Impact of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries: Surprises and lessons from key case studies

Marine heatwaves are increasingly affecting marine ecosystems, with cascading impacts on coastal economies, communities, and food systems. Studies of heatwaves provide crucial insights into potential ecosystem shifts under future climate change and put fisheries social-ecological systems through “stress tests” that expose both vulnerabilities and resilience. The 2014–16 Northeast Pacific heatwave was the strongest and longest marine heatwave on record and resulted in profound ecological changes that impacted fisheries, fisheries management, and human livelihoods. Here, we synthesize the impacts of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries and extract key lessons for preparing global fisheries science, management, and industries for the future. We set the stage with a brief review of the impacts of the heatwave on marine ecosystems and the first systematic analysis of the economic impacts of these changes on commercial and recreational fisheries. We then examine ten key case studies that provide instructive examples of the complex and surprising challenges that heatwaves pose to fisheries social-ecological systems. These reveal important insights into improving the resilience of monitoring and management and increasing adaptive capacity to future stressors. Key recommendations include: (1) expanding monitoring to enhance mechanistic understanding, provide early warning signals, and improve predictions of impacts; (2) increasing the flexibility, adaptiveness, and inclusiveness of management where possible; (3) using simulation testing to help guide management decisions; and (4) enhancing the adaptive capacity of fishing communities by promoting engagement, flexibility, experimentation, and failsafes. These advancements are important as global fisheries prepare for a changing oceanWe are grateful to Nate Mantua, Manuel Hidalgo, Kiva Oken, and Cori Lopazanski for feedback on manuscript drafts. We thank Jean Lee for sharing a non-confidential version of the Gulf of Alaska commercial fisheries landings data and Evan Damkjar and John Davidson for sharing non-confidential versions of British Columbia's commercial and recreational fisheries landings data. CMF was funded by The Nature Conservancy, California. BM was partially supported by the Future Seas II project under NOAA's Climate and Fisheries Adaptation Program (NA20OAR431050). The scientific results and conclusions, as well as any views or opinions expressed herein, are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or the Department of Commerce.Ye

Participation in collaborative fisheries research improves the perceptions of recreational anglers towards marine protected areas

Collaborative fisheries research programs engage stakeholders in data collection efforts, often with the benefit of increasing transparency about the status and management of natural resources. These programs are particularly important in marine systems, where management of recreational and commercial fisheries have historically been contentious. One such program is the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which was designed in 2006 to engage recreational anglers in the scientific process and evaluate the efficacy of California’s network of marine protected areas. CCFRP began on the Central Coast of California and expanded statewide in 2017 to include six partner institutions in three regions: Northern, Central, and Southern California. To date, over 2,000 volunteer anglers have participated in the program, with many anglers volunteering for multiple years. However, the impacts of outreach, education, and collaborative research on those anglers at the statewide scale are currently unknown. Thus, the objective of the current study was to survey the statewide pool of volunteer anglers to assess the degree to which participation in CCFRP has influenced angler perceptions of MPAs, fisheries management, and conservation. We received 259 completed surveys out of a pool of 1,386 active anglers, equating to an 18.7% response rate. Participation in CCFRP resulted in a significant, positive impact on anglers’ attitudes towards MPAs in California across all regions. Anglers who participated in six or more CCFRP fishing trips had a more positive perception of MPAs than those who participated in fewer trips. Volunteer anglers across all regions perceived that they caught larger fishes, a higher abundance of fishes, and a greater diversity of species inside MPAs, consistent with the ecological findings of the program. These results highlight the benefits of involving community members in collaborative scientific research. Collaboration between researchers and the broader community increases transparency and trust between stakeholders, and results in greater understanding of natural resource dynamics, ultimately producing better management outcomes

A historical perspective of California recreational fisheries using a new database of "trophy" fish records (1966-2013), combined with fisheries analyses of three species in the genus Paralabrax

Recreational fishing in the United States promotes economic growth, cultural traditions, and environmental stewardship, but can also negatively impact fish stocks when fisheries are mismanaged. The scale of recreational fisheries is often underestimated due to difficulties in monitoring their complex, dynamic, and often expansive nature. In California, the documented history of recreational fishing dates to the late 1800s, and the industry has grown since. In 2013, California marine anglers took 5.3 million fishing trips, landed 8.4 million fish, and contributed $2.8 billion to the economy. Despite this extensive history and the well developed fisheries of the present day, we have limited quantitative historical fisheries data as well as measurements of current fish population dynamics. We developed a new historical database of "trophy" fish catch records (1966-2013) that could provide early signs of fisheries overexploitation, given that these large size classes are generally the most vulnerable to the impacts of fishing. We also founded the Coastal Angler Tagging Cooperative in partnership with the recreational fishing community to conduct demographic analyses of three of the most important recreationally targeted inshore species in the genus Paralabrax. Historical analyses indicate that "trophy" sizes of pelagic and coastal pelagic species are generally showing little signs of decline, while most decreasing trends are exhibited by demersal species. Rockfishes in particular (Sebastes sp) have shown both temporal and spatial declines in trophy size. However, the demersal species are also the most likely to benefit from the recently implemented statewide network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and many rockfishes have begun to show positive trends since new management policies were adopted in 2001. Our analyses of Paralabrax populations indicate a positive response to the recently implemented increase in minimum size limits, as well as spatial and seasonal differences in both length frequency and catch-per-unit-effort, depending on the species. We documented a new spawning aggregation site for Barred Sand Bass (P. nebulifer), and we highlight the virtual absence of traditional spawning behavior for this species in both 2013 and 2014. Collaborations between the scientific and fishing communities can be highly successful, and we encourage this in future research effort

A historical perspective of California recreational fisheries using a new database of "trophy" fish records (1966-2013), combined with fisheries analyses of three species in the genus Paralabrax

Recreational fishing in the United States promotes economic growth, cultural traditions, and environmental stewardship, but can also negatively impact fish stocks when fisheries are mismanaged. The scale of recreational fisheries is often underestimated due to difficulties in monitoring their complex, dynamic, and often expansive nature. In California, the documented history of recreational fishing dates to the late 1800s, and the industry has grown since. In 2013, California marine anglers took 5.3 million fishing trips, landed 8.4 million fish, and contributed $2.8 billion to the economy. Despite this extensive history and the well developed fisheries of the present day, we have limited quantitative historical fisheries data as well as measurements of current fish population dynamics. We developed a new historical database of "trophy" fish catch records (1966-2013) that could provide early signs of fisheries overexploitation, given that these large size classes are generally the most vulnerable to the impacts of fishing. We also founded the Coastal Angler Tagging Cooperative in partnership with the recreational fishing community to conduct demographic analyses of three of the most important recreationally targeted inshore species in the genus Paralabrax. Historical analyses indicate that "trophy" sizes of pelagic and coastal pelagic species are generally showing little signs of decline, while most decreasing trends are exhibited by demersal species. Rockfishes in particular (Sebastes sp) have shown both temporal and spatial declines in trophy size. However, the demersal species are also the most likely to benefit from the recently implemented statewide network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and many rockfishes have begun to show positive trends since new management policies were adopted in 2001. Our analyses of Paralabrax populations indicate a positive response to the recently implemented increase in minimum size limits, as well as spatial and seasonal differences in both length frequency and catch-per-unit-effort, depending on the species. We documented a new spawning aggregation site for Barred Sand Bass (P. nebulifer), and we highlight the virtual absence of traditional spawning behavior for this species in both 2013 and 2014. Collaborations between the scientific and fishing communities can be highly successful, and we encourage this in future research effort

The rise in climate change-induced federal fishery disasters in the United States.

Commercial, recreational, and indigenous fisheries are critical to coastal economies and communities in the United States. For over three decades, the federal government has formally recognized the impact of fishery disasters via federal declarations. Despite these impacts, national syntheses of the dynamics, impacts, and causes of fishery disasters are lacking. We developed a nationwide Federal Fishery Disaster database using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fishery disaster declarations and fishery revenue data. From 1989-2020, there were 71 federally approved fishery disasters (eleven are pending), which spanned every federal fisheries management region and coastal state in the country. To date, we estimate fishery disasters resulted in $2B (2019 USD) in Congressional allocations, and an additional, conservative estimate of$3.2B (2019 USD) in direct revenue loss. Despite this scale of impact, the disaster assistance process is largely ad hoc and lacks sufficient detail to properly assess allocation fairness and benefit. Nonetheless, fishery disasters increased in frequency over time, and the causes of disasters included a broad range of anthropogenic and environmental factors, with a recent shift to disasters now almost exclusively caused by extreme environmental events (e.g., marine heatwaves, hurricanes, and harmful algal blooms). Nationwide, 84.5% of fishery disasters were either partially or entirely attributed to extreme environmental events. As climate change drives higher rates of such extreme events, and as natural disaster assistance requests reach an all-time high, the federal system for fisheries disaster declaration and mitigation must evolve in order to effectively protect both fisheries sustainability and societal benefit

Spatial ecology of the Giant Sea Bass, Stereolepis gigas, in a southern California kelp forest as determined by acoustic telemetry.

The fisheries history of the Giant Sea Bass, Stereolepis gigas (Telostei: Polyprionidae), is closely linked to its spatial ecology. Its overharvest is directly associated with formation of spatially distinct spawning aggregations during summer, while its subsequent recovery is hypothesized to be the result of spatially explicit gear restrictions. Understanding the spatial ecology of Giant Sea Bass is a key part of efforts to assess contemporary threats such as commercial harvest and incidental catch by recreational fisheries. In this study, we used acoustic telemetry to characterize Giant Sea Bass space use in the La Jolla kelp forest using an acoustic array that encompasses two marine protected areas (MPAs) and heavily trafficked recreational fishing grounds. Five of the seven fish we tagged remained in the La Jolla array for at least 6 months. Two fish were resident across multiple years, with one fish consistently detected for 4 years. Only one fish was detected in the broader network of regional acoustic receivers, moving north approximately 8 km to Del Mar. Most tagged fish had home ranges and core use areas indicating they spend considerable time outside MPAs, particularly in areas with high recreational fishing activity. During spawning season we detected fish less frequently in the La Jolla array and recorded higher movement rates. While the current MPA network in La Jolla by no means offers complete protection to this fish, it does appear to support long-term persistence of some individuals in a region of exceptionally high recreational fishing pressure

An indicator‐based decision framework for the northern California red abalone fishery

Among abalone species that were once harvested along the California coastline, red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) supports the remaining recreational fishery. To support development of a red abalone fishery management plan, non‐governmental organizations have initiated expanded data collection and developed fishery management strategies. The latter is the subject of this study, as we present a management strategy evaluation (MSE) of a multi‐indicator decision tree. The decision tree relies on landings from each of 56 fishing sites and length frequency information collected during fishery‐independent diver surveys at a subset of sites. The decision tree was designed to cope with existing data limitations and to ensure that localized meta‐population dynamics were adequately considered in decision‐making. It was also necessary to balance the potential for localized abundance changes with the practical issue of implementing fishery regulations at larger spatial scales. The MSE demonstrated that undesirably low stock sizes could be avoided while also continuing to maintain a viable fishery, even under environmental conditions that are detrimental to abalone populations. Under less‐severe environmental conditions, stock size was maintained, on average, above the biomass associated with production of maximum sustainable yield. Our discussion centers on steps that were taken to refine the decision tree and to incorporate feedback from scientists and stakeholders and to facilitate transparent evaluation of management options

Use of management strategy evaluation to understand the value of citizen science in managing an iconic California recreational fishery

Data-limited fisheries present significant challenges to fisheries management around the world. Landings data represent the simplest and most common source of fishery information, but length data of harvested species can offer particularly useful insight into the strength of fishing pressure and the status of stocks. However, unbiased length data can be difficult and costly to collect, which highlights a need for understanding the utility of non-conventional data collection programs, such as those generated by community members and citizen science programs to improve management decision-making. In this study, our objective was to understand the value of citizen science for management using the iconic California recreational red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) dive fishery. To accomplish this, we employed management strategy evaluation (MSE) to simulate this benthic invertebrate fishery that was sampled by two different fishery independent survey protocols: a community science survey program led by trained volunteers and a professional science survey program led by a state agency. We subjected the data to a range of uncertainties, by including time-varying life history parameters, environmental variability, and effective sample size scenarios, to understand the management level consequences of each survey methodology. Our results show that community science program data collection can serve as a high-quality data source, can be linked directly to fisheries management decisions via a Harvest Control Rule (HCR), and can be a useful information source even in the absence of conventional data sources. Our results are specific to the California red abalone fishery, but they also highlight the potential broader value of community science data collection programs for improving information content of small-scale and recreational fisheries.•Accelerating stressors to marine ecosystems elevate the need for new data sources that allow timely management decisions.•Our study represents a quantitative evaluation of citizen/community science in meeting fisheries management objectives.•We demonstrate that community science data collection programs can be explicitly linked to fisheries harvest control rules.•Citizen science data can supplement conventional data sources, and can even stand alone to inform decisions that meet management objectives.•Linking data collection to management decisions can illuminate previously ignored data sources and elevate the value of citizen science

Post-release survival and prolonged sublethal effects of capture and barotrauma on deep-dwelling rockfishes (genus Sebastes): implications for fish management and conservation

Barotrauma - injury induced by changes in pressure - is a widespread challenge for successfully releasing fishes following capture. We used acoustic telemetry to examine the long-term post-release survival and behaviour of four rockfish species (genus Sebastes) suffering from barotrauma following capture using recreational fishing techniques. We placed particular emphasis on examining Cowcod (Sebastes levis) and Bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis), two historically overfished species along the United States West Coast that serve as good model species representing different ecological lifestyles. We show that fish survival was species specific and that 40% of observed mortality occurred more than 48 h post release - a typical time period used in many short-term survivorship studies. Cowcod survival was correlated with fish length, sea surface temperature, and dissolved oxygen concentration at the mean depth of capture. Generalized additive mixed models of Cowcod and Bocaccio behaviour showed that surviving individuals were negatively affected by capture and barotrauma for at least 30 d post-release. Our findings demonstrate the need for extended observations to accurately quantify the mortality of fishes suffering from barotrauma and show how such data can be successfully implemented into fisheries management through engagement between managers, scientists, and the fishing community

Impact of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries: Surprises and lessons from key case studies

Marine heatwaves are increasingly affecting marine ecosystems, with cascading impacts on coastal economies, communities, and food systems. Studies of heatwaves provide crucial insights into potential ecosystem shifts under future climate change and put fisheries social-ecological systems through “stress tests” that expose both vulnerabilities and resilience. The 2014–16 Northeast Pacific heatwave was the strongest and longest marine heatwave on record and resulted in profound ecological changes that impacted fisheries, fisheries management, and human livelihoods. Here, we synthesize the impacts of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries and extract key lessons for preparing global fisheries science, management, and industries for the future. We set the stage with a brief review of the impacts of the heatwave on marine ecosystems and the first systematic analysis of the economic impacts of these changes on commercial and recreational fisheries. We then examine ten key case studies that provide instructive examples of the complex and surprising challenges that heatwaves pose to fisheries social-ecological systems. These reveal important insights into improving the resilience of monitoring and management and increasing adaptive capacity to future stressors. Key recommendations include: (1) expanding monitoring to enhance mechanistic understanding, provide early warning signals, and improve predictions of impacts; (2) increasing the flexibility, adaptiveness, and inclusiveness of management where possible; (3) using simulation testing to help guide management decisions; and (4) enhancing the adaptive capacity of fishing communities by promoting engagement, flexibility, experimentation, and failsafes. These advancements are important as global fisheries prepare for a changing ocean