Alaska Fisheries Science Center

STRATEGICSCIENCE PLAN
FY2023 - FY2027

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries ServiceTable of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  1 Science Goals, Objectives, and Strategies.  .  . 13
Vision, Mission, and Core Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Goal 1: Monitor and assess fish, crab, and marine

mammal populations, fisheries, and marine ecosystems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

AFSC Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2
Organizational Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Objective 1.A: Conduct high utility and quality
assessments which will directly contribute to themost effective assessment tier of fish and crab,
and level of excellence for marine mammal stocks,
while improving efficiency of fisheries-dependentand independent data collection. ����������������������������������� 14

Federal Budget Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Human Capital Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Facilities Assets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Objective 1.B: Conduct applied marine ecosystemand socioeconomic analyses and assessments to
support sustainable fisheries management andmarine mammal conservation. ������������������������������������� 15

Challenges and Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Organizational Excellence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  8

Objective 1.C: Create next generation fish, crab,
and marine mammal stock assessments.��������������������� 15

Commitment 1: Continue to foster an AFSC

culture that values and practices transparency,
engagement, accountability, and respect. . . . . . . . . . 9

Objective 1.D: Reduce bycatch using fisherydependent bycatch analysis, spatial modeling, dataon environmental conditions, and conservationengineering.������������������������������������������������������������������������� 16

Commitment 2: Continue to value diversity,

equity, inclusion, and accessibility in our workplace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Goal 2: Investigate, model, and predict eco-system and climate impacts on living marine
resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Commitment 3: Continue to enhance processes

that ensure integrity of business operations(financial accountability and effective workforce
management functions), a safe work environment,
and proactive and strategic communication. . . . . . 10

Objective 2.A: Investigate ecosystem-levelchanges (habitat, food webs, trophic dynamics,
distributional shifts, etc.) with field and modelingstudies. ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������17
Objective 2.B: Hindcast, forecast, and project
direct and indirect effects of climate change on
fish, crab, and marine mammals and the associatedcommunities which rely on these resources. ������������� 18

Commitment 4: Continue to provide state-of-

the-art information technology that advances the
AFSC mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Objective 2.C: Identify and implement Arctic
research priorities.������������������������������������������������������������ 18

Commitment 5: Continue to embrace change

management as our approach for maintaining
an operational budget and balanced research
portfolio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Goal 3: Advance new initiatives and innova-

tions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Commitment 6: Continue to strengthen orga-

Objective 3.A: Promote data innovation and quality improvement to facilitate science and support
data-driven decision making. ����������������������������������������� 19

nizational resilience to crises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Commitment 7: Continue to develop andObjective 3.B: Develop innovative technologies tosupport our mission with improved performanceand cost effectiveness. ����������������������������������������������������� 20

promote stakeholder partnerships and collaborations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Objective 3.C: Expand ‘omics research capacity. ����� 21
Objective 3.D: Expand aquaculture research
capacity. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Appendix A: Acronyms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22

Appendix B: Executive Orders relevant to the
AFSC.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  23

Cover Photo: Trawl net surfacing—Bering Sea Slope. Credit: Pam Goddard

Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Introduction

This Strategic Science Plan for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) of the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) identifies ourpriorities for the next five years (FY2023–FY2027). The demand for our services is high and continues
to increase and become more complex. As part of the AFSC’s commitment to actualizing a transparent
and inclusive workplace culture, this plan was developed with the expertise and perspectives of ourstaff. The plan will guide internal decision-making and resource allocation, and provide insight on ourpriorities to external partners.
The AFSC Strategic Science Plan includes a vision and mission statement, as well as our commitments to maintainorganizational excellence. It also includes science goals,
objectives, and strategies designed to support and advancethe mission of NOAA and NOAA Fisheries and is alignedwith their current strategic plans. Accompanying thisplan is the AFSC’s Annual Guidance Memoranda, which
will prioritize a single year’s activities to make progress
toward meeting the longer-term objectives identified inthis Strategic Science Plan. Together, the Strategic Science
Plan and the Annual Guidance Memo lay out the priorities
that inform the AFSC’s Activity Planning and Prioritization
process. This process is used to make decisions about
the allocation of funding in a transparent, unbiased, andconsistent manner.

AFSC Mission Statement: To provide science and services
in support of productive and sustainable fisheries, recovery and conservation of protected resources, and healthy
ecosystems in the marine waters of Alaska.

AFSC Vision Statement: To be scientific leaders for the
stewardship of living marine resources1 in the U.S. federalwaters of Alaska with a steadfast commitment to provide
stakeholders2 with the information necessary to address
ecosystem and resource management challenges now andinto the future.

Inclusion - Recognizing that success relies upon a cultureof teamwork where diverse input makes for more comprehensive and better-informed decisions.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

1
2

AFSC Core Values: Consistent with NOAA Fisheries
Strategic Plan and NOAA’s Administrative Order on
Scientific Integrity, we continue to embrace the following
values when conducting business:
Integrity - Being open, honest, and transparent.

Respect - Encouraging open discussion, promoting engagement in a constructive and collaborative manner,and treating others equally and with dignity.

Accountability - Accepting responsibility for our actions
and decisions and operating together to address thepriorities of the agency.

Living marine resources include fish, invertebrates, and most marine mammals, and the habitats on which they depend.
Stakeholders include resource managers, industry, local communities, Alaska Natives, and other members of the public.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

AFSC Overview

The AFSC conducts essential research on living marine resources and their habitats in the marine
waters of Alaska to support sustainable resource management and the communities that rely on thoseresources. This region of nearly 1.5 million square miles includes waters in five Large Marine Ecosystems(LME) defined by NOAA as: the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, eastern Bering Sea, northern Bering
Sea and Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort Sea3. Together, these waters support some of the most productive
and valuable fisheries in the world, and are home to some of the largest populations of marine mammals
in the Nation.
Activities conducted at the AFSC are mandated or guided
by laws, policies, executive orders (Appendix B), memoranda, and treaties including but not limited to:• Mag nuson–Stevens Fisher y Conser vat ion andManagement Act (MSA): The MSA (including ten
National Standards) is the primary law that governs
marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters
and specifies that conservation and management
measures shall be based upon the best scientificinformation available. Through the MSA, the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) wasestablished to manage the federal fisheries off Alaska.
The AFSC conducts scientific research and provides
information products as a basis for NPFMC and NOAA
Fisheries Alaska Regional Office (AKRO) management
decisions. As a result, Alaska boasts some of the mostwell-managed and sustainable federal fisheries in
the world. This includes supporting development of
Fishery Management Plans (FMP) and identificationand protection of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH).

• Endangered Species Act (ESA): The ESA protects endangered and threatened species and their critical habitat.
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for specific marine andanadromous species listed under the ESA. The AFSC
conducts research that supports regional management
and recovery of ESA listed species and identificationand conservation of critical habitat.

• Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA): The MMPA
is intended to prevent adverse impacts to marine
mammal populations. Through the MMPA, the AFSC is
responsible for assessing cetacean and most pinniped
populations in Alaska (except for sea otter, walrus,
and polar bear) and some pinniped populations in the
California Current. The MMPA also establishes a framework for NOAA Fisheries to establish agreements with
Alaska Native Organizations for the co-management ofmarine mammals in Alaska.
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):The NEPA
requires federal agencies to consider the environmental
impacts of their major actions. Specifically, the AFSC
must ensure our planned activities comply with NEPA

3
Note that the boundaries of these LMEs are distinct from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Fishery Management Plans (FMP) which include
the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish FMP, the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Groundfish FMP (which groups the eastern Bering Sea Shelf and the northern Bering
Sea together), and the Arctic FMP (which groups the Chukchi and Beaufort together), as well as Crab, Salmon, and Scallop FMPs.
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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027
and other statutory and regulatory requirements. We
also conduct research to support NEPA evaluation ofactivities proposed by other federal agencies in Alaska.

• The Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM)
Policy and the EBFM Roadmap direct continued
progress to develop and implement EBFM. They also
reinforce NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to incorporate
EBFM into its resource management decisions. The
AFSC develops ecosystem indicators that contribute tostock assessments and fisheries management in Alaska.
• The National Aquaculture Act and the U.S. Departmentof Commerce and NOAA Aquaculture Policies establish
aquaculture as a national priority. The AFSC conducts
research to guide the development of environmentally
sustainable aquaculture in Alaska.

• Pacific Salmon Treaty: The Treaty ratified the agreement between the United States and Canada to cooperate in the management, research, and enhancementof Pacific salmon stocks of mutual concern. It alsoestablished the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC). The
AFSC provides scientific guidance to the PSC.
• The Convention establishing the International Pacific
Halibut Commission (IPHC): The IPHC was establishedby a Convention between the United States and Canada

Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs)

to manage Pacific halibut stocks. The AFSC provides
scientific information to allow optimum yield andsustainability of these stocks.

• National Habitat Policy: This policy outlines a set of
guiding principles that are used to inform NOAA’s
actions and strategic priorities related to habitat conservation. The AFSC conducts comprehensive researchon habitat and ecological processes and assists the
NPFMC and AKRO in identification and protection of
EFH.

• Regulatory Flexibility Act: This act requires agencies
to consider the impact of their rules on small entities
and to evaluate alternatives that would accomplish theobjectives of the rule without unduly burdening small
entities when the rules impose a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities.

• NOAA’s Arctic Vision and Strategy provides a high-level
framework and six strategic goals to address NOAA’s
highest priorities in the Arctic. NOAA’s Arctic Action
Plan provides a roadmap to make progress in monitoring, understanding, and protecting this region. The
AFSC is the primary NOAA Fisheries Science Center
that conducts research in the Arctic.

ChukchiSea

Beaufort
Sea

NorthernBering Sea

Eastern
Bering Sea
Gulf of
AlaskaAleutian
Islands

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Organizational Structure
The AFSC is composed of six divisions overseen by the
Science Director’s Office (Figure 1), which lead and carryout mission-essential research, operations, and administrative activities.
Science Director’s Office (SD): This office provides guidance and leadership for the science conducted at the AFSC.
The SD also oversees the Habitat and Ecological Processes
Research Program (HEPR), the Aquaculture Program, theOffice of Fisheries Information Services (OFIS), and thePlanning Officer. OFIS provides technical support anddevelopment services for AFSC’s information technology(IT) enterprise.

• Operations, Management, and Information Services
Division (OMI): This division supports the day-to-day
administrative and business operations of the AFSC,
including overseeing administrative services, budget
formulation and execution, acquisition and grants
management, workforce management, communications,safety and environmental compliance, and facilities
operations.

• Auke Bay Laboratories (ABL): Housed at the Ted Stevens
Marine Research Institute in Juneau, this divisionconsists of four programs that conduct research on
fish energetics, population dynamics, distributions,and genomics, and marine food webs, habitats, andecosystems. These data are used to develop and deliver
stock assessments of commercially marketable species,
to develop climate-informed fisheries models, andto provide information vital to sustainable fisheries
management.
• Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division (FMA): With
five programs, this division enables management andsupports stock assessment through the monitoringof groundfish and halibut fishing activities in the US
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off Alaska. They are
responsible for training, briefing, debriefing, deploying,and overseeing observers who collect data onboard
fishing vessels and at processing plants, and for quality
control/quality assurance of observer data. Associatedresearch includes development and implementation ofelectronic monitoring technologies.

Science Director’s Office

Operations,Management,andInformation Services Division

Habitat andEcological
Processes
Research Program• Administration and Budget• Acquisition and Grants Management• Communications Program• Environmental Compliance and Safety• Facilities• Human Resources
S C I E N C E

Aquaculture Program
D I V I S I O N S

Auke
Bay
Laboratories

Fisheries
Monitoring andAnalysis Division

MarineMammalLaboratory• Ecosystem Monitoring and• Analytical Services Program• Debriefing Services Program• Field Operations Program• Information Technology• Alaska Ecosystems

Assessment Program• Genetics Program• Marine Ecology and Stock
Assessment Program• Recruitment, Energetics,
and Coastal Assessment
Program

Program• Training and Gear Program

Office ofFisheries
I nformation
Systems

Program• California Current

Ecosystems Program• Cetacean Assessment andEcology Program• Polar Ecosystems Program

Figure 1. 1.
Organizational
structureof the of
AlaskaFisheries
Science Center.
FigureOrganizational
structure
the Alaska
Fisheries
Science
ScienceScience
divisionsdivisions
include additional
support staff
facilities,
Center.
include support
staffforforoperations,operations,facilities,
and administration.
administration.
andResource
Assessment andConservation
Engineering Division

Resource
Ecology and
Fisheries
Management Division• Fisheries Behavioral• Age and Growth Program
Ecology Program• Economic and Social Sciences
Research Program• Groundfish Assessment
Program• Resource Ecology andEcosystem Modeling Program• Midwater Assessment andConservation Engineering• Status of Stocks andProgramMultispecies Assessment• Recruitment Processes Program Program• Research Fishing Gear Program• Shellfish Assessment Program

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Figure 2. Federal budget structure for NOAA Fisheries.

• Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering
Division (RACE): Scientists in six programs support
stock assessment and fisheries management by conducting research surveys and oceanographic studies
to measure the distribution and abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks throughout
Alaska. The resulting long time series allows scientists
to understand population trends and study how marine
habitats and ecosystems vary naturally and due to climate change. They also integrate field, laboratory, andmodeling studies to determine how varying biologicaland physical factors influence large marine ecosystems
within Alaskan waters. Together with the commercial
fishing industry, scientists also explore technologies tohelp reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality.
• Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division(REFM): This division consists of four programs that
conduct research to support sustainable managementof Alaska’s groundfish and crab resources. Division
scientists produce stock, ecosystem, and economic
assessments annually. They conduct research on fish
population dynamics, genetics, diets, age, and growth.
Division scientists also evaluate how fish stocks, humandimensions, and other ecosystem components might beaffected by current and future fisheries management
actions in a changing climate.
• Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML): This divisionconsists of four programs and conducts research on

cetaceans and pinnipeds off the coast of Alaska andthe Arctic, and in the California Current. The divisioncollects data on marine mammal behavior, population
dynamics, life history, migration patterns, distribution,and trends in abundance.

Federal Budget Structure

NOAA Fisheries has 4 major enterprises with 14 major
Program Project and Activities (PPA) (Figure 2) that direct
and guide how we allocate our Operations Research andFacilities (ORF) base funding at the AFSC. Each PPA has
a specific definition that determines how the associatedfunding may be used. Note that the AFSC does not receive
funds from all 14 PPAs. In addition to ORF base funds,
the AFSC also receives temporary (from within NOAA)
and reimbursable (from outside of NOAA) funds directed
toward specific projects.

As of FY2021, the AFSC receives approximately $63M inbase funding and operates with a total annual budget of
approximately $85M (including temporary and reimbursable funding). Relatively flat budgets in the past five
years have resulted in reduced operational funds due to
inflationary costs which include labor, facilities, contracts,
technology, and corporate fees. Annual uncertainty inbudgets requires balancing expectations regarding staffing and other infrastructure, support for long-term datacollection, and planning for expanding requirements tomeet our mission-related goals.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Human Capital Resources

Challenges and Opportunities

The ability of the AFSC to meet its mission relies on thediverse skills and backgrounds of our 325 federal employees and 125 contractors and affiliate staff, who are
geographically dispersed across our locations. Thesesignificant human capital resources are our most valuable asset, contributing both to scientific, operational,
and administrative mission activities and to education,
mentoring, and outreach activities to attract and train
the next generation of scientists.

The AFSC is required to conduct population assessments
and monitor harvests as mandated by the laws describedabove. We must also strive to achieve a balanced anddiversified research portfolio. This is critical if we areto continue to provide the science needed to support
sustainable fisheries management, conserve protectedresources, and maintain healthy ecosystems and communities, especially in light of shifting populations andthe new challenges we are facing due to climate change.

Facilities Assets

The AFSC maintains 10 facilities across three states:
Alaska, Oregon, and Washington (Table 1). We also utilize
multiple observation platforms to maximize our ability
to collect data.
Table 1. AFSC facilities and associated locations.

Facility

Location

NOAA Western Regional CenterSeattle, WA

Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute

Juneau, AK

Kodiak Fisheries Research Center

Kodiak, AK

Hatfield Marine Science Center

Newport, OR

Anchorage Field OfficeAnchorage, AK

Dutch Harbor Field OfficeDutch Harbor, AK

Auke Creek Weir

Juneau, AK

Juneau Subport Dock

Juneau, AK

Little Port Walter Field Station

Baranof Island, AK

Pribilof Islands Research Facility

St. Paul, AK

Climate change and subsequent changes in ecosystems are
responsible for non-stationary responses in biological communities with increased regularity. In Alaska, in particular,
we have observed expanding fish and marine mammal
stock boundaries in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi
Sea and unprecedented population level responses (e.g.,phenological shifts and changes in community structures)
due to multiple marine heatwaves and loss of sea ice. Thesechanges exemplify the need to reassess data collection
frequency, density, and spatial coverage.
Ocean acidification presents an additional environmental
challenge because the ocean is absorbing excess atmospheric carbon dioxide, leading to lower pH and greater
acidity. Alaska is expected to experience ocean acidification faster than any other coastal waters in the country,
due to its colder water, coastal hydrodynamics, freshwater
discharge, and naturally corrosive bottom waters.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Loss of sea ice is changing the Arctic. Since the 1980s,
Arctic sea ice extent has declined by 50%. As a result,every summer, an area encompassing more than 300
km is open water north of Alaska. In contrast, 30 years
ago, only 50 km of open water was typically observed
each year. The ice-free season north of the Bering Strait
is projected to increase from 2-3 months at present toabout 5-6 months over the next few decades. By 2040,
the Arctic Ocean is expected to be nearly ice-free during
the summer months.

Shifting stocks may lead to changes in commercial bycatch
patterns. National Standard 9 of the MSA states that conservation and management measures shall, to the extent
practical, minimize bycatch, and to the extent bycatch
cannot be avoided, minimize the mortality of such bycatch.
Impacts from bycatch and bycatch mortality vary acrossfisheries, and may have adverse biological, economic, andsocial consequences that require evaluation of trade-offs.
Bycatch can negatively affect protected species and have
ecological impacts that affect marine ecosystems andfishery productivity. It also can have negative economic
and social impacts on the fishing industry and communities that rely on the fishery or bycaught species.

4

While we have challenges, there are also opportunities.
Through strategic and focused efforts, we can build on
our strengths and identify areas where we can have thegreatest impact. This includes maintaining and advancing
our fish, crab, and marine mammal stock assessments;
improving the way we collect, process, and analyze fieldand laboratory-based data and communicate results to ourstakeholders; and refining our approach to ecosystembased management to be more inclusive of our diverse
stakeholder communities. The AFSC aims to be responsive
to existing and new stock assessment, sustainable yield,
and bycatch challenges. The AFSC plans to grow ourcapacity in aquaculture and ‘omics4 research (specificallygenomics). We also commit to make investments in thedevelopment of new technologies (such as electronicmonitoring and artificial intelligence) and to continue,and expand, our critical climate-related research.
The AFSC is well poised, given our long history of monitoring and research in Alaska, to lead the way in understanding the current state of the ecosystem and predicting
future changes. The AFSC does, and will, continue toprovide valuable data and information to resource managers, the fishing industry, and coastal communities so they
can respond and adapt to environmental change. We area model for the Nation and world in delivering trusted
science to support sustainable fisheries management andprotected species and habitat conservation.

‘Omics describes a suite of cutting-edge tools used to analyze DNA, RNA, proteins, or metabolites.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Organizational Excellence

Underpinning all of the scientific work we do is the AFSC’s continued commitment to maintain astrong organizational culture that fosters scientific excellence. This includes an intentional workforce
culture; diversity of, and equity across, our workforce; effective operations; proactive and strategic
communications, education, outreach, and stakeholder engagement; excellent information technology(data integrity, storage, and computing capacity); thoughtful change and crisis management; andconstructive partnerships. Our overarching goal is to achieve the highest standards of integrity,transparency, and service in all AFSC operations so that we may succeed in carrying out our mission
as an organization. While there is overlap among many of these commitments, we have divided theminto discrete sections to facilitate their descriptions.

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8Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Commitment 1: Continue to foster an AFSC
culture that values and practices transparency,
engagement, accountability, and respect.
The AFSC recognizes that to be a world-class scientificorganization, we need to continue to build and support
a culture that enables us to realize the full benefit of thediverse skills and experiences of our staff. We are committed to creating an environment where all staff feelknowledgeable, included, valued, and respected through
AFSC Leadership communicating clearly and frequently,
seeking feedback, and explaining how and what decisions are made. We strive to empower staff to engage inimportant decisions facing the Center and to lead at alllevels of the organization. Faced with significant fiscal,
climate, and social challenges, as well as substantial newtechnological and analytical opportunities, our continued
success relies on harnessing the collective perspectives
and expertise at the Center for maximum impact. Our
actions promote work environments that are respectful,
constructive, and professional at all times. The AFSC
acknowledges that providing equitable opportunities for
professional growth and development, succession planning, and recognizing individual and team contributions
are the foundation for recruiting and retaining highly
skilled staff, developing our next leaders, strengthening
our resilience, and achieving organizational excellence.
The AFSC is committed to:• Creating a culture of transparency, engagement, accountability, and wellness. This includes reinforcing
the AFSC Code of Conduct, collaborating with theWorkforce Collaboration Team, and actively promoting
and participating in activities and programs sponsoredby the NOAA Fisheries Total Worker Wellness Program.

• Encouraging cross-divisional collaboration throughformal and informal working groups.
• Promoting a culture of continual growth and improvement to support a resilient organization by:

 Providing training opportunities to keep staff
current in their fields, to improve and refine theirinterpersonal and communication skills, strengthencultural awareness so they can be responsive andsuccessful in communicating to and working withstakeholders, and to help them pursue individual
development opportunities.
 Advancing succession planning and developing
training, mentoring, and shadowing programs tomeet projected staffing needs to promote a more
successful and diverse work environment.
 Recognizing and rewarding achievement.

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9Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Commitment 3: Continue to enhance
processes that ensure integrity of business
operations (financial accountability and effective
workforce management functions), a safe
work environment, and proactive and strategic
communication.

Commitment 2: Continue to value diversity,
equity, inclusion, and accessibility in our workplace.
Providing an inclusive workplace culture where all staff
feel respected and appreciated is a core commitment for
the AFSC. We envision a culture where all staff (federal
employees and affiliates alike) are engaged in their work,
are empowered to advance our mission, and feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work. An inclusive
culture leverages the talents of our workforce, maintains
job satisfaction, and makes the AFSC a more welcoming
place to work. The AFSC is committed to:• Recruiting and retaining high quality, diverse, anddedicated employees to achieve the AFSC mission.
• Supporting the Team for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity,
the Equity Analysis Committee, and the Harassment
Prevention Working Group.
• Finalizing and implementing the AFSC Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan.

It is critical that the AFSC uses processes and tools foraccountability and the responsible management of publicfunds. All personnel must be able to perform their duties
in a workplace free of all recognized safety and occupational health hazards in order to maintain safety andenvironmental compliance. We must also be proactive andstrategic in our communications and provide responsive
and efficient service to internal and external partners andstakeholders. The AFSC is committed to:• Providing service-oriented operations for our performance-based management, workforce planning, andbudget execution.
• Integrating safety compliance and environmental
stewardship into our everyday work activities andplanning through the Safety Council.

• Identifying and supporting divisional education, outreach, and communications priorities that support
the overall AFSC goals and objectives to effectively
communicate our mission and research findings.

• Facilitating communications internally and externallyfor high profile events, activities, and subject matter.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Commitment 4: Continue to provide state-ofthe-art information technology that advances the
AFSC mission.
The AFSC strives to provide secure information technology(IT) services and support, help our staff use technology
more effectively, and make available a supportive research
IT ecosystem for continuous innovation. The Office ofInformation Services (OFIS), through trusting partnerships with our staff, programs, and external entities,
provides innovative IT solutions, and meets the diverse
existing and emerging technology needs of our researchcommunity. The AFSC is committed to:• Delivering excellent IT customer service to the
AFSC community that is proactive, responsive, andconsistent.
• Developing systems and applications that are secure,reliable, integrated, and that enable the work of the
AFSC community, focusing on services that are mostvalued by staff.

• Aligning data initiatives with strategic research priorities to make data more available and accessible whilebalancing the competing needs for security, privacy,
and regulatory compliance.

• Embracing advancements of data science, make available new approaches and capabilities to AFSC researchteams and intentionally directing more of our IT efforts
to supporting research innovation, early access to,and experimentation with emerging methods andtechnologies.
• Establishing robust infrastructure, support, and services that enable cost-effective and at-scale provisioning of on-premise and cloud-based computing, storage,
networking, and visualization services and tools.
• Developing and improving services, minimizing barriers to internal and external collaboration, and increasing awareness and adoption of available researchservices and technologies.

Commitment 5: Continue to embrace change
management as our approach for maintaining an
operational budget and balanced research portfolio.
Change management is the application of a structured
process and set of tools for leading people through organizational change. We want staff to understand why change
is happening and to play an active role in how we move
forward as a Center. Organizational change is necessary
to ensure our long-term success as we face the challengesof implementing an increasingly complex mission with aflat operational budget. We must constantly review andrevise the way we do business to meet these challenges
through innovation and strategic planning. Ideally, thechange entails both continuing to improve efficiency(through streamlining, cost cutting, and reducing effort
in some areas of our operations), while refocusing effort
and building capacity in strategic areas of strength to takeadvantage of new opportunities. Although change can be
uncomfortable, especially when it includes uncertainty,
the AFSC is committed to:• Communicating early and often about any changes thatwill be made (internally and externally).
• Continuing to implement strategic resource management to review and optimize base resource allocations and execution through our annual Activity Plan
Prioritization process.

• Developing guidance for strategic staffing. Strategic
staffing ensures we have adequate expertise for ourpriority activities and maximizes staff’s skills withan overall goal of reducing labor costs. Guidance will
provide clear expectations for when we will hire positions (new and backfills) and when we will not.
• Streamlining Our Success. The AFSC will invigorate
our efforts to address our fiscal challenges by utilizing
top down and bottom up approaches to identify ways
we can reduce effort in some areas of our operations,become more effective and efficient in the operations we maintain, and refocus and build capacity instrategic areas to accommodate emerging topics andopportunities.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Commitment 7: Continue to develop and promotestakeholder partnerships and collaborations.
We rely on our external partnerships to achieve the AFSC
mission. As the mission of AFSC becomes more complex,
strengthening these partnerships becomes increasingly
important. We use inclusive and participatory approaches
to identify stakeholders and priority information needs,
and to facilitate equitable, inclusive decision-making
internally and externally. The AFSC is committed to:Commitment 6: Continue to strengthenorganizational resilience to crises.
Periodically, an organization’s resilience to crises aretested. Crises occur at multiple scales, from the COVID19 pandemic to the unexpected loss of key personnel.
AFSC priorities during crises are to foster the safety andwell-being of staff, avoid or minimize disruptions to our
mission, and enable flexibility to meet changing demands.
Resilience requires careful planning and learning from ourperformance in past crises. To strengthen our resilience,
the AFSC is committed to:• Actively promoting and participating in activities andprograms sponsored by the NOAA Fisheries Total
Worker Wellness Program.
• Engaging in consistent and thoughtful crisis communications planning.

• Documenting decision-making authority and lines ofcommunication that will be implemented in times ofcrisis.
• Empowering leadership and input on decision-making
at all levels.
• Building on lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, large-scale oil spills (Deep Water Horizon andExxon Valdez), and weather-related events.

• Conducting annual staffing capability and capacity
reviews to identify potential single points of failure
and where cross-training is needed.

• Continuing to support the NPFMC by providing scienceand participating in committees, including leadershiproles, to support sustainable fisheries management in
Alaska.

• Collaborating with Indigenous Knowledge holders todevelop bi-directional and parallel knowledge pathways
to support climate-informed fisheries and ecosystem
policies regionally and internationally. We do this by: Integrating communications protocols for survey
and research operations that have the potential tooverlap with subsistence activities into our annual
activity planning process.
 Employing our Tribal Research Coordinator to workwith staff to identify research priorities for collaborative and co-produced knowledge.
 Instituting regular cultural awareness training forstaff.

• Building on successful partnerships with the commercial fishing industry, the State of Alaska, and thePacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to conduct
many of our fisheries surveys and other research andmonitoring activities that support common goals toimprove resource assessment and management.
• Continuing to develop and foster relationships withprivate sector businesses to extend our technicalcapabilities.

• Expanding our partnerships with academic institutions
to generate high caliber science products, provide
growth and learning opportunities for the AFSC, andmentor the next generation of marine scientists.
• Fostering collaborations with existing and new partners
to support our scientific mission.

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Science Goals, Objectives, and Strategies

Three goals will guide our work over the next five years. These goals reflect NOAA Fisheries’ core
mission to maintain sustainable fisheries and conserve and recover protected species. Under each goal,
we have identified objectives to describe more specifically what outcomes or impact we are trying toachieve with each goal. Under each objective, we have further identified a series of strategies that wewill use to achieve each objective. In some cases, more details will be found in topic-specific Strategic
Plans and planning documents. Please note that the elements of organizational excellence described above
apply to all science goals.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Objective 1.A: Conduct high utility and quality assessments which will directly contribute to the most effective
assessment tier5 of fish and crab, and level of excellence6
for marine mammal stocks, while improving efficiency
of fisheries-dependent and independent data collection.

Goal 1: Monitor and assess fish, crab, andmarine mammal populations, fisheries, and marine
ecosystems.
The work of monitoring and assessing fish, crab, andmarine mammal populations, fisheries, and marine ecosystems is mandated by legislation described above(AFSC Overview). The Alaska region supports some of themost important fisheries in the world, as well as diverse
marine mammal populations and productive ecosystems.
The AFSC conducts surveys and stock assessments in
Alaska to guide decisions for sustainable managementof federal fisheries; co-management of marine mammals
for subsistence and conservation of protected species;
and stewardship of marine ecosystems. The first two
Objectives in Goal 1 describe research activities that
represent work the AFSC must continue under the mostrestrictive budget scenarios.

The stock assessments produced by the AFSC provide
critical information to fishery and protected resource
managers to prevent overfishing while achieving optimum
yield (per National Standard Guidelines) and to prevent
adverse impacts to and promote conservation of protected
species. Maintaining stock assessment activities requires
adequate resources and personnel to (1) collect data fromsurveys and fisheries, (2) conduct stock assessments,and (3) evaluate the likely biological and socioeconomic
outcomes of management options. Fish and crab stock
assessments include recommendations for overfishinglevels and acceptable biological catch. These recommendations are used by the NPFMC and the State of Alaska (forcrab stocks) when setting total allowable catches andare a key contributor to ensuring that federal fisheries
off Alaska remain sustainable and are managed based on
the best scientific information available. Annual marine
mammal stock assessments are critical to AKRO protectedresources managers as they provide the informationnecessary for annual evaluations of the level of fisheryrelated incidental serious injury and mortality of marine
mammals relative to a marine mammal stock’s Potential
Biological Removal (PBR) level.

5
Stock Assessment Tier: NPFMC tiers are defined in the introduction of the annual Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska Groundfish
and BSAI Crab Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) reports. In general, assessments in lower-numbered tiers (e.g., Tier 1) include more information such as the age structure of the population, while assessments in high-numbered tiers (e.g., Tier 6) have minimal information. It is the goal of NOAA
Fisheries to continually improve stock assessments by increasing the number of stocks with lower-numbered tiers.
6
Marine mammal level of excellence is linked to criteria for assessing the tiers of marine mammal stock assessment. These criteria were initially developedby NOAA Fisheries in 2004 and have been adjusted slightly by NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology. Assessments with low values have no or very
poor stock assessments; stocks in tiers 2 and 3 have at least minimally acceptable assessment information.
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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027
1. Strategy: Conduct surveys at sufficient geographic
scope and frequency to support effective stock
assessments.

2. Strategy: Maintain and/or optimize collection and processing of the data required for fish, crab, and marine
mammal stock assessments:
a. Time series of relative and/or absolute abundanceor biomass of the population to monitor trends.

b. Time series of biological data (age, weight, length,
maturity) from fisheries-dependent and independentsources.
c. Targeted and incidental harvest data from direct
observation or electronic monitoring.
d. Species distribution and/or stock boundaries insideand outside the EEZ, including international collaborations for shared stocks.

3. Strategy: Conduct quantitative modeling to produce
stock assessments to support the MSA (including
National Standards 1–8), ESA, and MMPA.

4. Strategy: Develop and implement quantitative methods to evaluate likely impact of proposed reductions
in survey sampling density, protocols, or frequency on
fishery stock and marine mammal assessments.
5. Strategy: Support and maintain robust fishery monitoring which integrates observer and electronic monitoring data collections to meet quota management andstock assessment needs.

Objective 1.B: Conduct applied marine ecosystem andsocioeconomic analyses and assessments to support
sustainable fisheries management and marine mammalconservation.

Provide scientific data and analysis and expert technicaladvice to the NOAA Fisheries’ headquarters and AKRO,NPFMC, the State of Alaska, Alaska Tribal governments,
and U.S. representatives participating in international
fishery and marine mammal negotiations.
1. Strategy: Synthesize and assess ecosystem information
at ecosystem- and stock-scales (e.g., Ecosystem Status
Reports (ESR), Ecosystem and Socio-economic Profiles(ESP)) to support tactical ecosystem-based fishery
management (MSA National Standard 1).

2. Strategy: Conduct scientific research to inform anddevelop products such as Fishery Ecosystem Plans andRegional Action Plans for Climate Science that support
critical strategic management decisions and analyses.

3. Strategy: Conduct scientific research to identify spatial
habitat utilization for FMP species to inform essential
fish habitat (EFH) designations, pursuant to the MSA
mandate.

4. Strategy: Improve ecosystem indicators through coordinated survey efforts (data sharing and platform
coordination), validation of ocean models with process
studies, or development of remote sensing products to
inform, evaluate, and support management decisions.
5. Strategy: Conduct risk analyses (using simulation or
empirical analytical approaches), management strategy evaluations, and trade-off analyses to optimize
ecosystem-based fisheries management performance.

6. Strategy: Support socioeconomic data monitoring andanalyses of global fishery markets relative to Alaska
fish stocks to inform management actions.

7. Strategy: Improve targeted socioeconomic data collection and analyses of the impacts on stakeholders of
regulatory decisions to support long term optimum
yield principles in fisheries management.
8. Strategy: Increase communication and visibility of
ecosystem-based management (EBM) efforts through acoordinated web presence to create a unified portfolioof ecosystem and socioeconomic research activities andidentify areas for improving efficiency and synergy
among the EBM programs.
Objective 1.C: Create next generation fish, crab, andmarine mammal stock assessments.

In order to effectively and efficiently manage fisheries andconserve protected resources, the AFSC must transition
into next generation methodologies. For stock assessments this means alignment with the NOAA Fisheries
Next Generation Stock Assessment Enterprise whichemphasizes: stock assessments that consider ecosystemand socioeconomic factors that affect the dynamics of

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027
fish stocks and fisheries; the continued use of innovative
science for data collection and analysis to reliably andefficiently provide data for maximizing use of advanced
modeling methods; and an assessment process that ismore timely, efficient, and effective at optimizing available
resources and delivering results to fishery managers andthe public. The MSA and National Standard guidelines
stipulate that we should not only prevent overfishing,but distinguish between stocks that are overfished due
to temporary environmental changes (fishing mortality
must be constrained), permanent environmental changes(reference points must be redefined), or due to man-madehabitat changes (habitat must be restored or ameliorated).
Implementing National Standard 1 therefore requires
ecosystem information to determine legal management
responses to overfished stocks. The MMPA states that “...
stocks of marine mammals ... should not be permitted
to diminish beyond the point at which they cease to be asignificant functioning element in the ecosystem of which
they are a part,” and further requires consideration offactors, including habitat, that may be causing the decline
or impeding the recovery of strategic stocks.
1. Strategy: Identify implementation paths and resources
required for the improvement and expansion of spatial and multi-species stock assessment approaches.
Identify the species, data, and collection techniques
required to do this work.
2. Strategy: Develop, support, and validate long-term
multi-species ecosystem climate models for incorporation into management decisions that support long-term
optimal yield principles and cumulative ecosystemeffects as per NEPA requirements.

3. Strategy: Support ecosystem and socioeconomic indicators for immediate use in stock assessment, considering the physical environment, prey, predators, andcompetitors of assessed species. Regularly evaluate
the suite of indicators identified for a given stock so
we may better understand changing conditions andprocesses in the future.

4. Strategy: Integrate human dimensions and coproduction of knowledge into stock assessment report
products such as Stock Assessment Reports, ESRs,
ESPs, and Economic Performance Reports. Reference
economic and community assessment reports to identify stock-specific socioeconomic indicators to address
the priorities of the stock assessment.
5. Strategy: Improve effectiveness of the data required
for fish and crab stock assessments and augment design based sampling approaches with model-based
approaches.

6. Strategy: Expand data collection on marine mammal
stocks that are not well studied and find efficiencies
with current foci stocks where stock trajectories andlife histories are better understood.
Objective 1.D: Reduce bycatch using fishery-dependent
bycatch analysis, spatial modeling, data on environmental
conditions, and conservation engineering.

Conduct empirical, quantitative, and conservation engineering research that supports the minimization or
mitigation of bycatch and bycatch impacts to address MSA
National Standard 9. The AFSC collects critical data toquantify bycatch rates and conducts research in support
of bycatch mitigation, particularly focused on prohibited
species catch (e.g., herring, salmon, Tanner and king crab,
halibut) and protected species (including marine mammals
and seabirds). Analyses of bycatch data are necessary toresolve the spatiotemporal and environmental factors thatmay drive the presence and abundance of bycatch species,
especially those that could lead to socially, economically,and politically consequential fishery closures. Recent
environmental conditions have resulted in unexpected
and unprecedented bycatches of species like herring andsablefish, requiring an agile research response and a better
understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying
such inter-annual variability. Collaboration with industry
is critical to successfully minimizing bycatch while achieving commercially effective catch rates of target species.
1. Strategy: Conduct directed research and modeling toevaluate the abundance and distribution of bycatch
species relative to target species and environmental
drivers of bycatch.

2. Strategy: Develop fishing gear and fishing methods
that minimize bycatch while maximizing target catch.

3. Strategy: Analyze the economic, social, and biologicalimpacts of bycatch in Alaska fisheries to understanddrivers of fishing behavior and human dimensions,and to prioritize management that addresses bycatch
reduction.
4. Strategy: Use bycatch data from the fishery monitoring program to develop and refine models to inform
uncertainty in observer coverage and improve bycatch
management. Leverage technological capabilities indata collection, data modernization, state-of-the-art
genetic sequencing, and next generation analytics to
improve the rate, capacity, and overall efficiency withwhich the AFSC faces the challenge of bycatch.

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Fishery Data

CoupledHumanBiological
SystemNOAA Surveys

Stock & Ecosystem
Assessments

PRIMARY
SUB GROUPS

Goal 2: Investigate, model, and predict ecosystemand climate impacts on living marine resources.
The Earth’s climate and oceans are changing, and thesechanges are significantly impacting Alaska’s marine ecosystems. Warming waters, rising seas, decreasing sea ice
and oxygen levels, changing currents and productivity, andincreasing ocean acidification and extreme events (e.g.,marine heatwaves, harmful algal blooms) are affecting
the distribution and abundance of Alaska’s living marine
resources. The number, frequency, and magnitude of
impacts are expected to increase with continued changes
in the Earth’s climate system. Building climate resilienceand addressing the effects of climate change, play animportant role in the AFSC’s strategies for managing
sustainable fisheries, recovering protected species, andconserving their habitat. The AFSC will continue to provide
cutting edge science and focus management strategies
on effectively preparing for, and responding to, a rapidlychanging environment by investigating, using, and sharing
ecosystem and climate-related information.

Objective 2.A: Investigate ecosystem-level changes (habitat, food webs, trophic dynamics, distributional shifts,etc.) with field and modeling studies.

Predicting climate impacts on ecosystems requires understanding mechanistic relationships underpinning
the response of living marine resources to changes inenvironmental conditions. Field- and lab-based studies,and partnering with others conducting this research,
provide the scientific foundation for potential application
to modeling, assessments, and projections.

1. Strategy: Conduct field and modeling studies of habitat,food webs, trophic dynamics, distributional shifts, etc.,
designed to understand mechanistic links between
living marine resources and the environment.
2. Strategy: Conduct laboratory and field studies to
examine physiological and population responses ofcommercially important crab and fish species to ocean
acidification (OA), temperature, and other climaterelated environmental variables to inform syntheses
and assessments.

3. Strategy: Work with partners who study harmful
algal blooms (HABs), invasive species, and disease
to understand impacts on living marine resources(invertebrates, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals)
and the environment.
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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

There is a high and growing demand for robust information on past, current, and potential future climate andocean conditions over multiple temporal and spatial
scales as called for in the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science
Strategy. The long-term climate science approach of the
AFSC involves modeling, retrospective analyses, andmanagement strategy evaluations. Ecosystem monitoring,process and laboratory studies (Objective 2.A) together
inform the analysis component. Modeling, retrospective
studies, and management strategy evaluations provide
a framework for jointly understanding the results of theecosystem monitoring and process studies, and for making
predictions about future scenarios.
1. Strategy: Support the Climate and Fisheries Initiative,a cross-NOAA program, designed to create and implement a nationwide operational ocean modeling anddecision-support system that addresses four core requirements: (1) operational delivery of ocean forecasts
and projections for use by NOAA Fisheries and others;(2) operational capability to turn ocean forecasts into
climate-informed management advice; (3) capacity forcontinuous validation and innovation through observations and research; and (4) increased capability to use
climate-informed advice to reduce risks and increase
the resilience of resources and the people that dependon them.

2. Strategy: Engage researchers and Local Knowledge andTraditional Knowledge holders to identify and monitor the indirect and direct effects of climate change
on living marine resources and communities and to
identify tipping points and critical thresholds underchanging conditions.
3. Strategy: Accelerate the development and delivery ofadvice on climate change impacts, risk, and adaptation options (including assessments of adaptation
effectiveness and feasibility). Through participatory
approaches (e.g., co-production of knowledge), identify
and communicate strategies for adaptation to support
long-term social-ecological system resilience.
4. Strategy: Support the development of early warning
systems, operational oceanographic and ecosystemmodel-based forecasts, and long-term projections to
inform tactical and strategic decision making to support resilient communities and economies.

CO2
Cumulative effects

Direct effects

Ocean acidiﬁcation may reduce
growth rates of juvenile ﬁsh,increasing the risk of predation.

Productivity of ﬁsh stocks could be
reduced over time resulting in reduced
commercial and subsistence
harvest levels.

Abundance

Objective 2.B: Hindcast, forecast, and project direct andindirect effects of climate change on fish, crab, and marine
mammals and the associated communities which rely onthese resources.

Time

X Foodweb effects X

X

Ocean acidiﬁcation may reduceabundance of prey for pollock. In
particular pteropods have been shown
to be sensitive to ocean acidiﬁcation?
Sensory effects

Ocean acidiﬁcation can interfere withsensory signals in the brain, causing the ﬁsh
to not recognize predators or prey,
ultimately reducing growth and survival.

Objective 2.C: Identify and implement Arctic research
priorities.

The AFSC’s mission in the Arctic is to provide reliable,
world-class, scientific information on the coupled ecological and social systems pertaining to fisheries andprotected resources unique to the Arctic, with the focused goal of facilitating climate-informed EBM. Complex
social-ecological systems in the Arctic directly affectregional, national, and global communities, particularly
given the rapid pace of climate change. The AFSC follows
the definition of the “Arctic” as established by the US
Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984, which includes the
Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Beaufort
Sea. The bulk of the AFSC’s Arctic work over many years
has been focused in the eastern Bering Sea and AleutianIslands (i.e., sub-Arctic) and more recently, fisheries
surveys in the Northern Bering Sea and ice-associatedmarine mammal surveys, which are covered in other
Goals and Objectives. This Objective focuses solely on
exploratory activities pertaining to the High Arctic (theNorthern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas).
1. Strategy: Develop an AFSC strategic plan for the High
Arctic defining clear objectives and identifying strategies to achieve those objectives.
2. Strategy: Strengthen focused baseline data collection,
studies to define unique Arctic processes, and integrated analyses and modeling to understand socialecological system dynamics.

3. Strategy: Actively participate in and lead domestic andinternational Arctic groups (e.g., committees, working groups) to address emergent issues and identify
research priorities. Strengthen transboundary collaboration to support research initiatives, conduct risk
assessments and scenario evaluations of management
actions, facilitate intergovernmental partnerships,
increase cost-effectiveness of research, and accelerate
production and delivery of EBM advice.

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Goal 3: Advance new initiatives and innovations.
In addition to our primary mission requirements to assess
populations of commercial fish and crab species, marine
mammals, and the habitat on which they all depend, it
is critical that the AFSC maintains a diverse research
portfolio. By advancing specific foci and initiatives ofnational interest, while also emphasizing the developmentof innovative technologies (where they offer improvements
to data collections or cost efficiencies), the AFSC maintains
our relevancy and stays on the cutting edge of scientificresearch in support of our living marine resources. In
doing this, we also improve the quality and timeliness of
our products and services.
Objective 3.A: Promote data innovation and quality
improvement to facilitate science and support data-driven
decision making.
Efficient and effective use of data underpins all of thescientific work that we do at the AFSC. The majority of ourresearch is done through diverse teams collaborating andsharing data among individuals and across institutions,relying on advances in fisheries research methods anddata science to gain new insights. In line with the NOAA
Data Strategy, and to optimize use of new technologies
that vastly increase data storage and organizational needs,
the AFSC will target efforts to improve data management.

3. Strategy: Pursue partnerships to streamline our dataprocessing, provide ready access to data, and improve
our science products.

4. Strategy: Continually assess AFSC research and administrative data priorities, and achieve them by improving data management lifecycle, data infrastructureand services, data governance, and making available
support for data science capabilities including datainference, algorithm development, visualization, integration, and technology.

5. Strategy: Integrate satellite data and environmental and fishery data within AFSC databases into ouroperational workflows in a robust, automated, andreproducible fashion for seamless access by stock assessment authors, partners, and research applications(e.g., climate science and bycatch models).
6. Strategy: Improve data literacy and awareness bypromoting an informed data culture.

1. Strategy: Support access to ecosystem and socioeconomic data through improved data management
systems and repositories to allow for continued refinement of indicators for incorporation into management
products.
2. Strategy: Maximize usage of new and historical (i.e.,
data rescue) data collection.

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O2

Objective 3.B: Develop innovative technologies to support our mission with improved performance and costeffectiveness.

Due to the increasing complexity of our mission, we must
develop and refine novel ways to efficiently and cost effectively collect, process, and analyze data. We will invest
in new technologies that allow us to survey an increased
geographic range and process and analyze more data at
lower cost, as well as increase the safety and well-beingof our staff. We will also support development of analyses
that achieve results consistent with historic methods
using less effort, leading to a reduction in the cost ofdata collection. Cost-benefit analyses will be critical tounderstanding the trade-offs between the efficiency
of a new technology and the level of certainty achievedby traditional techniques. Ultimately, we will integrate
appropriate technologies and applications into ongoing
AFSC science activities.
1. Strategy: Artificial Intelligence (AI), including computer vision and machine learning, will continue tobe developed to advance the quality and timelinessof AFSC products and services resulting in significant
improvements in performance and skill at greatly
reduced costs and computing time.
a. Multispectral (i.e., infrared, visual, ultraviolet)
imaging technology in combination with AI canquickly provide accurate information for sustainablefisheries and marine mammal management. The
AFSC will refine Fourier Transform-Near Infrared

Spectroscopy to analyze otoliths for ageing and fish
identification. Collection of multispectral aerial
imagery will be refined to detect and classify marine
mammals to estimate abundance.

b. Computer vision algorithms will be implemented
for more rapid analysis of fishery data and plankton
samples collected at-sea, facilitating a faster turnaround time for integrating survey collections into
ecosystem and management deliverables.
c. Species distribution models integrate a suite of
information on species locations and environmental
information. Such models are poised to improvebycatch avoidance for prohibited species catches
by facilitating machine learning-based probabilistic
modeling efforts.

2. Strategy: Electronic Monitoring (EM) provides analternative method to collect some fisheries data,
especially in situations where deploying personnel isdifficult, unsafe, or otherwise impractical. The AFSC
will continue to improve EM technology and explore
the potential for wider application, including the impact
on ancillary data collection.

3. Strategy: Uncrewed Systems (UxS) can maximize thecollection and utilization of critical, high accuracy, andtime-sensitive data. Such systems are critical for ameliorating the impacts of unforeseen circumstances on
fishery surveys. The AFSC will increase the capacity andapplication of UxS (aircraft and marine) that support

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027
ongoing mission priorities such as marine mammal
and acoustic fish surveys needed for conservation
and recovery of protected species, and managementof commercial fisheries.

4. Strategy: Develop innovative tagging tools and applications to track movement of fish and marine mammals
in support of spatial management models. Such tagging
data and tools are critical for understanding how species may respond to climate change, how fishers might
avoid catches of prohibited species, and how fishingfleets may be impacted by climate-based species shifts.
5. Strategy: Acoustic sensing is an effective way to detect and characterize physical and biological featuresof ocean areas. The AFSC will advance autonomous
acoustic technologies to improve detection and quantification of marine mammals.
Objective 3.C: Expand ‘omics research capacity.

Advances in ‘omics methodologies can improve the ability to monitor and understand biological communities,
and support mission applications that demand detailed
biological information. In the next five years, the AFSC
will continue to invest in ‘omics technology with theprimary goals of (1) developing validated eDNA methods
and sampling techniques to efficiently assess species andecosystems across Alaska and (2) applying population
genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic methods tounderstand stock structure, movement, and adaptive andphysiological responses of focal species in response to a
rapidly changing environment.

1. Strategy: Develop an ‘Omics Strategic Plan to guideresearch, set research priorities, and facilitate collaborations across AFSC programs and divisions andwith the broader NOAA ‘omics initiatives. Major focal
areas of the strategic plan will include eDNA, population
genomics, and pairing transcriptomics with physiology.

Objective 3.D: Expand aquaculture research capacity.

Aquaculture plays a critical role in providing equitable
access to seafood, boosting local economies, and restoring
species and habitat. Marine aquaculture is part of NOAA’s
strategy for economic and environmental resilience incoastal communities and supporting healthy oceans.
Alaska’s working waterfronts and marine-focused communities are well suited to aquaculture innovation andexpansion which can provide a year-round source ofhigh-quality jobs and economic opportunities in coastal
communities that augment seasonal tourism and commercial fishing. Aquaculture is also a resource-efficientmethod of increasing and diversifying Alaska seafood
production that can expand and stabilize seafood supply
and jobs in the face of rapid environmental change andeconomic uncertainty. Shellfish and seaweed aquaculture
may also be used to strategically restore depleted stocks
and habitats.
1. Strategy: Develop an AFSC Aquaculture Strategic
Plan to guide research across AFSC divisions andcollaborations with other NOAA offices in support of
Alaska aquaculture that avoids or minimizes impacts
to fisheries, ecosystems, and protected species.

2. Strategy: Identify resource needs and knowledge gaps
in order to efficiently enhance aquaculture research
capacity at the AFSC.

3. Strategy: Engage with University, State, Tribal, andindustry groups to identify and pursue collaborative
aquaculture research projects.

2. Strategy: Serve as a premiere ‘omics research center
for Alaska and a centralized resource for AFSC researchers interested in ‘omics research. Collaborate
with other researchers by readily lending in-house‘omics expertise.
3. Strategy: Conduct ‘omics research and applications
which allow for new insights into important life history and ecosystem questions. Invest in the continued
development of ‘omics analytical approaches.

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Appendices

Appendix A: Acronyms
Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC)
Alaska Regional Office (AKRO)
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Auke Bay Laboratories (ABL)

Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM)
Ecosystem Based Management (EBM)

Ecosystem and Socio-economic Profiles (ESP)
Ecosystem Status Reports (ESR)
Electronic Monitoring (EM)Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH)

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Fishery Management Plan (FMP)

Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Division (FMA)
Information Technology (IT)International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC)
Large Marine Ecosystem (LME)

Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA)
Marine Mammal Laboratory (MML)

Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries)

North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC)
Operations Research and Facilities (ORF)

Operations, Management, and Information Services Division (OMI)
Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC)

Program Project and Activities (PPA)

Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division (RACE)
Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division (REFM)
Science Director’s Office (SD)
Uncrewed Systems (UxS)

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Alaska Fisheries Science Center Strategic Science Plan FY2023–FY2027

Appendix B: Executive Orders relevant to the AFSC.
While the following list is not exhaustive, it highlights many of Executive
Orders (EO) that guide our work.
• EO 12866 - Regulatory Planning and Review• EO 12898 - Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations• EO 13175 - Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments• EO 13186 - Responsibilities of Federal Agencies To Protect Migratory Birds• EO 13771 - Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs• EO 13754 - Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience• EO 13840 - Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, andEnvironmental Interests of the United States• EO 13960 - Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in theFederal Government• EO 13921 - Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic
Growth• EO 13985 - Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved
Communities Through the Federal Government• EO 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring
Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis• EO 14008 - Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad• EO 14030 - Climate-Related Financial Risk

• EO 14035 - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal
Workforce

Back cover: Ben White, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, releases juvenile coho salmon into Walker Creek. Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 

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Gina M. Raimondo

U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Richard W. Spinrad

Under Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere

Janet Coit

Assistant Administrator for Fisheries

December 2021
www.fisheries.noaa.gov
OFFICIAL BUSINESSNational Marine Fisheries Service
Alaska Fisheries Science Center
7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115-6349