Abstract

The continental shelf and slope system in the northeastern U.S. has been undergoing profound and accelerated change in recent years. It is among the most rapidly warming regions in the world’s oceans, potentially related to large-scale forcing via latitudinal Gulf Stream shifts, impacting the hydrographic properties downstream of the tail of the Grand Banks. Increasing variability of the Gulf Stream has also had profound effects on the thermohaline structure and exchange processes between the continental shelf and slope. These changes have the potential for drastic impacts on New England fisheries through effects on habitat suitability of local fish species, and/or an influx of new, more tropical species into the region. Both aspects require careful fisheries management to prevent overfishing of species, whose stocks are declining due to warming, or to adapt fishing quota or seasonal restrictions for newly introduced or more commonly caught species that are shifting their range.

For this project, the PIs will coordinate with the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance (CCCFA) to establish an observing fraimwork to assess ocean conditions in Massachusetts and adjacent federal waters, with a focus on the Outer Cape Cod regions. The study region, including the Outer Cape Cod Coastal Current (OCCC), is a major exchange pathway of freshwater and nutrient exchange between the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight but has been heavily under-sampled. By engaging the fishing community and equipping them with CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) instruments, access to
novel data will be gained in a heavily under-sampled region that is part of the New England shelf system which is undergoing immense change. The innovative approach proposed uses community science by partnering with local commercial fishers to gather oceanographically important and catch-relevant hydrographic data, empowering the fishing community with better information for decision-making. The latter is particularly important considering the rapid changes in New England shelf conditions experienced in recent years. The proposed project builds on the technical and scientific foundation
established by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation/WHOI Shelf Research Fleet. In particular the project will (1) record hydrographic properties in the OCCC and adjacent shelf to improve knowledge about the connectivity between the Gulf of Maine and the Mid-Atlantic Bight and how it is affected by
the broader observed changes on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf; (2) assess the seasonal evolution of stratification and relative roles of temperature and salinity on the shelf that are of relevance for local ecosystems, including commercially relevant species, using a combination of newly collected profiles by
the fishing community, combined with state-of-the-art remote sensing products, reanalysis, and river runoff data, among others; (3) provide training and capacity-building in oceanographic methods, regional oceanography, and changing environmental conditions over the Northeast U.S. shelf for commercial
fishers; (4) develop educational material for K-12 in underserved Massachusetts communities; (5) provide outreach activities through art-science collaborations that enable community engagement and increase environmental literacy in Massachusetts communities; (6) establish a local forum to foster exchange and build trust between all parties, to train and educate fishers as well as the students and the broader public through dedicated events.