The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently awarded funding to Oregon Sea Grant to plan and host a series of events promoting workforce development in the field of fisheries population and ecosystem dynamics. The program is a partnership effort aimed at engaging undergraduate students in the specialized field of population and ecosystem dynamics, which combines science with mathematics for science-based management of U.S. fisheries, and is supported by Sea Grant, NOAA Office of Education, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, and Oregon State University’s Marine Studies Initiative .

All partners involved in supporting the program are committed to developing a talented and diverse workforce in the field of fisheries science and management.

Oregon Sea Grant will work with a team of academic professionals at Oregon State University and several other institutions to offer two events: one for current professionals and one for students.

In late 2018, Oregon Sea Grant will host a workshop for academics, NOAA scientists and Sea Grant professionals to develop a population and ecosystem dynamics toolbox so that efforts to recruit into this field can spread beyond this specific effort.

In 2019, Oregon Sea Grant will host a two-week summer course for undergraduate students at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. The workshop will consist of both hands-on field trips and computer lab settings. Students interested in biology, math, computer science, engineering or similar fields are encouraged to apply to participate. An announcement about the workshop and applying will be made in the fall of 2018.

Partners working on the 2018-19 effort include scientists from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, University of Miami and Oregon State University.