2017-18 NPRB Biennial Report

2017-18 NPRB Biennial Report

NORTH PACIFIC RESEARCH BOARD

2017-2018 Biennial Report

www.nprb.org

Contents Letter from the Executive Committee......................... 1 Letter from the Executive Director............................... 2 Research Impact...............................................................4 NPRB Science Overview.................................................6 NPRB Science Plan Update............................................8 IERP Programs Overview..............................................10 GOAIERP Program.......................................................... 12 Arctic IERP Program....................................................... 14 Image Gallery...........................................................16 Long-term Monitoring Program.................................18 Core Program/Funded Projects................................. 20 Graduate Student Research Awards..........................38 GSRA: Where Are They Now................................ 40 Outreach Program. ........................................................42 Board & Panels............................................................... 44 Operations & Meeting Support.................................. 46 Fiscal Summary & Audit. .............................................. 48 Publications..................................................................... 50

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N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dear NPRB Stakeholder,

This is the fifth biennial report that NPRB has published since we began funding marine science in 2002. Prior to the first biennial report appearing in 2009-2010, NPRB published “The Foundational Years 2001-2008,”* detailing key budgetary and program developments, and – most importantly - research proposals funded by NPRB for each year of operation. Charged with funding “cooperative research efforts designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs,” (43 USC §1474d (e)(2)) in some of the most dynamic and productive ecosystems on earth, the substance and scope of the work has changed over time to meet pressing research needs consistent with the NPRB’s mission. Each of the previous biennial reports included a letter from the Chairman of the Board: Ian Dutton for 2009-10; Eric Olson for 2011-12 and 2013-14; and Dan Hull for 2015-16. We - all five members of the Board’s Executive Committee - are pleased to present the current report in this transitional period between Dan Hull’s chairmanship (2014-October 2018) and the Board’s elec- tion of a new chair in spring 2019. We thank Dan for his exceptional and dedicated service not only to NPRB but to the larger communities who depend on the research that NPRB funds. NPRB has accomplished much in the two years that are the focus of this report: two successful cruise seasons for the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program, funding 49 research projects under the Core Program, which is also transitioning to a no-deadline submissions approach, granting twelve graduate students to help launch them on marine science careers, providing dedicated funding to outreach efforts associated with Core program research, and reaffirming NPRB’s commitment to long-term monitoring in the waters around Alaska, all while continuing to address NPRB’s reduced funding in ways that support strong science. We encourage you to spend time digging into the details that catch your attention in the following pages.

None of this work would be possible without the dedication of NPRB’s Board, Science and Advisory Panels, the hundreds of other volunteers who provide peer review, research ideas, and other feedback on the region’s science needs, and the talented professional staff that supports all of their efforts. We extend our sincere thanks to every one of you.

* All of these reports are available at https://www.nprb.org/nprb/about-us/

Left to right: Matt Robinson Andy Mezirow Tara Riemer Forrest Bowers Not Pictured: Doug Mecum

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear NPRB Community,

What did the North Pacific Research Board accomplish in 2017 and 2018? The answer extends well beyond the numbers for these two years: $9.2 million in funding awarded to 27 institutions, passing the $114 million mark in 2018 for funds disbursed since NPRB began funding research in 2002. NPRB’s accomplishments presented in this biennial report are possible because of

• The work of scientists who received subawards in that two-year span; • The ongoing research and analyses of previously-funded scientists; and • The commitment of an exceptional group of board and panel members, peer reviewers, staff, and other friends of marine research in the North Pacific.

Each of your contributions is essential to NPRB’s success, and we thank you for your support.

Congress mandates NPRB to “place a priority on cooperative research efforts designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs,” 43 USC §1474d(e)(2). The 2018 revision of the NPRB Science Plan, the first since it was published in 2005, was a major accomplishment this biennium. The 2018 Science Plan looks to the future while demonstrating the myriad ways in which NPRB-funded science has responded to our Congressional tasking (see page 8 for download instructions). In 2018, we also launched an analysis of the more than sixteen years of NPRB funded research and how it is used to address those management and information needs. NPRB’s first Alaska Sea Grant Fellow Marguerite Tibbles is helping us design and conduct the study. We look forward to presenting more results of her study in the next biennial report. NPRB continues to fund collaboration among researchers and integration across scientific disciplines and ecosystem components with its Integrated Ecosystem Research Programs (IERPs). Three Arctic IERP research cruises successfully collected critical >Page i Page ii Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54

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