A peer review panel will meet December 5-7, 2023 to review the research track stock assessment for black sea bass. An agenda and other details will be posted on the meeting page linked below. This meeting is open to the public.
**** Please note that stock assessment meetings are hosted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Webinar connection information for these meetings is only available on the meeting page (linked above) and will not be posted on the Council calendar. ***
Background Information
Research track assessments evaluate new datasets that can either inform or be used in new or existing stock assessment models. Unlike management track assessments, which are driven by the need to meet specific management timelines, research track assessments are carried out over longer time frames and with fewer requirements for using the most recent data. The research track is intended to be the opportunity for extensive and comprehensive research and analysis.
After the working group has completed its work, a peer review panel will be convened to conduct a comprehensive review of the research track assessment. The peer review panels review the assessment(s) for technical merit and provide recommendations on whether the assessment should or should not be used for management.
What Happens Next?
Typically, research track outputs are incorporated into future management track assessments (as opposed to directly informing management decisions). For this reason, research track assessments are often scheduled to have management track assessments in the following year, which ensures immediate application of the research results with the inclusion of the most recent data in a management track assessment.