paper/pices-abstract.md

In pbs-assess/gfsynopsis: Data Synopsis Reports for PBS Groundfish

An automated synopsis of the state of Pacific Canadian groundfish and climate impacts

Sean C. Anderson^1^, Elise A. Keppel^1^, Andrew M. Edwards^1^, Philina A. English^1^, Eric J. Ward^2^

^1^Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. E-mail: [e-mail]

^2^Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle, WA, USA

Modern survey and fishery monitoring programs generate vast quantities of biological and environmental data. However, translating the data into measures of population and ecosystem health that are useful to fellow scientists, the public, resource managers, and the Indigenous people and fishing-industry collaborators who help collect the data remains a challenge. In British Columbia, Canada, survey- and commercial-monitoring programs produce data on over 100 groundfish species, but limited capacity has historically left the majority of such data unreported. To address this, we developed an automated data-synopsis report for 113 groundfish species in Pacific Canadian waters. Our report includes visualizations of temporal trends and spatial distributions of commercial catches and survey indices, and data on age and length frequencies, maturity, and growth, presented in a standardized format for each species. The report facilitates discussions on stock-assessment and survey-program prioritization, increases transparency about our data holdings, and makes the data available for regular review by all interested parties. We describe lessons learned while developing this report, insights the project has yielded thus far, and how ongoing work will further enhance the utility of this reporting tool. One important next step is to incorporate environmental data in the form of climate velocities—the speed and direction with which a population would have to shift to maintain consistent climatic conditions—to provide a window into potential climate impacts on Pacific Canadian groundfish species.

pbs-assess/gfsynopsis documentation built on June 10, 2025, 3:58 p.m.