# Fisheries science

Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of limnology, oceanography, freshwater biology, marine biology, meteorology, conservation, ecology, population dynamics, economics, statistics, decision analysis, management, and many others in an attempt to provide an integrated picture of fisheries. In some cases new disciplines have emerged, as in the case of bioeconomics and fisheries law. Because fisheries science is such an all-encompassing field, fisheries scientists often use methods from a broad array of academic disciplines. Over the most recent several decades, there have been declines in fish stocks (populations) in many regions along with increasing concern about the impact of intensive fishing on marine and freshwater biodiversity.
Fisheries science is typically taught in a university setting, and can be the focus of an undergraduate, master's or Ph.D. program. Some universities offer fully integrated programs in fisheries science. Graduates of university fisheries programs typically find employment as scientists, fisheries managers of both recreational and commercial fisheries, researchers, aquaculturists, educators, environmental consultants and planners, conservation officers, and many others.

## Fisheries research

Because fisheries take place in a diverse set of aquatic environments (i.e., high seas, coastal areas, large and small rivers, and lakes of all sizes), research requires different sampling equipment, tools, and techniques. For example, studying trout populations inhabiting mountain lakes requires a very different set of sampling tools than, say, studying salmon in the high seas. Ocean fisheries research vessels (FRVs) often require platforms which are capable of towing different types of fishing nets, collecting plankton or water samples from a range of depths, and carrying acoustic fish-finding equipment. Fisheries research vessels are often designed and built along the same lines as a large fishing vessel, but with space given over to laboratories and equipment storage, as opposed to storage of the catch. In addition to a diverse set of sampling gear, fisheries scientists often use scientific techniques from many different professional disciplines.
Other important areas of fisheries research are population dynamics, economics, social studies and genetics.

## Notable contributors

Members of this list meet one or more of the following criteria: 1) Author of widely cited peer-reviewed articles on fisheries, 2) Author of major reference work in fisheries, 3) Founder of major fisheries journal, museum or other related organisation 4) Person most notable for other reasons who has also worked in fisheries science.
* Ray Beverton
* Rosa Lee
* Ray Hilborn
* Ransom A. Myers
* Daniel Pauly
* Oscar Elton Sette
* Bell M. Shimada
| Contributor | Nationality | Born | Died | Contribution |
| Baird, Spencer F. | American | 1823 | 1887 | Founding scientist of the United States Fish Commission. U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1871 to 1887. |
| Baranov, Fedor I. | Russian | 1886 | 1965 | Baranov has been called the grandfather of fisheries population dynamics. The Baranov catch equation of 1918 is perhaps the most used equation in fisheries modelling. |
| Beverton, Ray | English | 1922 | 1985 | Fisheries biologist known for the Beverton–Holt model (with Sidney Holt), credited with being one of the founders of fisheries science |
| Christensen, Villy | Danish | | - | Fisheries scientist and ecosystem modeller, known for his work on the development of Ecopath |
| Cobb, John N. | American | 1868 | 1930 | Founder of the first college of fisheries in the United States, the University of Washington College of Fisheries, in 1919 |
| Cooke, Steven J. | Canadian | 1974 | | Academic known for contributions to recreational fisheries science, inland fisheries and Conservation Physiology |
| Cushing, David | English | 1920 | 2008 | Fisheries biologist, who is credited with the development of the match/mismatch hypothesis |
| Everhart, W. Harry | American | 1918 | 1994 | Fisheries scientist, educator, administrator and author of several widely used fisheries texts |
| Froese, Rainer | German | 1950 | - | Known for his work on the development and coordination of FishBase |
| Goode, G. Brown | American | 1851 | 1896 | Ichthyologist who organized and administered the biological and fishery development research of the United States Fish Commission and ordered and developed the taxonomic and ichthyologic work of both the Fish Commission and the Smithsonian Institution. U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1887 to 1888. |
| Graham, Michael | English | 1889 | 1972 | Known for his Great Law of Fishing, that “Fisheries that are unlimited become unprofitable.” |
| Green, Seth | American | 1817 | 1888 | Pioneer in fish farming who established the first fish hatchery in the United States |
| Gunter, Gordon | American | 1909 | 1998 | Pioneer in fisheries research in the northern Gulf of Mexico |
| Halver, John | American | 1922 | 2012 | His pioneering work on the nutritional needs of fish led to modern methods of fish farming and fish feed production. He has been called the father of fish nutrition. |
| Hempel, Gotthilf | German | 1929 | - | Marine biologist and oceanographer, and co-founder of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research |
| Herwig, Walther | German | 1838 | 1912 | Lawyer and promoter of high seas fishing and research |
| Chaudhuri, Hiralal | Indian | 1921 | 2014 | Father of induced breeding of the Carp and also the pioneer of Blue revolution. Fisheries biologist with strong contributions in fisheries management. |
| Hilborn, Ray | Canadian | 1947 | - | Fisheries biologist with strong contributions in fisheries management |
| Hjort, Johan | Norwegian | 1869 | 1948 | Known for research to determine why northern European fish populations fluctuate in abundance |
| Hofer, Bruno | German | 1861 | 1916 | Fishery scientist credited with being the founder of fish pathology |
| Holt, Sidney | English | 1926 | 2019 | Fisheries biologist known for the Beverton–Holt model (with Ray Beverton), credited with being one of the founders of fisheries science |
| Kils, Uwe | German | | - | Marine biologist specializing in planktology. Inventor of the ecoSCOPE |
| Kyle, H. M. | Scottish | 1872 | 1951 | Ichthyologist specializing in fisheries science and one of the earliest identifiers of the concept of overfishing |
| Lackey, Robert T. | Canadian | 1944 | - | Fisheries scientist and political scientist known for his work involving the role of science in policy making |
| Larkin, Peter A. | Canadian | 1924 | 1996 | Fisheries scientist known for his critical remarks on the concept of MSY |
| Lee, Rosa M. | Welsh | 1884 | 1976 | One of the first UK women employed as a fisheries scientist. Known for "Rosa Lee's phenomenon," in which size-selective fishing mortality reduces the average size of older age classes |
| Lubchenco, Jane | American | 1947 | | Known for both her academic research in fisheries and related fields as well as policies implemented during her time as head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Margolis, Leo | Canadian | 1927 | 1997 | Parasitologist and head of the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| McDonald, Marshall | American | 1835 | 1895 | Fisheries scientist and fish culturist who invented the fish ladder and of a number of fish-hatching apparatuses. U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1888 to 1895. |
| McKay, R. J. | Australian | | | Biologist and a specialist in translocated freshwater fishes |
| Murphy, Garth I. | American | 1922 | 2001 | Fisheries oceanographer known for his work on the dynamics of Pacific sardine and on the importance of a broad age structure as a bed-hedging strategy in variable environments. |
| Myers, Ransom A. | Canadian | 1952 | 2007 | Fisheries biologist best known for his work assessing the status of ocean fish populations |
| Pauly, Daniel | French / Canadian | 1946 | | Prominent fisheries scientist, known for his work studying human impacts on global fisheries |
| Pitcher, Tony J. | | | - | Known for work on the impacts of fishing, management appraisals and the shoaling behavior of fish |
| Rice, Michael A. | American | 1955 | - | Known for work on molluscan fisheries |
| Ricker, Bill | Canadian | 1908 | 2001 | Fisheries biologist, known for the Ricker model, credited with being one of the founders of fisheries science |
| Ricketts, Ed | American | 1897 | 1948 | A colourful marine biologist and philosopher who introduced ecology to fisheries science. |
| Roberts, Callum | | | - | Marine conservation biologist, known for his work on the role marine reserves play in protecting marine ecosystems |
| Rosenthal, Harald | German | 1937 | - | Hydrobiologist known for his work in fish farming and ecology |
| Safina, Carl | American | 1955 | - | Author of several writings on marine ecology and the ocean |
| Sars, Georg Ossian | Norwegian | 1837 | 1927 | Marine biologist credited with the discovery of a number of new species and known for his analysis of cod fisheries |
| Schaefer, Milner Baily | American | 1912 | 1970 | Notable for work on the population dynamics of fisheries |
| Schreck, Carl | American | 1944 | - | Fisheries scientist and endocrinologist known for his research on Pacific salmon |
| Schweder, Tore | Norwegian | 1943 | - | Statistician whose work includes the assessment of marine resources |
| Sette, Oscar Elton | American | 1900 | 1972 | Pioneered the integration of fisheries biology with oceanography and meteorology to create fisheries oceanography and modern fisheries science. |
| Shimada, Bell M. | American | 1922 | 1958 | Notable for study of tuna stocks in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. |
| Smith, Hugh M. | American | 1865 | 1941 | Ichthyologist who directed the United States Fish Commission's scientific research from 1897 to 1903 and served as its deputy commissioner from 1903 to 1913. U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries from 1913 to 1922. First director general of Thailand′s Department of Fisheries. |
| Sumaila, Ussif Rashid | Nigerian | | - | Notable for his analysis of the economic aspects of fisheries |
| Suttkus, Royal D. | American | 1920 | 2009 | Founder of the Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection, housed at Tulane University |
| Utter, Fred M. | American | 1931 | - | Characterised by NOAA as the founding father of fishery genetics, he has been influential in marine conservation |
| von Bertalanffy, Ludwig | Austrian | 1901 | 1972 | In fisheries, best known for the von Bertalanffy function |
| Walters, Carl | American | 1944 | - | Biologist known for his work involving fisheries stock assessments, the adaptive management concept, and ecosystem modeling |

## Journals

Some journals about fisheries are
* Journal of Fisheries
* Fishery Bulletin
* Fisheries Oceanography Archived 2008-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
* Journal of the Fisheries Research Board
* Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
* Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
* Fisheries Management and Ecology Archived 2008-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
* Fish and Fisheries Archived 2008-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
* Journal of Fish Biology Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
* Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science
* Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
* The Open Fish Science Journal
* African Journal of Tropical Hydrobiology and Fisheries
* ICES Journal of Marine Science
* Reviews in Fisheries Science
** Chinese Fisheries Journal Listings
** General Fisheries Journal Listings

## Professional societies

* World Council of Fisheries Societies
* American Fisheries Society
* The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
* The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
* The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science
* The Australian Society for Fish Biology