coarse-Scale Fishery-Dependent Data (Allen-Jacobson et al. 2023)

6. Presentation

Overfishing Limit (OFL) Coefficient of Variation (CV) Sub-Group Update

1. Draft Mark-Up of OFL CV Guidance Document

2. OFL CV Sub-Group Background Information

3. Presentation

Other Business

1. Draft meeting plan for the Scientific Coordination Sub-Committee 8th National Workshop

2. Workshop agenda - Defining Biological Reference Points in a Dynamic Northeast U.S. Marine Environment

   • Note: Summary of biological reference point information for MAFMC and NEFMC stocks located in SSC Google Drive (not for distribution)

3. Draft 2024 SSC Species/Topic Lead Assignments

4. 2024-2025 Stock Assessment Schedule

5. 2024 SSC meeting schedule and anticipated topics

6. Presentation