NEW: CFRF Charity License Plate

Something fishy is coming to Rhode Island vehicles

It’s time to put Rhode Island Seafood on your plate!

We are excited to debut a brand new charity license plate for Rhode Islanders that supports research on the fresh, local, and sustainable seafood species our state is known for! The plate, designed by Andrew Lloyd Goodman, Assistant Professor at the Community College of Rhode Island, features eight iconic seafood species that are sustainably harvested in Rhode Island state waters and enjoyed throughout the state, region, and world.

License plates are available for pre-order* now! Each license plate costs $42.50, with $20 going directly to the CFRF. Proceeds from the license plate will directly support research focused on enhancing the sustainability and value of Rhode Island state fisheries.

Black Sea Bass Research Fleet Update - October 2024

We had a great time hosting US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse for some black sea bass fishing and sampling to celebrate his help in securing funding to continue our Black Sea Bass Research Fleet project! 🎣

We were joined by long-time project collaborator Jason McNamee of RIDEM and spent the morning on one of our Research Fleet participant vessels, the F/V Priority Too. We had a beautiful day on the water and collected data on 100 black sea bass for the project! Thanks again to Senator Whitehouse and his staff to ensuring this data collection will continue until at least 2030! Check out the video below for a recap of our day!

New Publication: Anticipating the winds of change

We are excited to share our newest research paper, led by Dr. Kevin Stokesbury at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology, titled "Anticipating the winds of change: A baseline assessment of Northeastern US continental shelf surficial substrates."

Click here for a summary of the paper.

The full paper can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fog.12693

Announcing the Norbert Stamps SNEC Science Meeting Student Travel Award

We are proud to announce a new travel award to support a student to attend and present at the Southern New England Chapter (SNEC) of the American Fisheries Society Science Meetings. To fulfill our education mission, the CFRF supports research that involves students and the fishing community. This award provides $500 to facilitate the presentation of this type of research at the SNEC Summer Science Meeting by a deserving graduate or undergraduate student.

The 2024 SNEC Summer Science Meeting is on June 11th, 2024, at the University of Rhode Island Bay Campus. Learn more here.

Qualifications and Application Instructions

Qualifications

  • Student Member of SNEC

  • Oral or poster presentation of research at SNEC Summer Science Meeting

    • Payment will be made after meeting attendance unless a candidate expresses the need for the funds in advance to attend the meeting.  

  • Have not previously received this award

Application Instructions
Applications for the award should be submitted via email by May 31st to the SNEC Education Committee Chair, Tracy Maynard, at Tracy.Maynard@KleinschmidtGroup.com. Please include in your application:

  1. Contact information

  2. Presentation or Poster Abstract, following the SNEC guidelines

  3. A brief statement of qualification 

  4. A letter of support from an academic advisor or supervisor

A committee of CFRF and SNEC Education Committee members will review applications and select the award recipient. 

About Norbert Stamps

We are proud to dedicate this award to Norbert Stamps. Norbert Stamps was an incredible captain and a strong advocate of collaborative research. He loved meeting new people, making connections, finding common ground, and especially making people laugh. He was Vice President of the Atlantic Offshore Lobstermen’s Association and a long-time Board member of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. He was a founding member of the Research Foundation’s Lobster-Jonah Crab and Shelf Research Fleets. This award captures Norbert’s memory by giving a student engaging in collaborative research a chance to make new connections.

Scientist at Sea: A Day in the Life on the Revolution and Sunrise Wind Trawl Survey

Welcome to the first post in our new series, Scientists at Sea! This series aims to give you a glimpse into what it is like to work as a fisheries scientist collecting data on commercial fishing vessels! In this video, follow along with Research Biologist Lizzy Soranno as she takes you through a typical day on the Revolution and Sunrise Wind Trawl Survey in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology aboard the F/V Heather Lynn! Learn more about this survey here.

New Publication: Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet

We are thrilled to share our newest research paper, which used data collected by the Lobster and Jonah Crab Research Fleet. This paper is published in the Marine and Coastal Fisheries October issue, and our image is proudly displayed on the cover!

Click here for a summary of the paper.

The full paper can be found here: https://afspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mcf2.10266

New Publication on the Shelf Research Fleet and Salinity Max Intrusions Projects!

Check out our newest publication, “Integrating fishers’ knowledge with oceanographic observations to understand changing ocean conditions in the Northeast United States” which was recently published in Frontiers in Marine Science! This paper was led by Noelle Olsen and includes data from our Shelf Research Fleet and Salinity Maximum Intrusions projects.

The full paper can be found here: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1144178.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Sea Scallop Fishermen

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center are seeking commercial scallop fishermen to test a sea scallop data collection app. This app aims to collect data on the distribution and prevalence of scallop diseases and assess reproductive condition year-round. This data will help fishermen inform management in a changing environment. Click HERE to apply.

Apply By: January 25, 2023

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: RI Mobile Gear F/Vs

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is seeking applications for mobile gear fishing vessels to participate in a new research project to test an electronic gear location marking application. This project will provide much needed information on how accurately the application marks the location of fixed gear, as well as how helpful the application is to mobile fishermen to help plan the location of their tows.

Each selected vessel will be provided with a cellular signal booster and a tablet with a gear location marking application installed. Participants will be compensated to use the application on up to 10 regular fishing days and provide feedback on the accuracy, helpfulness, and feasibility of using this application. You can learn more about the project on the webpage.

Interested? For more information on how to participate click here and to download the application form click here. If you are interested in applying, please complete and submit the application form by May 1, 2022.

Questions? Please contact

Katie Viducic, Research Biologist, CFRF
Email: kviducic@cfrfoundation.org
Phone: (401) 515-4892
David Bethoney, Executive Director, CFRF
Email: dbethoney@cfrfoundation.org
Phone: (401) 515-4662

RESEARCH WORKSHOP ON JONAH CRAB MANAGEMENT, April 6th, 3-7pm

Researchers from the Rhode Island Division of Marine Fisheries, the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF), and the University of Rhode Island are conducting a project to examine different harvest control strategies for the valuable Jonah crab fishery. A key component of this project is collaborating with Jonah crab industry stakeholders to design and test potential management strategies for the commercial fishery. Please note that this project is an academic research project and is being conducted independently of the Commission’s management process for the species. We invite Jonah crab harvesters, processors, dealers, and other stakeholders to participate in an initial collaborative workshop where we will 1) provide background and description for the project and 2) collect stakeholders’ opinions on fishery assessment methods and management strategies to be tested moving forward. It is expected that the results of this simulation-based research will be informative to future Jonah crab research and management. This workshop will take place on Wednesday, April 6th, from 3-7pm at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography campus in Narragansett, RI (address below).  Virtual attendance will also be offered. A stipend will be offered to our fishing partners to compensate you for your time.

To RSVP, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/etnxgYd4Ths7jVtV6

RSVP encouraged by March 23rd, 2022 to secure your place in the workshop. Some background information will be made available to registrants prior to the workshop. Questions may be directed to Corinne Truesdale at corinne.truesdale@dem.ri.gov. Thank you for your interest!

Workshop location:

URI Graduate School of Oceanography

218 South Ferry Road

Narragansett, RI  02882

Catalyzing Bay Scallop Restoration Project Featured in EcoRI News!

David Bethoney, our Executive Director, was recently featured in an article for EcoRI News to discuss the bay scallop restoration project we are currently working on.

Bay scallops were once an iconic fishery species in Rhode Island, but populations have been scarce since the 1980s. We are collaborating with The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to synthesize relevant information on bay scallops and use that information to create a plan to help restore them in the state’s coastal salt ponds.

Read the full article here: Scientists, Shellfishermen Seek Strategies to Sustain Ocean State’s Dwindling Bay Scallop Populations, and check out the project webpage for more information about the project!

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: RI & MA Lobster and Crab F/Vs to Monitor Wind Farm Development

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography are jointly proposing to Orsted to undertake a ventless trap survey to monitor lobster and crab species in the Revolution Wind Farm Area off southern New England. We are seeking commercial fishermen to join us in the proposal process and, if funded, to undertake the proposed ventless trap survey. A document outlining the proposed survey, and associated work, is linked below. If you are interested in applying, please complete and submit the application below by January 21, 2022.

Please click the links below to view and download the documents:

Revolution Wind Farm Ventless Trap Survey Vessel Briefing Document

Revolution Wind Farm Ventless Trap Survey Vessel Application

Questions? Please contact:

Michael Long, Research Biologist, CFRF

Email: mlong@cfrfoundation.org

Phone: (401)-515-4892

 

David Bethoney, Executive Director, CFRF

Email: dbethoney@cfrfoundation.org

Phone: (401)-515-4662

ATTENTION RI & MA WHELK FISHERMEN

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is seeking eight commercial whelk F/Vs, from Rhode Island and Massachusetts, to pilot a Whelk Research Fleet. Participating vessels will work with the CFRF and its collaborators to collect data during commercial whelk trips to fill fishery dependent data gaps and provide critically important data for whelk management. If you are interested in applying, please complete and submit the application by December 17th.

Interested? Questions? Please contact
Thomas Heimann, Research Biologist, CFRF
Email: theimann@cfrfoundation.org, Phone: (401) 515-4892
More information about this project is available on the project webpage.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: RI & MA Trawlers to Monitor Wind Farm Development

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and the University of Massachusetts School For Marine Science and Technology are jointly proposing to Orsted to undertake a trawl survey to monitor the Revolution and Sunrise Wind Farm Areas off southern New England. We are seeking commercial fishermen to join us in the proposal process and, if funded, to undertake the proposed trawl survey.  A document outlining the proposed survey, and associated work, is linked below. If you are interested in applying, please complete and submit the application below by October 31st, 2021.

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Please click the links below to view and download the documents:

Revolution & Sunrise Wind Farm Vessel Application

Revolution & Sunrise Wind Farm Trawl Survey Briefing Document

 

Questions? Please contact;

Survey Related: Chris Rillahan, SMAST Technical Associate

Email: crillahan@umassd.edu

Phone: 508-910-6323

 

Safety or Training Related: David Bethoney, Executive Director, CFRF

Email: dbethoney@cfrfoundation.org

Phone: (401)-515-4662

Attention LA & LAGC Scallopers!

Different seasons, different yields. Managers know this too, but don't have the data needed to incorporate it into quota allocations. Work with us to change this.

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The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is seeking 4 LAGC and 2 LA scallop vessels to join the pilot Sea Scallop Research Fleet. The data will help inform fisheries management on the changes in scallop meat weight, quality and reproductive potential by area and season. Applications are due by May 21st. If you would like to submit an application for consideration please fill out the application and forward either via email, fax or mail to CFRF. For more information about the project and to download the vessel application form visit the project webpage.

Call For Applications! Mapping Hotspots and Testing Video Technology for Ghost Gear Removal

The CFRF is currently seeking applications from fishing vessels interested in participating in the ghost gear mapping and removal trials! The at-sea trials will test underwater video technology for locating and removing ghost gear in Narragansett Bay starting late spring and running through summer of 2021. The deadline to apply to participate is March 31, 2021. If you would like to submit an application for consideration please fill out the application and forward either via email, fax or mail to CFRF. For more information about the project and to download the vessel application form visit the project webpage.

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If you have any questions about the project prior to applying, please reach out directly to CFRF Research Associate, Susan Inglis, singlis@cfrfoundation.org or 401-515-4892