Scientists and Fishers Learning from One Another

At a recent meeting of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, it was evident how much can be learned when scientists and fishers share information.  An example was the shifting location of the Gulf Stream. Fred Mattera, President of Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation of Rhode Island, wondered why the temperature of the continental shelf was 72 degrees in December.  He contacted Glen Gawarkiewicz, a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution senior scientist, to share his observation. Gawarkiewicz used data from OOI’s Coastal Pioneer Array to confirm that the Gulf Stream, which carries warm and salty water, had shifted 120 miles north.  Gawarkiewicz explained to the audience that he would have never identified this change if it hadn’t been for Mattera’s contact.

This is but one example of how those who use the ocean and those who study it can benefit by sharing information.  To read more: