Fisheries science is the academic discipline of managing and understanding fisheries. It is a multidisciplinary science, which draws on the disciplines of

limnology Limnology ( ; from Greek λίμνη, ''limne'', "lake" and λόγος, ''logos'', "knowledge") is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems. The study of limnology includes aspects of the biological, chemical, physical, and geological characteris ...

, oceanography, freshwater biology, marine biology,

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

ecology Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overl ...

, population dynamics,

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

, statistics,

decision analysis Decision analysis (DA) is the discipline comprising the philosophy, methodology, and professional practice necessary to address important decisions in a formal manner. Decision analysis includes many procedures, methods, and tools for identifyi ...

management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a Government agency, government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includ ...

, 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 Fisheries law is an emerging and specialized area of law. Fisheries law is the study and analysis of different fisheries management approaches such as catch shares e.g. Individual Transferable Quotas; TURFs; and others. The study of 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 A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

setting, and can be the focus of an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

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. __TOC__

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 vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

s (FRVs) often require platforms which are capable of towing different types of

fishing net A fishing net is a Net (device), net used for fishing. Nets are devices made from fibers woven in a grid-like structure. Some fishing nets are also called fish traps, for example #Fyke nets, fyke nets. Fishing nets are usually meshes formed by ...

s, collecting

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

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 A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2016 was ...

, but with space given over to

laboratories A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physici ...

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. File:Rosa_Mabel_Lee_while_working_in_Lowestoft.jpg, File:Ray Hilborn.JPG, File:Ram Myers.jpg, File:Daniel Pauly Pauly Symposium.jpg, File:Oscar Elton Sette.JPG, File:Bell Shimada.jpg,

Journals

Some journals about fisheries are
''Journal of Fisheries''

''Fisheries Oceanography''

''Journal of the Fisheries Research Board''
* ''

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ''Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal which focuses on multidisciplinary field of aquatic sciences. It was founded in 1901 by the Biological Board of Canada, later known as the Fisheries Research ...

''
''Transactions of the American Fisheries Society''

''Fisheries Management and Ecology''

''Fish and Fisheries''

''Journal of Fish Biology''

''Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science''

''The Open Fish Science Journal''

''African Journal of Tropical Hydrobiology and Fisheries''

''ICES Journal of Marine Science''

''Reviews in Fisheries Science''
*

*

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

Notes

References

* Hart, Paul J B and Reynolds, John D (2002) Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries, Chapter 1
''The human dimensions of fisheries science.''
Blackwell Publishing. * Megrey BA and Moksness E (eds) (2009
''Computers in Fisheries Research''
second edition, Springer. . * Pauly, D and Palomares, M L D (eds) (2002
''Production Systems in Fishery Management''
UBC Fisheries Centre Research Reports 10(8). * Payne A, Cotter AJR, Cotter J and Potter T (2008
''Advances in fisheries science: 50 years on from Beverton and Holt''
John Wiley and Sons. .

External links

*
The Sea Ahead... learning from the past
A web site of the

Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies The Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies was founded in 1991 and is the senior research institute at the University of British Columbia. It supports basic research through collaborative, interdisciplinary initiatives. The institute brings tog ...

promoting ecosystem-based fisheries science.
What is fisheries science?
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