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MAB_RiskAssess_2024.Rmd
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---
bibliography: riskassess.bib
csl: plos.csl
fontsize: 10pt
geometry: left=2cm, right=2cm, top=2cm, bottom=3cm, footskip = .5cm
link-citations: yes
output:
bookdown::pdf_document2:
includes:
in_header: latex/header.tex
keep_tex: true
bookdown::html_document2:
toc: true
toc_float: true
code_fold: hide
bookdown::word_document2:
toc: true
subparagraph: yes
urlcolor: blue
---
```{r setup, include=FALSE}
# library(tint)
# # invalidate cache when the package version changes
# knitr::opts_chunk$set(tidy = FALSE, cache.extra = packageVersion('tint'))
# options(htmltools.dir.version = FALSE)
#Default Rmd options
knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = FALSE,
message = FALSE,
#dev = "cairo_pdf",
warning = FALSE,
fig.width = 4,
fig.asp = 0.45,
fig.align = 'center'
) #allows for inserting R code into captions
#Plotting and data libraries
#remotes::install_github("noaa-edab/[email protected]") #change to 2020 ecodata version for release
library(tidyverse)
library(tidyr)
library(ecodata)
library(here)
library(kableExtra)
library(patchwork)
```
# Introduction
*Risk Element Information and Recommendations for Council Consideration*
The Council approved an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Guidance Document in 2016 which outlined a path forward to more fully incorporate ecosystem considerations into marine fisheries management^[http://www.mafmc.org/s/EAFM_Guidance-Doc_2017-02-07.pdf], and revised the document in February 2019^[http://www.mafmc.org/s/EAFM-Doc-Revised-2019-02-08.pdf]. The Council’s stated goal for EAFM is “to manage for ecologically sustainable utilization of living marine resources while maintaining ecosystem productivity, structure, and function.” Ecologically sustainable utilization is further defined as “utilization that accommodates the needs of present and future generations, while maintaining the integrity, health, and diversity of the marine ecosystem.” Of particular interest to the Council was the development of tools to incorporate the effects of species, fleet, habitat and climate interactions into its management and science programs. To accomplish this, the Council agreed to adopt a structured framework to first prioritize ecosystem interactions, second to specify key questions regarding high priority interactions and third tailor appropriate analyses to address them [@gaichas_framework_2016]. Because there are so many possible ecosystem interactions to consider, a risk assessment was adopted as the first step to identify a subset of high priority interactions [@gaichas_implementing_2018]. The Council completed its first risk assessment in 2017 and the risk elements included in the assessment spanned biological, ecological, social and economic issues and risk criteria for the assessment were based on a range of indicators and expert knowledge [@gaichas_implementing_2018].
The risk assessment is updated annually and was designed to help the Council decide where to focus limited resources to address ecosystem considerations by first clarifying priorities. Overall, the purpose of the EAFM risk assessment is to provide the Council with a proactive strategic planning tool for the sustainable management of marine resources under its jurisdiction, while taking interactions within the ecosystem into account.
Given the length of time since its initial development, the availability of new information and analyses, and ever-changing risks facing Council-managed fisheries, the Council conducted a comprehensive review of the EAFM risk assessment in 2023. The goal of the review was to produce an updated risk assessment that incorporates the latest scientific information, reflects the Council’s current priorities, and can be adaptive and responsive to new and changing conditions that can support a variety of Council management needs. At the conclusion of the review, the Council identified 28 risk elements to be included in the updated assessment – 24 existing elements and 4 new elements. In addition, the Council supported new and/or revised indicators for 16 of the existing risk elements.
A draft document was presented to the Council in April 2024 and included the changes approved by the Council as part of its comprehensive review and incorporated the latest data, scientific information, and new analyses. However, the draft document included indicators and risk ranking criteria for 12 risk elements that were either considered draft or required additional development and analysis to finalize. Staff worked with the Council’s Ecosystem and Ocean Planning (EOP) Committee and Advisory Panel in 2024 to get additional input and direction on these draft risk elements. This report includes information on all 28 risk elements and reflects, where feasible, the feedback provided by the EOP. Some of the recommendations provided by the Committee and AP require additional development and are not available for all species and/or risk elements and are not included in this report (noted in \textcolor{red}{red}). It is anticipated that the 2025 risk assessment report (ready in April 2025) will address these recommendations and incorporate the latest information, including the 2025 State of the Ecosystem report.
*Components of the EAFM risk assessment*
**Risk Elements** - identify what we are measuring. They can be any aspect that may threaten achieving the biological, economic, or social objectives that the Council desires from a fishery.
**Definitions** - describe why we are measuring it and clearly state what is at risk. In general, because the Council is charged with managing fisheries for Optimum Yield (OY), many risk definitions are centered on a particular element’s potential impact on achieving OY. However, some Risk Elements addressed additional Council objectives (e.g. maximizing fishery value, optimizing employment).
**Indicators** - are how we measure risk and are observations that gives information about the risk element. Indicators may be a time series of data, may come from an individual study, or from qualitative information.
**Risk Criteria** - help specify what is the risk and include the following risk levels: low, low-moderate, moderate-high, and high.
**Risk Assessment** - applies the risk criteria to the indicators and summarizes the rationale for the risk ranking.
The risk elements included in the Council’s 2024 updated assessment span biological, ecological, social and economic issues (Table \ref{riskel}) and risk criteria for the assessment were based on a range of indicators and expert knowledge (Table \ref{allcriteria}).
\newpage
```{r riskel, echo=FALSE, message=FALSE, warnings=FALSE, results='asis'}
#tab.cap="Risk Elements, Definitions, and Indicators Used\\label{riskel}",
elem <-read.table("riskelements2024.txt", sep="|", header=F, strip.white = T, stringsAsFactors = F)
elem <- elem[,2:4]
names(elem) <- c("Element", "Definition", "Indicator")
# elem$Element <- factor(all$Element, levels=c("Assessment performance", "F status", "B status", "Food web (Council Predator)", "Food web (Council Prey)", "Food web (Protected Species Prey)",
# "Ecosystem productivity", "Climate", "Distribution shifts", "Estuarine habitat", "Offshore habitat", "Commercial Revenue",
# "Recreational Angler Days/Trips", "Commercial Fishery Resilience (Revenue Diversity)", "Commercial Fishery Resilience (Shoreside Support)",
# "Fleet Resilience", "Social-Cultural", "Commercial", "Recreational", "Control", "Interactions", "Other ocean uses", "Regulatory complexity",
# "Discards", "Allocation"))
kable(elem, format = "latex", booktabs = T, longtable=T, caption="Risk Elements, Brief Definitions, and Indicators Used. Additional detail and information on each risk elements definition and indicator(s) can be found in the full risk assessment text.\\label{riskel}") %>%
kable_styling(font_size=8, latex_options=c("repeat_header", "striped")) %>%
column_spec(1, width="2.5cm") %>%
column_spec(2:3, width="7cm") %>%
group_rows("Ecological",1,11) %>%
group_rows("Economic",12,15) %>%
group_rows("Social",16,18) %>%
group_rows("Food Production",19,20) %>%
group_rows("Management",21,28)
#landscape()
```
\newpage
\pagestyle{plain}
```{r allcriteria, echo=FALSE, message=FALSE, warnings=FALSE, results='asis'}
#tab.cap="Risk Ranking Criteria used for each Risk Element\\label{allcriteria}",
all<-read.table("riskrankingcriteria2024.txt", sep="|", header=T, strip.white = T, stringsAsFactors = F)
names(all) <- c("Element", "Ranking", "Criteria")
all$Ranking <- factor(all$Ranking, levels=c("Low", "Low-Moderate", "Moderate-High", "High"))
all$Element <- factor(all$Element, levels=c("Assessment performance", "F status", "B status", "Food web (Prey availability)", "Food web (Predation pressure)", "Food web (Protected species prey)",
"Ecosystem productivity", "Climate", "Distribution shifts", "Estuarine habitat", "Offshore habitat", "Commercial value",
"Recreational angler days/trips", "Commercial fishery resilience (Revenue diversity)", "Commercial fishery resilience (Shoreside support)",
"Commercial fishery resilience (Fleet diversity)", "Recreational fleet diversity", "Fishing community vulnerability", "Commercial fishing production", "Recreational fishing production", "F Control", "Tech Interactions", "Offshore wind (Bio/Ecosystem)", "Offshore wind (Science/Access)", "Other ocean activities", "Regulatory complexity",
"Discards", "Allocation"))
allwide <- all %>%
spread(Ranking, Criteria)
kable(allwide, format = "latex", booktabs = T, longtable=T, caption="Risk Ranking Criteria used for each Risk Element. Additional information on the risk ranking criteria can be found in the full risk assessment text.\\label{allcriteria}") %>%
kable_styling(font_size=8, latex_options=c("repeat_header", "striped")) %>%
column_spec(1, width="2cm") %>%
column_spec(2:5, width="5cm") %>%
landscape()
```
\clearpage
\pagestyle{fancy}
# Risk Assessment
## Ecological Elements
### Stock Assessment Performance
**Description:**
Stock assessments provide the scientific basis for sustainable fishery
management in this region. This risk element is applied at the species
level, and addresses risk to achieving OY due to scientific uncertainty
based on analytical and data limitations. The Council risk policy
accounts for scientific uncertainty in assessments, with methods for
determining scientific uncertainty currently being refined by the
Council's Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC).
Other assessment-related risk elements (F status and B status) describe
risks according to our best understanding of stock status, but
assessment methods and data quality shape that understanding.
**Definition:**
Risk of not achieving OY due to analytical limitations
**Indicators:**
Stock assessment review and general assessment data quality contribute to assessment of assessment performance risk. The EOP and
Council can continue to use pass/fail criteria from independent stock
assessment reviews while more formally incorporating data quality
indicators (including data quality impacts from any source of scientific
survey constraint), assessment retrospective performance indicators, or
other indicators of analytical limitations. The SSC OFL CV process
already reviews many aspects of analytical assessment uncertainty,
including data quality and retrospective performance, which may further refine criteria used in this EAFM risk assessment.
**Risk criteria:**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low Assessment model(s) passed peer review, high data
quality, small retrospective pattern
Low-Moderate Assessment passed peer review but some data and/or
reference points may be lacking
Moderate-High Assessment passed peer review but with major data
quality issue or large retrospective pattern
High Assessment failed peer review or no assessment,
data-limited tools applied
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
An alternative set of criteria could apply OFL CVs used by the SSC for
establishing ABC, which represent overall assessment uncertainty. An OFL
CV of 60% could represent the low risk category, 100% the low-moderate
risk category, 150% the moderate-high risk category, and stocks without
an assessment (where OFL CV is usually not applied) remaining in the
high risk category. If applying these criteria, we could change the name
of this to "Assessment uncertainty" to match what the SSC is evaluating.
**Risk Assessment**
Stocks with low risk due to assessment performance include ocean quahog, surf clam, summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, golden tilefish, bluefish, and spiny dogfish. Longfin squid are assessed with index-based assessment methods which rank low-moderate risk due to incomplete survey coverage in some years, and reference points for longfin squid are lacking. Shortfin squid also lack reference points, and the 2022 Research Track assessment was unable to put any analytical method forward to evaluate stock status or trends, so assessment performance risk increased to high. The monkfish 2016 operational assessment was unable to model growth or population status due to innaccurate ageing methods, so both northern and southern stocks rank high risk for this element. Blueline tilefish ranks as high risk for assessment type because it is assessed with the data limited methods (DLM) toolbox, and chub mackerel rank high risk due to no assessment.
### Fishing Mortality Status and Stock Biomass Status
**Description:**
Managed fisheries are required to be prosecuted within fishing mortality
limits and managed stocks are required to be maintained above minimum
threshold biomass levels to preserve sustainable yield. These elements
are applied at the species level. Because OY is the objective, and OY is
at most MSY under U.S. law, fishing mortality ($F$) limit reference
points are based on $F_{MSY}$, while the stock biomass ($B$) target is
biomass at MSY ($B_{MSY}$). $F$ and $B$ status relative to established
MSY-based target and limit reference points or proxies [@gabriel_review_1999] from stock assessments therefore indicate the level of risk
to achieving OY from either overfishing or stock depletion,
respectively.
**Definitions:**
Fishing Mortality -- F Status: Risk of not achieving OY due to
overfishing
Stock Biomass -- B Status: Risk of not achieving OY due to depleted
stock
**Indicators:**
Stock assessments estimate both current F relative to the F reference
point and current B relative to the B reference point and these
indicators are used directly. When these quantities are not estimated
due to analytical limitations, the SSC can evaluate the weight of
evidence for risk of overfishing and overfished status based on evidence
outside the stock assessment, and this evaluation is used in the EAFM
risk assessment.
```{r stock-status, fig.width = 7.5, fig.asp = 0.6, fig.cap = "Summary of single species status for MAFMC and jointly federally managed stocks (Spiny dogfish and both Goosefish). The dotted vertical line is the target biomass reference point of $B_{MSY}$. The dashed lines are the management thresholds of one half $B_{MSY}$ (vertical) or $F_{MSY}$. (horizontal). Stocks in orange are below the biomass threshold (overfished) or have fishing mortality above the limit (subject to overfishing), so are not meeting objectives. Stocks in purple are above the biomass threshold but below the biomass target with fishing mortality within the limit. Stocks in green are above the biomass target, with fishing mortality within the limit."}
# code = readLines("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NOAA-EDAB/ecodata/master/chunk-scripts/human_dimensions_MAB.Rmd-stock-status.R"),
a <- ecodata::plot_stock_status(report = "MidAtlantic")
a$p + ggplot2::coord_cartesian(xlim=c(0,2), ylim=c(0,2)) + ggplot2::annotation_custom(gridExtra::tableGrob(a$unknown,
theme = gridExtra::ttheme_default(base_size = 7),
rows=NULL),
xmin=0.8, xmax=1.8, ymin=1.5, ymax=2)
```
```{r unkstocks}
# flextable::flextable(a$unknown) |>
# flextable::set_header_labels(F.Fmsy = "F/Fmsy",
# B.Bmsy = "B/Bmsy") |>
# flextable::colformat_num(na_str = "-") |>
# flextable::set_caption("Unknown or partially known stock status for MAFMC and jointly managed species.") |>
# flextable::autofit()
```
**Risk criteria:**
We applied low and high risk criteria for these elements as defined in
U.S. law. Low risk criteria are $F$ \< $F_{MSY}$ and $B$ \> $B_{MSY}$
for an individual stock. High risk criteria are $F$ \> $F_{MSY}$ and $B$
\< 0.5 $B_{MSY}$ for an individual stock. The Council established the
intermediate risk categories to address stocks with unknown status.
Moderate-high risk was defined as unknown status in the absence of other
information for both $F$ and $B$. Low-moderate risk was defined as
unknown status, but with a weight of evidence indicating low overfishing
risk for $F$. Similarly, low-moderate risk for $B$ was either 0.5
$B_{MSY}$ \< $B$ \< $B_{MSY}$ or unknown status, but with a weight of
evidence indicating low risk that the population is depleted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low F \< Fmsy
Low-Moderate Unknown, but weight of evidence indicates low
overfishing risk
Moderate-High Unknown status
High F \> Fmsy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low B \> Bmsy
Low-Moderate Bmsy \> B \> 0.5 Bmsy, or unknown, but weight of
evidence indicates low risk
Moderate-High Unknown status
High B \< 0.5 Bmsy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Risk Assessment**
Single species management objectives (1. maintaining biomass above minimum thresholds and 2. maintaining fishing mortality below overfishing limits) are being met for all but two MAFMC-managed species (Fig. \ref{fig:stock-status}), though the status of six stocks is unknown (Table \ref{tab:unkstocks}). Based on current assessment results, F and B status are both in the low risk category for surfclams, ocean quahogs, scup, and black sea bass. Butterfish, bluefish, and golden tilefish F status is in the low risk category, and B risk is in the low-moderate risk category. Spiny dogfish F status is in the high risk category, and B status is in the low risk category. Summer flounder F status is in the high risk category and B status is in the low-moderate risk category. Atlantic mackerel F status is in the low risk category and B status is in the high risk category.
Stocks with unknown status have a range of rankings. F and B status for chub mackerel and northern and southern monkfish stocks are ranked low-moderate risk (unknown but weight of evidence supports lower risk). Longfin squid B is above the established B threshold, and both squid stocks have unknown F status, but F is difficult to estimate because it is very low relative to natural mortality, so they were also ranked low-moderate risk. Blueline tilefish are high risk for F status and have unknown B status and little auxiliary information in the Mid-Atlantic region, and so rank moderate-high risk for B status.
### Food Web (1) - Prey Availability
**Description:**
This element is applied at the species level.
Fish stocks and protected species stocks are managed using single species approaches, but fish and protected species stocks exist within a food web of predator and prey interactions. This element is one of two separating food web risks to achieving OY for Council managed species from two sources. This first element assesses prey availability for each species, and the second food web risk element assesses predation pressure on each species (see Food Web (2)- Predation Pressure).
**Definition:**
Risk of not achieving OY for Council managed species due to availability
of prey.
**Indicators:**
Indicators of prey availability for each Council managed species would
be based on food habits information for the Council managed species
combined with population trends for key prey species (if available). Major prey can be identified using food habits data and considered in aggregate.
Aggregate prey indices can be developed using survey data, stomach contents data, or a combination. For example, indicators of aggregated benthic invertebrates and aggregate forage fish were developed using stomach contents of multiple fish predators (Fig. \ref{fig:foragebio}, left column).
However, trends in prey alone may not indicate risk if the prey are fluctuating well above a threshold where Council managed species might experience scarcity. Body condition indicators can be used to suggest whether Council managed species are heavier or lighter than expected for their length (Fig. \ref{fig:foragebio}, right column). Low body condition combined with declining prey trends could indicate higher risk that prey availability might impact OY.
```{r foragebio, fig.cap = "Example indicators for prey availability risk. Major prey in left column, managed species condition in right column. Top row: benthic invertebrate prey of black sea bass have been declining since the mid-2000s, as has body condition for black sea bass. Taken together these indicate higher risk. Bottom row: forage fish prey of bluefish show a long term decline, but bluefish body condition has been stable or increasing recently. Taken together these indicate lower risk due to prey availability.", out.width='100%'}
#, code=readLines("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NOAA-EDAB/ecodata/master/chunk-scripts/macrofauna_MAB.Rmd-forage-index.R")
fallsmcope <- readRDS(url("https://github.com/NOAA-EDAB/foodweb-risk/raw/main/preyindices/fallsmcopepodALLindex.rds"))
fixsmcope<- fallsmcope |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% c("Fall Small copepods ALL Abundance Index Estimate"),
EPU %in% c("MAB")) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU) |>
dplyr::summarise(max = max(Value, na.rm=T))
pfallsmcope <- fallsmcope |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% c("Fall Small copepods ALL Abundance Index Estimate",
"Fall Small copepods ALL Abundance Index Estimate SE"),
EPU %in% c("MAB")) |>
dplyr::mutate(Value = ifelse(Value == 0, NA, Value)) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU) |>
tidyr::separate(Var, into = c("Season", "A", "B", "C", "D", "E", "F", "Var")) |>
dplyr::mutate(Var = tidyr::replace_na(Var, "Mean")) |> #,
#max = as.numeric(Value)) |>
tidyr::pivot_wider(names_from = Var, values_from = Value) |>
dplyr::left_join(fixsmcope) |>
dplyr::mutate(#Value = Value/resca,
Mean = as.numeric(Mean),
#max = as.numeric(Value),
Mean = Mean/max,
SE = SE/max,
Upper = Mean + SE,
Lower = Mean - SE) |>
ggplot2::ggplot(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Mean, group = Season))+
#ggplot2::annotate("rect", fill = setup$shade.fill, alpha = setup$shade.alpha,
# xmin = setup$x.shade.min , xmax = setup$x.shade.max,
# ymin = -Inf, ymax = Inf) +
ggplot2::geom_ribbon(ggplot2::aes(ymin = Lower, ymax = Upper, fill = Season), alpha = 0.5)+
ggplot2::geom_point()+
ggplot2::geom_line()+
ggplot2::ggtitle("Small copepods prey index")+
ggplot2::ylab(expression("Relative small copepod abundance"))+
ggplot2::xlab(ggplot2::element_blank())+
ggplot2::facet_wrap(.~EPU)+
ecodata::geom_gls()+
ecodata::geom_lm(n=10) +
ecodata::theme_ts()+
ecodata::theme_facet()+
ecodata::theme_title()
#p
fallmacro <- readRDS(url("https://github.com/NOAA-EDAB/foodweb-risk/raw/main/preyindices/fallmacrobenthosindex.rds"))
fixmacro<- fallmacro |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% c("Fall Macrobenthos Biomass Index Estimate"),
EPU %in% c("MAB")) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU) |>
dplyr::summarise(max = max(Value))
pfallmac <- fallmacro |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% c("Fall Macrobenthos Biomass Index Estimate",
"Fall Macrobenthos Biomass Index Estimate SE"),
EPU %in% c("MAB")) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU) |>
tidyr::separate(Var, into = c("Season", "A", "B", "C", "D", "Var")) |>
dplyr::mutate(Var = tidyr::replace_na(Var, "Mean")) |> #,
#max = as.numeric(Value)) |>
tidyr::pivot_wider(names_from = Var, values_from = Value) |>
dplyr::left_join(fixmacro) |>
dplyr::mutate(#Value = Value/resca,
Mean = as.numeric(Mean),
#max = as.numeric(Value),
Mean = Mean/max,
SE = SE/max,
Upper = Mean + SE,
Lower = Mean - SE) |>
ggplot2::ggplot(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Mean, group = Season))+
#ggplot2::annotate("rect", fill = setup$shade.fill, alpha = setup$shade.alpha,
# xmin = setup$x.shade.min , xmax = setup$x.shade.max,
# ymin = -Inf, ymax = Inf) +
ggplot2::geom_ribbon(ggplot2::aes(ymin = Lower, ymax = Upper, fill = Season), alpha = 0.5)+
ggplot2::geom_point()+
ggplot2::geom_line()+
ggplot2::ggtitle("Benthic invertebrate prey index")+
ggplot2::ylab(expression("Relative macrofauna biomass"))+
ggplot2::xlab(ggplot2::element_blank())+
ggplot2::facet_wrap(.~EPU)+
ecodata::geom_gls()+
ecodata::geom_lm(n=10) +
ecodata::theme_ts()+
ecodata::theme_facet()+
ecodata::theme_title()
#p
pforage <- ecodata::forage_index |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% c("Fall Forage Fish Biomass Estimate",
"Fall Forage Fish Biomass Estimate SE"),
EPU %in% c("MAB")) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU) |>
tidyr::separate(Var, into = c("Season", "A", "B", "C", "D", "Var")) |>
dplyr::mutate(Var = tidyr::replace_na(Var, "Mean")) |> #,
#max = as.numeric(Value)) |>
tidyr::pivot_wider(names_from = Var, values_from = Value) |>
dplyr::left_join(fixmacro) |>
dplyr::mutate(#Value = Value/resca,
Mean = as.numeric(Mean),
#max = as.numeric(Value),
Mean = Mean/max,
SE = SE/max,
Upper = Mean + SE,
Lower = Mean - SE) |>
ggplot2::ggplot(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Mean, group = Season))+
#ggplot2::annotate("rect", fill = setup$shade.fill, alpha = setup$shade.alpha,
# xmin = setup$x.shade.min , xmax = setup$x.shade.max,
# ymin = -Inf, ymax = Inf) +
ggplot2::geom_ribbon(ggplot2::aes(ymin = Lower, ymax = Upper, fill = Season), alpha = 0.5)+
ggplot2::geom_point()+
ggplot2::geom_line()+
ggplot2::ggtitle("Forage fish prey index")+
ggplot2::ylab(expression("Relative forage biomass"))+
ggplot2::xlab(ggplot2::element_blank())+
ggplot2::facet_wrap(.~EPU)+
ecodata::geom_gls()+
ecodata::geom_lm(n=10) +
ecodata::theme_ts()+
ecodata::theme_facet()+
ecodata::theme_title()
#p
mafmc_cond <- c("Atlantic mackerel",
"Black sea bass",
"Bluefish",
"Butterfish",
"Goosefish",
"Illex", #not in condition
"Loligo", #not in condition
"Scup",
"Spiny dogfish",
"Summer flounder",
"Surf clam", #not in condition
"Ocean quahog") #not in condition
#"Clams", # Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog not separate groups
#"Tilefish") # Blueline and golden tilefish not separate groups
AnnualRelCond2023_Fall <- readr::read_csv("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NOAA-EDAB/foodweb-risk/main/condition/AnnualRelCond2023_Fall.csv")
survEPUcond <- AnnualRelCond2023_Fall |>
dplyr::select(Time = YEAR,
Var = Species,
EPU,
Value = MeanCond,
nCond) |>
dplyr::group_by(EPU, Var) |>
dplyr::mutate(scaleCond = scale(Value,scale =T,center=T))
xs <- quantile(survEPUcond$scaleCond, seq(0,1, length.out = 6), na.rm = TRUE)
survEPUcond <- survEPUcond |>
dplyr::mutate(category = cut(scaleCond,
breaks = xs,
labels = c( "Poor Condition",
"Below Average",
"Neutral",
"Above Average",
"Good Condition"),
include.lowest = TRUE))
condquants <- data.frame(ymin = xs[1:5],
ymax = xs[2:6],
category = sort(unique(survEPUcond$category))
)
vir <- viridis::viridis_pal()(5)
mafmcsurvEPUcond <- survEPUcond |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% mafmc_cond[1], #At mackerel
EPU %in% c("MAB"))
pmackcond <- ggplot2::ggplot() +
ggplot2::theme_bw() +
ggplot2::geom_rect(data = condquants,
aes(ymin = ymin, ymax = ymax, fill = category, xmin = -Inf, xmax = Inf),
alpha = .3) +
ggplot2::scale_fill_manual(values=vir) +
ggplot2::geom_point(data= mafmcsurvEPUcond, ggplot2::aes(x=Time, y=scaleCond[,1])) +
#ggplot2::geom_hline(yintercept = xs[2:5]) +
#ggplot2::geom_line() +
ggplot2::facet_grid(Var~factor(EPU, levels = c("MAB", "GB", "GOM", "SS", "NA")), ) +
ggplot2::ylab("Scaled condition") +
ggplot2::ggtitle(paste(unique(mafmcsurvEPUcond$Var), "fall body condition")) +
ggplot2::guides(fill = ggplot2::guide_legend(reverse = TRUE))
mafmcsurvEPUcond <- survEPUcond |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% mafmc_cond[2], #BSB
EPU %in% c("MAB"))
pbsbcond <- ggplot2::ggplot() +
ggplot2::theme_bw() +
ggplot2::geom_rect(data = condquants,
aes(ymin = ymin, ymax = ymax, fill = category, xmin = -Inf, xmax = Inf),
alpha = .3) +
ggplot2::scale_fill_manual(values=vir) +
ggplot2::geom_point(data= mafmcsurvEPUcond, ggplot2::aes(x=Time, y=scaleCond[,1])) +
#ggplot2::geom_hline(yintercept = xs[2:5]) +
#ggplot2::geom_line() +
ggplot2::facet_grid(Var~factor(EPU, levels = c("MAB", "GB", "GOM", "SS", "NA")), ) +
ggplot2::ylab("Scaled condition") +
ggplot2::ggtitle(paste(unique(mafmcsurvEPUcond$Var), "fall body condition")) +
ggplot2::guides(fill = ggplot2::guide_legend(reverse = TRUE))
#p
mafmcsurvEPUcond <- survEPUcond |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% mafmc_cond[3], #Bluefish
EPU %in% c("MAB"))
pbfcond <- ggplot2::ggplot() +
ggplot2::theme_bw() +
ggplot2::geom_rect(data = condquants,
aes(ymin = ymin, ymax = ymax, fill = category, xmin = -Inf, xmax = Inf),
alpha = .3) +
ggplot2::scale_fill_manual(values=vir) +
ggplot2::geom_point(data= mafmcsurvEPUcond, ggplot2::aes(x=Time, y=scaleCond[,1])) +
#ggplot2::geom_hline(yintercept = xs[2:5]) +
#ggplot2::geom_line() +
ggplot2::facet_grid(Var~factor(EPU, levels = c("MAB", "GB", "GOM", "SS", "NA")), ) +
ggplot2::ylab("Scaled condition") +
ggplot2::ggtitle(paste(unique(mafmcsurvEPUcond$Var), "fall body condition")) +
ggplot2::guides(fill = ggplot2::guide_legend(reverse = TRUE))
#p
fig4 <- pfallsmcope + pmackcond + pfallmac + pbsbcond + pforage + pbfcond + plot_layout(nrow = 3)
ggsave("preyavriskex.png", fig4, device="png", width = 12, height = 12, units = "in")
knitr::include_graphics("preyavriskex.png")
```
```{r, eval=FALSE}
mafmcsurvEPUcond <- survEPUcond |>
dplyr::filter(Var %in% mafmc_cond[1:3], #BSB
EPU %in% c("MAB"))
raw <- ggplot2::ggplot(mafmcsurvEPUcond, ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Value)) +
ggplot2::geom_point() +
ggplot2::geom_line() +
ggplot2::facet_grid(~Var)
scaled <- ggplot2::ggplot() +
ggplot2::theme_bw() +
ggplot2::geom_rect(data = condquants,
aes(ymin = ymin, ymax = ymax, fill = category, xmin = -Inf, xmax = Inf),
alpha = .3) +
ggplot2::scale_fill_manual(values=vir) +
ggplot2::geom_point(data= mafmcsurvEPUcond, ggplot2::aes(x=Time, y=scaleCond[,1])) +
#ggplot2::geom_hline(yintercept = xs[2:5]) +
#ggplot2::geom_line() +
ggplot2::facet_grid(~Var) +
ggplot2::ylab("Scaled condition") +
#ggplot2::ggtitle(paste(unique(mafmcsurvEPUcond$Var), "fall body condition")) +
ggplot2::guides(fill = ggplot2::guide_legend(reverse = TRUE))
maxyr <- max(mafmcsurvEPUcond$Time)
tenyr <- maxyr-10
meancond <- mafmcsurvEPUcond |>
dplyr::filter(Time>tenyr) |>
dplyr::group_by(Var) |>
dplyr::summarise(meanraw = mean(Value),
meanscale = mean(scaleCond))
condquants
meancond
```
**Risk criteria:**
Good body condition likely represents low risk of prey limitation, and body condition being uncorrelated with the major prey trend also likely represents low risk of prey limitation. Conversely, poor condition indicates elevated risk of prey limitation, and higher risk if poor condition coincides with decreasing trends in major prey. If declining body condition and declining major prey are correlated that may be highest risk. Correlation does not imply causation, but the predator condition and major prey index fluctuating together should warrant deeper investigation.
The criteria evaluate condition status and major prey trends over the most recent 10 years. \textcolor{red}{The EOP and AP recommended evaluating an alternative calculation using the full time series with a decay factor to emphasize the most recent 10 years. This second alternative will be presented in April 2025 along with the approach presented here.}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low Fish condition good, no correlation with major prey trends
Low-Moderate Fish condition above average or neutral, aggregate prey for this species
has stable or increasing trend
Moderate-High Fish condition below average or neutral, aggregate prey for this species
has significant decreasing trend
High Fish condition poor, species highly dependent on prey with
limited and declining availability, or prey and condition
trends significantly correlated
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Risk Assessment**
We demonstrate applying the criteria to three Council managed species to date with preliminary data for the Mid Atlantic Bight: Atlantic mackerel, black sea bass, and bluefish. \textcolor{red}{Other species will be added as diet compositions are analyzed and prey indices are developed.} We use the summaries from the [NEFSC food habits database](https://fwdp.shinyapps.io/tm2020/) and forage fish, benthic invertebrate, and zooplankton indicators submitted to the 2025 State of the Ecosystem report in these examples.
Fish condition calculated as the mean over the past decade (2014-2023) results in Atlantic mackerel and bluefish having above average condition and black sea bass having poor condition. Preliminary prey indices for each species show a 10 year declining trend in small copepods and long term declining trends for both small copepods and forage fish, but no 10 year or long term trends for benthic macroinvertebrates. Condition and prey index trends are uncorrelated for Atlantic mackerel and bluefish. The black sea bass condition time series and the benthic macroinvertebrate time series are correlated, but this prey group represents ~25% of black sea bass diet.
Therefore, bluefish ranks low-moderate risk for prey availability with above average condition and no 10 year trend in prey. Black sea bass would rank high risk for prey availability based on poor condition and correlation with one major prey group (<50% of diet). Atlantic mackerel would also rank low-moderate risk based on above average condition, but has a declining 10 year trend in prey.
### Food Web (2) - Predation Pressure
**Description:**
This element is applied at the species level.
Fish stocks and protected species stocks are managed using single species approaches, but fish and protected species stocks exist within a food web of predator and prey interactions. This element is one of two separating food web risks to achieving OY for Council managed species from two sources. This second food web risk element assesses predation pressure on each species, and the first element assesses prey availability for each species (see Food Web (1) Prey availability).
**Definition:**
Risk of not achieving OY for Council managed species due to predation
pressure.
**Indicators:**
First, the estimated predation mortality and major predators for each Council-managed species could be identified using food web models, empirical data, and/or literature review.
A food web model can also determine whether predation mortality is a “low” proportion of overall mortality, with the EOP deciding on a threshold (for example, < 10%).
For Council managed species with 10% or more of total mortality from predation, the EOP could decide on a threshold for identifying major predators, such as those contributing 5% or more of total mortality on average. Then, all predators contributing that amount to mortality would be considered together in the risk indicators to evaluate total predation pressure risk.
Given that predation mortality exceeds the EOP threshold and major predators are identified, we envision four types of indicators that will provide insight into predation pressure trends across a variety of species data availability.
* Predator-prey spatial and temporal overlap. This can be calculated from survey data for many species and does not require detailed diet information. However, overlap alone may not be a complete indicator of mortality.
* Estimated consumption by fish predators. This requires detailed diet information and time series of biomass for predators, available for some Council-managed species (see https://fwdp.shinyapps.io/tm2020/#7_TOTAL_CONSUMPTION_AND_CB_RATIOS where these estimates are available for Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, and longfin squid). Estimates of total consumption are also available from literature. However, consumption alone may not be a complete indicator of mortality, and these estimates do not include consumption by HMS, mammals, and birds.
```{r mackcons, fig.width = 8, fig.asp = 0.3, fig.cap="Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, and longfin squid estimated total consumption by major fish predators, NEFSC." }
mackcons <- read.csv("consumption/C.CB.All predators.Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus).2024-11-19.csv")
buttcons <- read.csv("consumption/C.CB.All predators.Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus).2024-11-19.csv")
lolcons <- read.csv("consumption/C.CB.All predators.Loligo squid (Loligo sp.).2024-11-19.csv")
mackbuttlolcons <- dplyr::bind_rows(mackcons, buttcons, lolcons) |>
dplyr::select(Var = Prey, Time = Year, Value = Mean.consump, UCI, LCI) |>
dplyr::mutate(Value = ifelse(Value == 0, NA, Value))
setup <- ecodata::plot_setup(shadedRegion = NULL,
report="MidAtlantic")
cons_agg <- mackbuttlolcons |>
dplyr::group_by(Var) |>
dplyr::mutate(hline = mean(Value))
cons_agg |>
ggplot2::ggplot()+
#Highlight last ten years
ggplot2::annotate("rect", fill = setup$shade.fill, alpha = setup$shade.alpha,
xmin = setup$x.shade.min , xmax = setup$x.shade.max,
ymin = -Inf, ymax = Inf) +
ecodata::geom_gls(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Value,
group = Var),
alpha = setup$trend.alpha, size = setup$trend.size) +
ecodata::geom_lm(n=10, ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Value,
group = Var),
alpha = setup$trend.alpha, size = setup$trend.size) +
#ecodata::geom_lm(aes(x = Time, y = Value))+
ggplot2::geom_line(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Value,), linewidth = setup$lwd) +
ggplot2::geom_point(ggplot2::aes(x = Time, y = Value), size = setup$pcex) +
ggplot2::scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(1980, 2020, by = 10), expand = c(0.01, 0.01)) +
#ggplot2::scale_color_manual(values = series.col2, aesthetics = "color")+
ggplot2::facet_wrap(~Var, scales = "free", ncol = 3)+
#ggplot2::guides(color = "none") +
#ggplot2::ylab(ylabdat) +
ggplot2::xlab(ggplot2::element_blank())+
ggplot2::theme(legend.position = "none",
legend.title = ggplot2::element_blank())+
ggplot2::geom_hline(ggplot2::aes(yintercept = hline,
color = Var),
linewidth = setup$hline.size,
alpha = setup$hline.alpha,
linetype = setup$hline.lty) +
ecodata::theme_ts() +
ggplot2::ggtitle(setup$region)+
ecodata::theme_title() +
ecodata::theme_facet()
#knitr::include_graphics("images/mackcons.png")
```
* Predation pressure index (PPI). This requires some diet information and time series of biomass for major predators. This method can include mammal and bird predators as well as fish, and is being proposed to be implemented for Atlantic mackerel. (Fig. \ref{fig:PPI}).
```{r PPI, fig.cap="Draft Atlantic mackerel change in predation mortality from major predators; graph courtesy Laurel Smith, NEFSC."}
#download.file(url="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NOAA-EDAB/presentations/master/docs/EDAB_images/WGSAM24_PPImackerel_Smith.png", destfile="PPIfig.png")
knitr::include_graphics("images/PPIfig.png")
```
* Model-estimated time series of total predation mortality. Food web and multispecies models exist and are being updated for the Mid-Atlantic and full Northeast US shelf. These models can be fitted to available biomass, catch, and diet data. Food web models include predation from all sources (fish, birds, mammals) while multispecies models may estimate age- or size-specific predation mortality from a subset of predators. Model-estimated time series could be available in late 2025.
The EOP and AP agreed to a threshold value for low predation of 10%. In addition, at least 50% of predation mortality should be accounted for in selected indicators by combining the most important predators.
**Risk criteria:**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low Predation represents a low proportion of overall
mortality
Low-Moderate Decreasing or no overlap/consumption/PPI/mortality trend,
predation represents a moderate proportion of overall mortality
Moderate-High Increasing overlap/consumption/PPI/mortality trend,
predation represents a moderate proportion of overall mortality
High Increasing overlap/consumption/PPI/mortality trend,
predation represents a high proportion of overall mortality
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Risk Assessment**
According to preliminary food web models of the Mid Atlantic Bight, surf clams and ocean quahogs have <10% of overall mortality attributed to predation, so these species have low predation risk according to the criteria.
Available fish consumption indicators show a recent increasing trend for Atlantic mackerel, a long term increasing trend for butterfish, and no trend for longfin squid (Loligo sp. in the figure.) The PPI trend for Atlantic mackerel, which includes predation from a seabird and seals, is also increasing. Therefore, based on available trends, longfin squid would be in the low-moderate risk category, and Atlantic mackerel and butterfish could be either in the moderate-high or high risk categories depending on the level of predation mortality relative to overall mortality.
Atlantic mackerel and butterfish have at least 30% of overall mortality attributed to fish predation in preliminary food web models. The EOP and AP did not decide on a threshold for moderate or high proportions of overall mortality. We currently assume that this level of mortality from fish predators is moderate, therefore both are assigned moderate-high predation risk.
\textcolor{red}{Indicators for the remaining species will be developed further for the 2025 Risk Assessment.}
### Food Web (3) - Protected Species Prey
**Description:**
This element is applied at the species level.
Fish stocks and protected species stocks are managed using single
species approaches, but fish and protected species stocks exist within a
food web of predator and prey interactions. The previous two elements
focus on Council managed species OY, while this element focuses on
protected species objectives (maintain or recover populations and
minimize bycatch).
This element ranks the risks of not achieving protected species
objectives due to species interactions with Council managed species. In
the US, protected species include marine mammals (under the Marine
Mammal Protection Act), Endangered and Threatened species (under the
Endangered Species Act), and migratory birds (under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act). In the Northeast US, endangered/threatened species include
Atlantic salmon, Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, all sea turtle
species, and five whales.
**Definition:**
Risk of not achieving protected species objectives due to interactions
with Council-managed species
**Indicators:**
Food web models and diet information can be used to establish thresholds
of "importance" for predators and prey. Although monkfish occasionally
ingest seabirds [@perry_predation_2013], there are no Council-managed
species that are important predators of protected species [@smith_trophic_2010], so here we rank only risks where Council managed species
represent prey of protected species. An important prey of protected
species is defined here as individually comprising \>30% of the
predator's diet by weight. Critical prey warranting a high risk ranking
would be a majority (\>50%) of diet for an individual protected species.
**Risk criteria:**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low Few interactions with any protected species
Low-Moderate Important prey of 1-2 protected species, or important
prey of 3 or more protected species with management
consideration of interaction
Moderate-High Important prey of 3 or more protected species
High Managed species is sole prey for a protected species
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Risk Assessment**
Protected species include marine mammals (under the Marine Mammal Protection Act), Endangered and Threatened species (under the Endangered Species Act), and migratory birds (under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act). In the Northeast US, endangered/threatened species include Atlantic salmon, Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, all sea turtle species, and 5 baleen whales. MAFMC managed species are not important predators of protected species [@smith_trophic_2010], even though monkfish occasionally ingest seabirds [@perry_predation_2013]. Atlantic salmon, both species of sturgeon, and sea turtles are not major predators of MAFMC managed species, as reviewed in the MAFMC Forage Fish white paper [@savoy_prey_2007; @johnson_food_1997; @burke_diet_1993; @burke_diet_1994; @mcclellan_complexity_2007; @seney_historical_2007; @shoop_seasonal_1992]. Information sources for marine mammal diets in the Northeast US [@smith_consumption_2015], and seabird diets [@powers_pelagic_1983; @powers_energy_1987; @powers_seabirds_1987; @schneider_state_1996; @barrett_diet_2007; @bowser_puffins_2013] were reviewed.
Diet information for protected species tends to be more uncertain than for fished species, so we consider diet at the family level for these rankings because diet compositions are not reported to the species level. Longfin squids are estimated to comprise >30% of diet for one protectes species, pilot whale, in the Northeast US [@smith_consumption_2015; @gannon_stomach_1997], therefore we rank this species low-moderate risk for this element. Shortfin squid were identified as important prey for two pelagic seabirds in the Northeast US [@powers_energy_1987], and therefore ranked low-moderate risk. Unmanaged forage fish such as sand lance and saury were identified as important prey for >3 seabird species in the Northeast US [@powers_energy_1987], as well as grey seals [@smith_consumption_2015]. MAFMC has enacted measures to restrict fishing on these species, such that they rank low-moderate risk for this element. Other MAFMC managed species do not meet the threshold of important prey of protected species based on available information, so they rank low risk for this element.
### Ecosystem Productivity
**Description:**
This element is applied at the ecosystem level (the Mid-Atlantic
Ecosystem Production Unit).
Productivity at the base of the food web supports and ultimately limits
the amount of managed species production in an ecosystem.
**Definition:**
Risk of not achieving OY due to changing system productivity at the base
of the food web.
**Indicators:**
A combination of five indicators will be used to assess the risk of
changing ecosystem productivity. We examine trends in total primary
production, zooplankton abundance for a key Mid-Atlantic species,
aggregate forage fish (new), and two aggregate fish productivity
measures: condition factor (weight divided by length of individual fish)
and a survey based "recruitment" (small fish to large fish) index. An
assessment-based recruitment index was recently added to the State of
the Ecosystem report as well. Because benthic crustaceans are important
prey for many Council-managed species, we note a benthic production
indicator is desirable but not yet available.
These indicators evaluate ecosystem productivity in aggregate, which may
change due to drivers such as decreasing primary productivity, changes
in spatial/temporal overlap at the base of the food web, or other
factors.
For primary production and fish productivity, the spatial scale of
analysis is the Mid-Atlantic Ecosystem Production Unit.
#### Primary production
Primary production has fluctuated recently with current conditions near
average. The observed stability in system productivity is in contrast to
an apparent shift in the timing of the bloom cycle in the Mid-Atlantic.
Comparing remote sensing information from the 1970-80s to 1997-2015
information suggests that winter productivity was historically higher in
the MAB and that the spring bloom we see today was less prominent.
Shifts in timing of low trophic level production (Fig. \ref{fig:monthlypp}) can affect Council
managed fish species through early life history stages that feed on
zooplankton.
```{r monthlypp, fig.cap="Monthly primary production trends show the annual cycle (i.e. the peak during the summer months) and the changes over time for each month.", fig.width=9, fig.asp=.8}
ecodata::plot_chl_pp(varName = "pp", plottype = "monthly")
```
#### Zooplankton abundance
Zooplankton provide a critical link between phytoplankton at the base of
the food web, and higher trophic organisms such as fish, mammals, and
birds. Changes in the species composition and biomass of the zooplankton
community have a great potential to affect recruitment success and
fisheries productivity, and climate change may be the most important
pathway for these changes to manifest. Therefore these indices are
relevant to both productivity and trophic structure objectives.
The time series of zooplankton biovolume suggest that overall
zooplankton production has not changed over time. However, increasing zooplankton diversity and increasing small copepods and cnidarians in the Mid-Atlantic (Fig. \ref{fig:zoopanom}) suggest a change in zooplankton community composition which may affect fish species such as mackerel.
```{r zoopanom, fig.cap="Changes in zooplankton abundance in the MAB for large (top left) and small (top right) copepods, Cnidarians (bottom left), and Euphausiids (bottom right), with significant increases (orange) in small copeods and Cnidarians.", fig.width=5, fig.asp=.8}
a <- ecodata::plot_zoo_abundance_anom(report = "MidAtlantic", varName = "copepod") +
ggplot2::facet_wrap(~EPU~Var, labeller = labeller(EPU = function(x) {rep("", length(x))}))
b <- ecodata::plot_zoo_abundance_anom(report = "MidAtlantic", varName = "euphausid") +
ggplot2::facet_wrap(~EPU~Var, labeller = labeller(EPU = function(x) {rep("", length(x))}))
a/b
```
#### Forage Fish - new indicator
The amount of forage available is one important driver of fish
productivity. Indicators of aggregate pelagic forage fish biomass and
forage fish energy content are presented in the State of the Ecosystem
report (Fig. \ref{fig:foragebio}) and were shown in the Food Web 1 - Prey availability risk element.
Aggregate forage fish show a long term decline in the Mid-Atlantic.
#### Fish condition
Fish condition is measured as the weight per length--a measure of
"fatness". This information is from NEFSC bottom trawl surveys and shows
a change in condition across all species at around 2000 (Fig. \ref{fig:mab-cf}). Around
2010-2013 some species started to have better condition. In 2023, condition was mixed, with general improvement since a relatively low condition year in 2021. Preliminary analyses show that changes in temperature, zooplankton, fishing pressure, and population size influence the condition of different fish species.
```{r mab-cf, fig.cap = "Condition factor for fish species in the MAB based on fall NEFSC bottom trawl survey data. MAB data are missing for 2017 due to survey delays, and no survey was conducted in 2020.", fig.width=9}
ecodata::plot_condition() +
theme(#legend.position = 'bottom',
legend.text = element_text(size = 10),
legend.title = element_text(size = 11),
axis.text.x = element_text(size = 12),
axis.text.y = element_text(size = 10),
plot.title = element_text(size = 12))
```
#### Fish productivity
The number of small fish relative to the biomass of larger fish of the
same species, as derived from the NEFSC survey, is a simple measure of
productivity intended to complement model-based stock assessment
estimates of recruitment. Fish productivity has been declining in the Mid-Atlantic since the early 2000s, as described by the small-fish-per-large-fish anomaly indicator (Fig. \ref{fig:productivity-anomaly}). This decline in fish productivity is also shown by a similar analysis based on stock assessment model outputs (recruitment per spawning stock biomass anomaly).
```{r productivity-anomaly, fig.cap = "Fish productivity measures. Left: Small fish per large fish survey biomass anomaly in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. Right: assessment recruitment per spawning stock biomass anomaly for stocks mainly in the Mid-Atlantic. The summed anomaly across species is shown by the black line, drawn across all years with the same number of stocks analyzed.", fig.width=8, fig.asp=0.6}
#out.width='49%', fig.show='hold',
a <- ecodata::plot_productivity_anomaly(report = "MidAtlantic") +
ggplot2::guides(fill=guide_legend(ncol=2)) +
ggplot2::theme(legend.position = "bottom",
legend.title = ggplot2::element_blank(),
plot.title =element_text(size = 11))
b <- ecodata::plot_productivity_anomaly(report = "MidAtlantic", varName = "assessment")+
ggplot2::guides(fill=guide_legend(ncol=2)) +
ggplot2::theme(legend.position = "bottom",
legend.title = ggplot2::element_blank(),
plot.title =element_text(size = 11))
a + b
```
**Risk criteria:**
Low risk for this element was defined as no trends in ecosystem
productivity across all five indicators. The Low-Moderate risk criterion
was trend(s) in ecosystem productivity for 1-2 indicators, whether
increasing or decreasing. The Moderate-High risk criterion was trends in
ecosystem productivity (3+ measures, increase or decrease). The High
risk criterion was decreasing trends across 4 or more indicators.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*Risk Level* *Definition*
--------------- -------------------------------------------------------
Low No trends in ecosystem productivity
Low-Moderate Trend in ecosystem productivity (1-2 measures, increase
or decrease)
Moderate-High Trend in ecosystem productivity (3+ measures, increase
or decrease)
High Decreasing trend in ecosystem productivity, 4+ measures
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
**Risk Assessment**
Two measures of ecosystem productivity have significant trends, so the ranking for this element is low-moderate risk. The forage index shows a significant decrease in fall, and zooplankton indicators show significant increasing trends. However, the potential for changing seasonality of primary production warrants further attention, as do patterns in condition and productivity across multiple stocks.
### Climate
**Description:**
Climate change is expected to alter environmental conditions for managed
fish in the Northeast US. This element is applied at the species level,
and evaluates risks to species productivity (and therefore to achieving
OY) due to projected climate change factors in the region using a
comprehensive assessment [@hare_vulnerability_2016] and other climate
indicators (e.g., Mid-Atlantic ocean acidification).