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Marine life of Kealakekua Bay 17425 - credit HTA - Heather Goodman

154th Annual Meeting

Honolulu, Hawai'i | September 15-19, 2024
Register now
HVCB 2021

154th Annual Meeting

Honolulu, Hawai'i | September 15-19, 2024
Register now
Afternoon shadows on Leahi aka Diamond Head - Vincent Lim

154th Annual Meeting

Honolulu, Hawai'i | September 15-19, 2024
Register now

Conserving Fishes and
Fishing Traditions through
Knowledge Co-Production

fishhook transparent

The American Fisheries Society (AFS), President Cecil Jennings, the AFS Western Division, and AFS Pacific Islands Chapter are excited to host the 154th AFS Annual Meeting, September 15-19, 2024 in Honolulu, Hawai’i. The theme “Conserving Fishes and Fishing Traditions through Knowledge Co-Production” will stimulate a wide range of sessions focusing on the past, present, and future of fisheries conservation and management as we bring together professionals from across North America, the Pacific Islands, and countries throughout the world. The Honolulu Program Committee invites proposals for symposia, workshop/continuing education courses, and innovative sessions that support the theme and look to advance the fisheries profession.

Register

Register by July 19 to save with early rates!

Conference Timeline

Session Submission Opens
Session Submission Closes
Abstract Submission Opens
Registration Opens
Abstract Submission Closes
Early Registration Deadline
Conference Begins
December 2023
February 23, 2024
March 25, 2024
April 2024
May 3, 2024
July 19, 2024
September 15, 2024

Welcome to Hawaiʻi:
A Guide to Being a Respectful Visitor

Aloha! As attendees of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, we must honor and respect the rich culture of Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and the natural beauty of these islands. One aspect of our mission as the Respectful Meetings Working Group is to guide AFS meeting attendees to be respectful visitors, ensuring that our presence contributes positively to the local community and environment.

Learn more

Indigenous Networking Event

We are excited host a special event on Tuesday evening for Indigenous attendees to build community outside of the conference venue. This networking event will be hosted at an offsite location with limited capacity; therefore, we’re requesting that if you’re interested in attending that you RSVP through this form. 

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Explore Nearby Lodging Options

Whether you prioritize proximity to the convention center, beachfront access, great restaurants, or just a relaxed vibe, we have the perfect hotel for you at a great rate.

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Continuing Education Courses

Come to Hawai’i a little early and take your fisheries career to the next level by gaining in-demand skills right in Honolulu! Sign up when you register for the meeting, or you can add-on classes later.

Browse courses
Data viz and storytelling (1)
plain simple concise writing
antenna data
genetics
decision making
Copy of Introductory GIS for Fisheries Biologists
bayesian jags
Copy of bayesian jags
Copy of R
science communication
side scan sonar
leading at all levels
reproductive histology

Maui Nui Strong

We at AFS are deeply saddened and concerned about the recent devastating wildfires on the island of Maui. If you would like to help, please see Maui Nui Strong for more information about how to contribute to Maui Wildfire Relief.

Sessions

Setting Boundaries: Integrating Biocomplexity into Assessment-Management Paradigms

Ineffective fisheries management can result when the spatial scales of assessment and management are inconsistent, or do not reflect the spatial complexity of fish biology or fishery operations. Therefore, it is important to periodically revisit the spatial assumptions of assessment and management to ensure that the scales remain appropriate and
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Fishery-independent Surveys: Maximizing Capabilities and Adapting to a Changing World

Indices derived from fishery-independent survey data are crucial inputs to stock assessments that are used to provide fishery management advice. Demands on fishery-independent surveys have increased as the climate changes, industries evolve, assessments increasingly incorporate ecosystem data, and competing ocean uses introduce operational challenges. Resources for conducting surveys have frequently
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Championing Underdogs: Managing Imperiled Species Despite Political and Social Challenges

Marine species around the globe face an array of natural and anthropogenic stressors that reduce their long-term population viability. When these species have perceived value, typically accompanied by a positive public image, galvanizing social and political interest to protect and restore them faces little resistance. For species with less clearly
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Northern Pike: From Fascinating to Formidable

Depending on where you live, Northern Pike (Esox lucius) may be a protected native species beloved by anglers or a notorious invasive requiring extensive resources for suppression, eradication, and prevention. In the Columbia River Basin, non-native Northern Pike pose a great threat to extensive investments made to protect ESA-listed salmon
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Spawning Splendor: Exploring Fish Aggregations in Tomorrow’s Seas

Working with fish spawning aggregations (FSAs)? Come join this interactive session to learn what has been learned from FSA studies in the past, what remains to be learned, and what tools we need to accomplish this. In this session we ask participants to give rapid (2 minute) presentations related to
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Dam Removal and Ecological Transformation on the Klamath River

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval to remove four dams on the Lower Klamath River in November 2022 marked a historic milestone for U.S. environmental conservation. Scheduled for completion in fall 2024, this project represents the largest dam removal effort in U.S. history, ensuring uninterrupted flow along the river for
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Pairing Indigenous Knowledge Systems with Western Science to Rebuild Depleted Populations

Inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in fisheries decision-making is strengthened by legislation, however the recognition of Indigenous Knowledge systems in management plans, and the supporting research and assessment, varies widely. This Symposium will bring together Knowledge Holders, practitioners, and researchers from Indigenous organizations, agencies, and academia to learn about challenges, opportunities,
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Views on Undergraduate Curriculum in Fisheries

Recent reviews suggest that undergraduate curricula in fisheries programs will need to adapt to produce students with the knowledge, competencies, and skills needed to promote management, conservation, and sustainability of fisheries resources through the work of state, federal, provincial and tribal agencies, NGOs, and the private sector. Undergraduate curricula are
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Science and Management of U.S. Island Fisheries: Challenges, Successes, and Forward Progress

The fisheries of the U.S. island territories in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Western Pacific (Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa), and the state of Hawai’i (HI) share many common qualities that present technical challenges for performing stock assessments and providing
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Preventing Harm from Abandoned, Lost or Derelict Fishing Gear from Capture Fisheries: Management, Policy, and Prevention

This session will explore successful management approaches to prevent and remediate harm from abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) from capture fisheries throughout the world’s fisheries. Adverse effects of ALDFG can include entanglement of and ingestion by animals, damage to sensitive marine and nearshore habitats, release of microplastics and
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Managing Fisheries Bycatch of Threatened Species

Fisheries targeting highly productive species can have profound impacts on co-occurring species also susceptible to capture that have long generation lengths, low fecundity and other life history traits that make them vulnerable to anthropogenic mortality. There has been increasing concern over the sustainability of bycatch mortality of marine megafauna given
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Moving Together with Small-scale Fisheries for Conservation

Conservation and stewardship are integral to the practice of many small-scale fisheries, especially those with long-term connection and cultural tie to the fisheries. They often have deep and insightful knowledge about the ecosystem, and in many instances, have their own conservation measures through customary law and norms. Much can be
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Balancing Modern Science and Traditional Use to Rebuild Columbia River Salmon, Sturgeon, and Lamprey

Salmon are one of the most important aspects of the cultures of the Indigenous peoples of the Columbia River Basin.  They are rightly called Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum (Salmon People) for how completely the sacred fish shaped religion, culture, diets, and societies, and continue to do so today.  First Foods of water, fish,
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Native Freshwater Nongame Fishes: Here, There, and Everywhere

Native freshwater nongame fishes are integral to aquatic ecosystems worldwide and provide ecological, cultural, and economic value. Despite the remarkable diversity of native freshwater fishes observed here (in Hawaii), there (where you work), and everywhere (in between), there are shared commonalities in many of the threats and challenges, importance, and
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Large Blue-water Marine Protected Areas: Benefits and Costs

A number of large MPAs in the open ocean have been established and more are planned.  This session will address what is known about the consequences of these closed areas, in terms of changes in the marine ecosystem, impacts on fisheries, and impacts on local communities.  There will also be a
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Lateral Line Depigmentation and Chronic Ulcerative Dermatopathy in Salmonids

Lateral line depigmentation (LLD) has been described using a variety of terms, including hole in the head disease and head and lateral line erosion, and has been documented in many species of marine fishes, particularly ornamental fish in captivity. Few instances of LLD have been reported in freshwater fishes, however
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Natural Land Cover: Quantifying Levels Necessary to Protect Freshwater Habitats and Conserve Species

Aquatic ecosystems evolved under watershed process regimes in connected drainage networks. Land cover type in catchments has long been recognized as being an important influence on these regimes. Aspects of aquatic habitat crucial to the persistence of native species have been shown to respond to natural vegetative land cover, including
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Co-production of Integrated Ecosystem-based Science for Management Decisions

There is a nationwide push for more holistic, ecosystem approaches to managing natural resources under changing conditions. For example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEA) provide an approach that integrates multiple components of an ecosystem, including human dimensions, directly into the decision-making process of resource
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Party Wave Acoustic Telemetry: Fisheries Research through Collaboration and Knowledge Co-production

Acoustic telemetry networks (nodes) are regional programs aimed at maximizing the research outcomes of electronic tracking studies by fostering collaboration and facilitating data-sharing among researchers. Data-sharing partnerships among regional nodes further expand the scale over which collaborations may occur, and the establishment of new nodes, along with growing membership within
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Lessons in Fish Reproduction for Sustainable Fisheries: Learning from Multiple Knowledge Sources

Achieving sustainable fisheries requires operational methods of monitoring and multiple ways of understanding fish reproductive potential in light of climate dynamics and a variety of anthropogenic factors. This session will showcase some of the challenges to assessing fish reproduction, what we have learned and how we can move forward to
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Modern Advances in Age Estimation and Age Validation

Age is fundamental to population ecology and fisheries science. Age-structured stock assessments rely on accurate and precise estimates of age to estimate stock status and sustainable exploitation rates. Historically, age has been estimated by microscopic examination of growth zones in hard parts (e.g. – otoliths, scales, vertebrae) with the assumption
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Successes and Challenges of Integrating Ecosystem Indicators into Management

This symposium will examine approaches to integrate ecosystem considerations into fisheries management and discuss the successes and challenges of integration. By discussing critical issues like how we define system level changes, such as regime shifts, and stock-level changes in productivity (growth, mortality, recruitment) and their association with ecosystem indicators, we
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Connecting Knowledges to Assess and Monitor Aquatic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Change

On a rapidly warming planet, ecosystems are changing and aquatic species are responding by shifting ranges, phenology, and biological processes. These changes impact the people who depend on these resources to support their families, cultures, and lifeways. Considering all knowledges is essential to effectively assess and monitor these changes, and
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The Art of Cross-Cultural Science Communication

The art of science is its ability to translate across cultural barriers. Science literacy has stayed stable over the past 20 years despite increased modes to provide access to science. Incorporating and elevating voices from communities and cultures outside of the traditional presentation of western science allows understanding of the
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Knowledge Co-production in the Implementation of Closed Season and MPAs in Africa

As part of fisheries governance initiatives, conservation measures such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and seasonal closures have been deployed as important management strategies in the rebuilding of depleted marine fish stock. Whilst there is limited knowledge on MPAs in Africa despite its global popularity as an important marine conservation
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Enhancing Fisheries Management and Conservation through Spatial Data and Data Accessibility

Fisheries management and conservation decision making is inherently spatial in nature, however use of spatial data in decision making is often hampered by a lack of data accessibility, visualization, and compatibility both within and among state and federal agencies, academia, and conservation organizations. Improving data availability, visibility, and compatibility with
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Toxic Waters: Investigating the Physiological Impacts of Pollutants on Aquatic Life

Our waterways are relentlessly affected by pollution throughout the year – from industrial waste to mining runoff to agricultural pollution and oil spills, all exacerbated by global warming. When toxins enter lakes, rivers, oceans, or groundwater, water quality and aquatic life suffers. Evaluating water quality is straightforward, but unraveling the
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Advances in Shark Deterrent Technologies to Reduce Bycatch in Fisheries

There are few fisheries that do not catch sharks accidentally. Estimates suggest millions of sharks are caught as bycatch each year worldwide, consequently hampering population rebuilding plans. Bycatch represents a global problem that demands local solutions. The shark repellent industry has grown substantially in the 21st century. For example, earlier
Read More

Recent Developments and Applications of Spatio-temporal Modelling for Fisheries Management Advice

Spatio-temporal models  are widely and increasingly used, and provide important insights in ecology and fisheries management.  They extend the tradition of state-space models in fisheries science by accounting for spatial and temporal autocorrelation, and can include mechanistic processes including movement, species interactions, size/age structure, and ecological teleconnections.  They can account
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To Citizen Science or Not: Building a CitSci Project for Resource Management

Many governments and organizations are encouraging the use of citizen science projects in fisheries. This session will help participants determine if and how to create a citizen science project with the potential to contribute to resource management. Questions that will be explored in this session include, is this project right
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The Future of the Western Division of AFS – Research Throughout the West

This symposium will highlight the research being conducted within each of the Chapters throughout the Western Division. Organizer: Laurie Earley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Western Division AFS, [email protected] Supported by: Western Division AFS
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Advancing Sonar Techniques for Use in Research and Fisheries Management

This symposium will focus on the various types of acoustic sonar technologies, novel applications, and recent advancements that have enhanced efficiency. Presentations will be dedicated to discussing new techniques that will allow fishery biologists to conduct noninvasive surveys and effectively sample large volumes of water with minimal disturbance. We will
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Understanding How Multiple Stressors Interact and Impact Species for Place-based Management

Climate change is exacerbating existing environmental stressors through changes to the fundamental drivers of ecosystems. These changes in temperature, precipitation, seasonal cycles, biogeochemistry impact processes such as deoxygenation, nutrient and carbon cycling, respiration rates, stratification, ocean circulation, upwelling, and mixing. This leads to implications for the prevalence, severity, and duration
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Putting Fisheries Science to Work: Innovative Ways to Bridge the Knowledge-Action Gap

A “knowledge-action gap” exists in natural resources management due to social, institutional, and cultural factors. Barriers on both the knowledge-generation and knowledge-action sides of the equation present challenges for fishery researchers to generate relevant and actionable information, and for managers to integrate the best-available knowledge into their decision-making. This symposium
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Developing an Effective Risk Reduction Strategy to Ensure a Safe Work Environment for Observers

This innovative session will explore the process of developing, implementing, and maintaining an effective risk reduction strategy to ensure a safe maritime work environment for observers. The risk reduction strategy developed by the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement Alaska Division is based on the Routine Activities Theory, which suggests
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Electronic Tagging and Telemetry: Analyses, Field Methods, and Applications to Management

The goal of this symposium is to showcase recent advancements in electronic tagging technology and its practice – from data collection and field methods to analysis and integration into conservation and management decisions, as well as novel applications that bridge disciplines. Talks showcasing the use of electronic tagging in fisheries-adjacent
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Emerging Threats to Northern Fish, Fishers, and Ecosystems

The Arctic and subarctic are warming at a rate up to four times the global average. This rapid environmental change has untold consequences for freshwater and marine ecosystems, the fish, and the fishers relying upon them. Examples of emerging threats include increased water temperatures (e.g., heat stress), declines in prey
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Co-Produced Fisheries Science and Management in the Gulf of Mexico

In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the knowledge, expertise, and active engagement of fishermen has improved scientific understanding and successful management of the region’s diverse fisheries. This session will highlight the historic and current landscape of collaborative science in the Gulf of Mexico and involve a panel of scientists and
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Centering Fisher Questions and Collaboration in Research and Conservation

Fishers and other resource users are often the target group when developing and implementing conservation and management actions but are not always involved in the research process. This exclusion, even if unintentional, can lead to distrust in scientific findings or a lack of support for conservation actions. Involving fishers from
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Interweaving Traditional Ecological Knowledge with Genetic/Genomic Approaches for Fisheries Conservation and Management

Effective fisheries management in the Anthropocene requires contributions from multiple knowledge sources, ways of knowing and perspectives. This session will showcase the transformative potential of interweaving Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and genomic data for fisheries management. TEK encompasses a collection of insights from diverse sources and perspectives, built on long
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Partnering for Innovation and Fish Protection in the Clean Energy Transition

Renewable energy is considered a necessity to reduce our world’s dependence on fossil fuels to mitigate climate change, however energy installations (both energy production facilities as well as distribution systems) come with unique challenges that impact aquatic ecosystems.  Partnerships between various sectors of the community are essential to advancing goals
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Getting It Right: Conservation Aquaculture for Recovery, Restoration and Supplementation

The AFS Fish Culture Section is proud to sponsor the session “Getting it Right: Conservation Aquaculture for Recovery, Restoration and Supplementation” at the upcoming 154th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society in Honolulu, HI. The session aims to build bridges between fisheries management and captive propagation communities of practice
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Research and Conservation of Ancient Fishes

Scientists think the first fishes originated 400-500 million years ago. Despite many potential threats that could lead to extinction, some ancient species are extant today and could broadly inform conservation in a changing climate.  This symposium will include presentations on research (e.g., life history, population dynamics, genetics, status, cultural significance,
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Advances in Quantitative Fisheries Science

Understanding the life processes of aquatic organisms and their responses to changes in their environment presents numerous challenges to fisheries science and the management of fish populations. Advances in quantitative methods are needed to transmute information from data into knowledge and infer the biological, ecological, environmental, and anthropogenic processes that
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Fire Effects on Surface Waters

Fires—both natural and anthropogenic—have long been features of Earth’s terrestrial landscapes. Increasing fire sizes, frequencies, and intensities are predictable components of the climate crisis. Although such fires have obvious effects on terrestrial landscapes, including human settlements, their short- and long-term effects on aquatic ecosystems are generally less evident. Therefore, the
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Collaborative Science through Fisher-Researcher Partnerships

Fishers have a wealth of knowledge and experience from the time spent on and under the water. Fisheries science is often enhanced by including the fishing community in data collection and research. It is important to continue to empower and equip fishers with tools and opportunities to participate in the
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Restoration, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management in U.S. Pacific Northwest Estuaries

This session addresses the complex challenges faced by program managers on the U.S. West Coast in effectively protecting and restoring habitats for salmonids. The overarching goal is to highlight the innovative approaches employed by estuary programs to improve habitat for salmonids, address climate uncertainties, and establish collaborative networks to facilitate
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Celebrating Indigenous Fisheries Stewardship

Globally, Indigenous communities, including Kanaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians), have practiced sustainable stewardship in their territories, exemplified by successful, high-yield fisheries predating European contact. Employing culturally informed stewardship practices, Indigenous Peoples developed deep, place-based ecological knowledge that is crucial for flourishing aquatic ecosystems. Despite the effectiveness of this stewardship, assimilative and
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Animal Movement Models on Aquatic Landscapes: Climate Challenges and Solutions

Recently, there have been numerous publications of animal movement and migration models which span the gamut of cognitive behavior models to statistical approaches dealing with either a single species, or the entire trophic web, layered on underlying physical models ranging from high-resolution computational fluid dynamics models of small domains to
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Applications of Satellite Remote Sensing for Fisheries Assessment & Management

This symposium explores the transformative impact of satellite remote sensing (RS) technology on fisheries assessment and management. Presentations showcase innovative applications of satellite RS in understanding fish populations, mapping habitats, and informing decision-making processes. Key topics include techniques for mapping fish habitats, monitoring population dynamics, and integrating satellite RS data
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