2014 Annual Report

MISSION The AFS mission is to improve the conservation and sustainability of fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems by advancing fisheries and aquatic science and promoting the development of fisheries professionals. TESTIMONIAL “An organization like AFS provides that nexus for everyone in the fisheries world, linking to all professional folks in fisheries, government agencies, NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], and academia. Their journals, the presentations at the Annual Meeting, and symposia are all valuable [aspects of the organization]. Right now the NMFS [National Marine Fisheries Service] is in the middle of reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It’s hard to get everyone involved in fisheries at one single time. A group like AFS can provide that forum for professionals in fisheries to discuss and come together and establish goals of what they could change and refurbish within the act.”   –Steve Meyers, NMFS

REPORT FROM PRESIDENT – DONNA PARRISH

This year we are breaking with the recent tradition of the last 25 years or so in that we do not have a theme for 2014-2015 or for the 2015 Annual Meeting. As all of the possible combinations of looking back to looking forward, from land to sea, bridging research and management, etc. had all been taken, being “themeless” seemed like a great way to assure that all fish-related topics were welcome for this year’s Annual Meeting. Major efforts this presidential year focused on communications, education, member diversity, collaboration with international societies, and Society governance. Below are some examples of AFS leadership accomplishments and participation this year. • Represented AFS and gave technical presentations at the annual meetings of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, the China Society of Fisheries, and the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. • Working with AFS staff on a MOU with the Australian Society of Fisheries. • Held Society Mid-Year Governing Board Meeting co-located with the Southern Division Annual Meeting in Savannah, Georgia. • Organized the Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon; one of the Society’s largest in attendance. • Participated in planning meetings for the 7th World Fisheries Congress to be held in Busan, South Korea, from May 23-27, 2016. Accepted the position of program chair in an effort to recruit a diverse group of presenters. • Met with Chinese delegation of Hainan Academy of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences in Bethesda. • Participated in a meeting sponsored by the National Association of University Fisheries and Wildlife Programs to discuss the role of AFS in the future of fisheries education. • Held the 2nd October meeting of AFS officers in Bethesda, successfully hosted the 2nd Fisheries Leadership Dialogue at the Hall of States Building, and met with Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership leaders to build a new conservation science partnership. • Communications Strategic Plan Committee, chaired by Gwen White, worked with Potomac Communications Group on addressing AFS communication issues and developing strategies for the future communications within and outside of AFS.

REPORT FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – DOUG AUSTEN

AFS has been expanding its reach within the membership and to outside partners during this past year. We have made it our goal to enhance these connections through the use of a variety of communications tools, our Annual Meetings, and by increased engagement. Providing improved membership services and value is an area that we’ve focused a great deal of attention. In the science society world, the buzz phrase “value proposition” is all the rage. This boils down to an individual deciding on AFS membership based upon the value in relation to the cost. What do they get for their dollars spent? Simple personal finance economics in one regard, but complicated professional commitment on the other. Of course, many of the veteran members can philosophize for hours on how it was expected of them, as part of becoming a fisheries professional, to be an active AFS member. But that math doesn’t seem to resonate as well today as it did in the past. Our goal in focusing on the value proposition is to make that equation quite clear and compelling. This was the year we put particular emphasis in continuing education (CE) and the Hutton Scholars Program. Through numerous surveys, conversations, and years of experience, the role of AFS as a provider of opportunities for members to keep current with developments in science, management, policy, and technology is quite clear. Our members want it, fisheries professionals who are not members want it, and AFS is perfectly positioned to be a provider. Beverly Pike has been re-engineering both CE and the Hutton Program and, with the help of Cynthia Oboh— our new educational program coordinator—we will soon be experiencing the benefits of their efforts. Continuing education classes at the Portland Annual Meeting will be more expansive and cutting edge than we’ve ever seen. The 2015 class of Hutton Scholars is among the most qualified and diverse as we’ve likely ever seen, and it will only get better. A new partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is expanding the program in a visionary effort by BLM to match Hutton Scholars with BLM fisheries staff. We anticipate other new support for the Hutton Program, given its proactive role in engaging youth with science that matches so well with national efforts. Linking science and policy has been another area where AFS has made tremendous progress. AFS Policy Director Tom Bigford has established a new policy fellowship program that links professionals interested in policy with experienced members in order to address key issues. The first program resulted in a full review of three AFS policies on the Endangered Species Act and will continue to combine, update, and clarify our position on this important topic. With us this summer are two policy interns, one from Virginia Tech and the other from Stockton University (New Jersey), who will be assisting Bigford with policy work and gaining valuable professional experience. This builds nicely on our participation in the policy council of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, where we work with a number of federal agencies to provide congressional briefings on science-policy issues. Look for more of this in the years to come.

REPORT FROM POLICY DIRECTOR – THOMAS E. BIGFORD

Advocacy on Specific Issues AFS joined with dozen of conservation and sportsmen’s groups to sign letters on three issues affecting fish and related interests: • Climate change • Clean Water Act and wetlands • Bristol Bay mining • Nomination procedures and potential sites for National Marine Sanctuaries AFS was pleased that the final decision on each issue reflected our concerns for fish, fish habitat, and fishing. Special Coastal and Marine Partnerships In the policy arena, AFS partnered with two publications to advance our fish interests: • With ECO magazine’s annual fish issue, AFS arranged an interview with Doug Austen about his role and our Society and a guest column by Tom Bigford on how our fish interests resonate with ECO magazine’s coverage of coastal and offshore issues related to regulations, assessment, mitigation, and restoration. • More recently, AFS joined the U.S. Forest Service and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) to write an article for ECO on recent applications of environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses and mapping in natural resource management. AFS is proud to host an eDNA website to help experts across the disciplines connect with one another. • With the Taylor and Francis journal Coastal Management, Tom Bigford joined The Coastal Society (TCS) to serve as guest editor of a special issue on coastal and marine fish habitat conservation. The issue, now in production, will feature six manuscripts on the scientific, policy, legal, and management challenges of protecting and restoring habitats. Other New Partnerships One promising approach to increasing our influence is to partner with others who share our interests in aquatic systems generally or fish specifically. One such effort has unfolded nicely in the past year: • At the May 2014 Joint Aquatic Science Societies meeting in Portland, Oregon, then-AFS President Bob Hughes and Doug Austen met with counterparts in other professional societies to explore stronger partnerships among the aquatic societies. At the meeting, AFS officially joined CASS (Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies) and agreed to pursue joint efforts on shared interests. CASS may also pursue working relationships with aquatic- focused organizations in Europe and elsewhere. • As one example of the CASS partnership, AFS joined with the Society of Wetland Scientists (another CASS member), the Environmental Law Institute, and TCS to host a wetland science and policy event during National Wetlands Month (May 2015). A panel of inland, riverine, and estuarine wetland experts shared perspectives with direct application to the Clean Water Act debate and the regulations that were scheduled for release days after the event. AFS in the Lead AFS continues to strengthen its connections to fish circles both in the DC area, nationally, and internationally. • After the successful “Fish Leaders Luncheon and Roundtable Discussion” in October 2013, Doug Austen decided to convene a similar group last fall. The 2014 event was hosted by AFWA at the Hall of States, included a mix of public and private partners, and focused on partnership opportunities. Initial plans are underway for a fall 2015 gathering. • As required in its cooperative agreement with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), AFS organized and hosted three briefings on marine fishery management for congressional staff. The events in spring 2015 were attended by about 125 people, including about 30% Hill staff. Other Partnerships Other select efforts: • AFS continued to forge a close working relationship with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) on water and natural resource issues. During the past year, AFS participated in the TRCP Policy Retreat in June 2014, attended two TRCP Board of Directors meetings, attended two TRCP Policy Committee meetings, served on its Water Resources Committee, and attended regular meetings with EPA’s Office of Water on shared issues. • AFS also advanced its long partnership with TCS by serving a strong role in the Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) and TCS joint meeting in Washington, DC, in November 2014 Rise to the Future. A similar RAE/TCS partnership is being organized for December 2016 in New Orleans, with a focus on fish habitat issues in the Gulf of Mexico. • With another long-term AFS ally, we organized a special technical session on ”Fish as Integrators of Coastal Watershed Health” at Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation biennial meeting to be convened in November 2015 in Portland, Oregon. Speakers will address fish issues from all coasts and will include several AFS members. • Cooperated with NOAA/Sea Grant Program Office and its state programs on several issues of joint interest— reviewed a proposal for funding on coastal resilience (for Woods Hole Sea Grant Program) and a joint effort on the State of the Coast (with the North Carolina Sea Grant Program). • Established joint effort with NOAA’s Office of Education to share data and insights on how often students majoring in a fisheries field or participating in an intern/fellowship program recruit to fish-related employment or return to the agency or program that funded parts of their education and/or internship opportunity. This effort connects to general data from the National Science Foundation on postgraduate career paths and to a parallel effort by the National Association of University Fish and Wildlife Programs (NAUFWP). • As just noted, AFS is an active participant in NAUFWP. This past summer, two AFS policy interns reviewed the fish and wildlife programs of every NAUFWP member (about 42) to develop a detailed spreadsheet on the size, scope, focus, etc. of each NAUFWP, member institutions, prospective students, or others. • AFS continues to be involved in the FishNet group of fisheries-related organizations that work on policy and legislative issues. That effort, formerly hosted by and coordinated by the American Sportfishing Association, may be re-focused depending on the on-going review by member parties. • AFS leadership met with Eric Schwab at the National Aquarium in Baltimore to explore potential partnerships with the aquarium. Schwab, chief conservation officer and senior vice president, was working on a number of projects of interest to AFS but just moved to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in June 2015. A National Aquariumsponsored symposium will be contributed to the Portland meeting. Future work could continue with the aquarium or extend to the foundation. Coordination with Units AFS joined with several of its Units to advance our mission and reach: • Meeting with Potomac Chapter leaders regarding joint activities, including the fall 2014 Fish Leaders event mentioned above, the series of congressional briefings convened in spring 2015, and joint efforts with other societies and organizations in the D.C. area. • Attended the Southern Division Spring Meeting in Savannah in Late January 2015 to represent AFS interests and develop relationships with our “home” division (Maryland is in the Southern Division). AFS also convened its spring Governing Board meeting at the Southern Division meeting. • Attended the joint spring (May 2015) meeting of East Carolina University’s AFS Student Subunit and their university chapter of TCS. That event was a great opportunity to share the benefits of joining AFS. Actions Related to AFS Policies AFS has recently elevated its work related to existing and new policies. Our by-laws require reviews of each policy every five years, followed by action to extend, revise, or rescind each of our 38 policies. In the past year we: • Organized our general records and web offerings to centralize our policies and related actions (letters to agencies based on issues covered by an approved policy statement, resolutions on similar issues, etc.). Our web offerings are now current and more informative. • AFS has three policies on threatened and endangered species, which is now being rewritten by our AFS policy fellow to become one, more concise, policy suitable for AFS review by later this year. • AFS has a Surface Mining Policy that has been under review for several years. The lengthy process has now yielded a new version that is nearly ready for Unit and public review. • Our outdated policy on marine wilderness is under review with hopes it will be available to influence work on potential National Marine Sanctuaries over the next few years. One of our AFS policy interns (summer 2015) has played a major role in this effort. • The AFS policy on freshwater flow is being considered for review by our next AFS policy fellow (fall 2015 into mid-2016). Actions Included under Cooperative Agreements • NMFS o Based on a specific task in our existing five-year agreement with NOAA/NMFS, AFS organized three briefings for congressional staff in the spring of 2015. The briefings covered issues related to marine fisheries management, identified by NMFS and congressional staff as their top priority. About 125 people attended the three briefings, including about 40 Hill staff (a primary audience). The results were summarized in Fisheries magazine and back to NMFS. • Proposed with USFWS o AFS staff (Tom Bigford, Beverly Pike, and Doug Austen) met with USFWS staff (David Hoskins, Jeff Underwood, Sue Wells, Jarrad Kosa, Dave Miko, and Richard Christian) to discuss a new cooperative agreement, including a national freshwater fisheries summit. Multiple drafts were shared, with some progress by April 2015. By that time, effort shifted away from an overarching agreement and toward the freshwater summit that could be in the fall of 2016. AFS participated in a June meeting with prospective sponsors and attendees to develop the agenda and invitation list, among other details. • Proposed with USGS o AFS staff (Tom Bigford, Beverly Pike, and Doug Austen) met with USGS key staff (Ann Kinsinger, Bill Lellis, Andrea Ostroff, and Matt Anderson) in January 2015 to initiate development of a possible cooperative agreement to work on mutually beneficial projects. AFS sent draft ideas in early February, USGS responded in late May, and AFS responded in early June with ideas to split between a new cooperative agreement and a new memorandum of understanding (or similar vehicle). Policy Fellows/Interns This past year AFS revitalized intern programs that flourished in the 1995-2010 era but then languished. Pilot efforts in 2014 and 2015 confirmed the benefits of these opportunities for students and young professionals and the benefits to AFS from their toils. • Based on support from the AFS Governing Board and Doug Austen, AFS hired its first AFS policy fellow in the fall of 2014. Patrick Shirey is now wrapping up work on threatened and endangered species issues. • After a trial in early 2015, AFS hired two AFS policy interns for this past summer. The undergraduate students proved very capable of helping on multiple policy fronts, supporting key initiatives of the Resource Policy Committee, policy director, and executive director. Examples include work with Eric Hallerman (Virginia Tech and president of NAUFWP), Ken Williams (executive director of The Wildlife Society), and NAUFWP counsel about cooperative opportunities among the groups as well as with forestry partners (Society of American Foresters, the forestry counterpart to NAUFWP). The interns provided essential support to NAUFWP that reflected well on AFS. • Plans are now underway for a second AFS policy fellow to work on freshwater flow issues during 2015-2016.

PUBLICATIONS

NOTEWORTHY PUBLICATIONS The AFS Book Department published three titles in 2014: • Future of Fisheries: Perspectives for Emerging Professionals • Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research • Foundations of Fisheries Science AFS WEBSITE: FISHERIES.ORG Visit fisheries.org for the latest on fisheries science and the profession. AFS MAGAZINE: FISHERIES The AFS membership journal, Fisheries, offers up-to-date information on fisheries science, management, and research, as well as AFS and professional activities. Featuring peer-reviewed scientific articles, analysis of national and international policy, chapter news, job listings, interviews with prominent professionals (as well as new members), archived content dating back to the beginning of AFS, and more. Fisheries gives AFS members the professional edge in their careers as researchers, regulators, and managers of local, national, and world fisheries. Fisheries is available to members online at fisheries.org. Publishes monthly, Volume 39 36 peer-reviewed articles published in 2014 (624 pages) Impact Factor: 2.51 AFS JOURNALS • TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY bimonthly, Volume 143 135 articles published in 2014 (1,611 pages) Impact Factor: 1.31 • NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUACULTURE quarterly, Volume 76 59 articles published in 2014 (436 pages) Impact Factor: .70 • NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT bimonthly, Volume 34 118 articles published in 2014 (1,282 pages) Impact Factor: 1.11 • JOURNAL OF AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH quarterly, Volume 26 36 articles published in 2014 (294 pages) Impact Factor: .96 • MARINE AND COASTAL FISHERIES: DYNAMICS, MANAGEMENT, AND ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE annually, Volume 6. Online-only, open access 24 articles published in 2014 (296 pages) Impact Factor: 1.81 The Fisheries InfoBase now includes all AFS journals back to 1872, including the complete contents of all issues of Fisheries. (Journals are also available to subscribing members online at fisheries.org/books-journals/journalaccess) AFS BOOKS: Our online bookstore at fisheries.org/shop offers digital downloads of many books or just their individual chapters. Recent book titles: • Future of Fisheries: Perspectives for Emerging Professionals • Guidelines for the Use of Fishes in Research • Foundations of Fisheries Science • Biology and Management of Inland Striped Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass • Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Seventh Edition • Native Fishes of Idaho • Fisheries Techniques, Third Edition • Small Impoundment Management in North America

FINANCIALS

FINANCIAL RESULTS The Society’s financial position continues to improve and assets have increased 12% since 2012. AFS is highly liquid with nearly 80% of assets held as cash and investments. Sixty-five percent of net assets are unrestricted (meaning not part of an endowment or other restricted funds). Reserves stand at over 200% of expenses (a ratio for assessing the financial health) and four times the typical nonprofit association level of 50%. AFS continues to generate positive net revenues every year! Revenues have been relatively stable the past few years with investment gains masking a continuing decline in membership and mixed results from programs. Expenses have been slowly increasing, reflecting higher program costs and additional staff resources. As a percentage of revenue, dues stand at 18%, down from 21% two years earlier, while investment income is 20%, up from 12% over the same period. Subscriptions continue to generate the most revenue followed by dues. Grants revenue has fallen nearly 40% over the past three years. The proportion of expenses as a percentage of revenue has been stable between 2012 and 2014, though they are up 10% on a nominal basis during this period. Expenses as a function of net assets is strong at 44%.

COMMUNICATIONS

FISHERIES MAGAZINE • In 2015, AFS launched its redesign of Fisheries magazine using the publisher Taylor & Francis (saving approximately $40,000) along with new and exciting content: the Policy Column, Journal Reviews, the Landscape Column, and the Back Page. • The “Criteria for Becoming a Science Editor or Reviewer” for publications was drafted up by AFS/POC and implemented. • A Q&A on the new fish health management tool—Halamid® Aqua (100% chloramine-T), approved by the FDA in 2014 based, in part, on work conducted by AFS members—was featured in the August 2014 issue of Fisheries. • Fisheries aquaculture-themed issue in November was the first time every single Section of AFS contributed to an issue. It received high praise, making headlines: “NOAA’s Contributions to Progress in Aquaculture Highlighted in Fisheries magazine” and “Idaho’s sockeye salmon escape the ‘extinction vortex.’” • The planning process has begun for the first-ever climate change themed issue of Fisheries, with the anticipated publication date of March 2016. • Journal Reviews featured in Fisheries routinely increased article views in all five AFS peer-reviewed journals, with two articles featured now being the top most-read articles. • Olaf Jenson (Rutgers University) accepted the position of co-chief science editor for Fisheries, joining Jeff Schaeffer and bringing a marine perspective to the position. • As well as being the co-chief science editor, Jeff Schaeffer took on the role of being an advisory to non peerreviewed articles (e.g., magazine articles) as well as a contributing writer to Fisheries. • Sarah Harrison joined AFS in August 2014 as a content editor to assist the content director with editing, writing, and creating content for Fisheries magazine, fisheries.org, news.fisheries.org, and the bi-weekly newsletter. • Natalie Sopinka joined Fisheries as a contributing writer, bringing a fresh perspective to the magazine and writing articles for the Back Page to engage students and young professionals on subjects such as social media, new science research, and interesting species. NEWSLETTER • In 2014, AFS launched its first-ever bi-weekly newsletter, a now popular feature that hosts the latest news and announcements, policy updates, science and research, and member spotlights, giving members more information, more access, and more ways to stay engaged in AFS and other professional activities. AFS Newsletter System • Moved it to a plugin that costs a fraction of the cost as Mailchimp ($2,500 vs. $99 a year!). • The new system allows us to host our own data on our own server. • This has brought almost as much traffic—in one month—as Twitter and Facebook have brought to fisheries.org in over two years! SOCIAL MEDIA More Visibility In 2014, AFS established a more regular presence on social media by starting the first official AFS Facebook page, posting more often to Twitter, reviving an existing LinkedIn company page and creating a new LinkedIn group, and experimenting with new accounts on Pinterest and YouTube. Posts are mix of science news, events, jobs, and announcements, reaching several hundred members and non-members each week. Member participation is welcome on any AFS social media site—you can find all of our social media platforms on our website. Official Facebook page: facebook.com/ AmericanFisheriesSociety Facebook group: facebook.com/ groups/39804224812 Twitter: @AmFisheriesSoc LinkedIn company page: linkedin.com/company/ american-fisheries-society LinkedIn group: linkedin.com/groups/American-Fisheries-Society-7438153/about

WEBSITE

• Updated our Policy Resolutions so that they now have introductions with added information about which are being updated, have been updated, etc. • New Member Welcome Site • Recruitment Tool Kit (in works) • Retention Tool Kit (in works) • Donation Tool Kit (in works) • Updating Unit Survival Guide • New Career Help page—adding new content Working with the guidance of ESAB’s analysis of past website surveys and evaluations, AFS revamped the entire navigational design of the website. Implementation of the new site navigation is in progress, with an upcoming member-focused test phase to ensure intuitive movement through the site by users. Extensive editing is also in progress, with redundant information being removed and related information being consolidated, enhancing the usefulness and readability of information on the AFS website. Unit Sites – built by the Society and hosted on the Society server: We have saved our Units considerable money, and set the stage for the new multi-site, where we can eventually hook them up to the Society site in order to brand us together and grow our membership. • AFS now provides a Survey Monkey account for Units to hold voting. Working with guidance from ESAB, AFS hired Wood Street , Inc., a web design firm in Frederick, Maryland, to build a new multisite for Fisheries.org and Unit sites. A WordPress platform was chosen because of its ability to handle multisites, thereby providing more Unit support, and its user-friendly content management interface. The objectives of migrating Unit sites to the multisite were fourfold: (1) To provide web space to AFS Units at no cost to the Units. (2) To provide easy-to-use website management tools to Units, enabling non-technical webmasters to manage content with minimal training. (3) To enhance communication between AFS and its Units, with greater information sharing across sites. (4) To strengthen branding and consistency in presenting AFS as a professional society. In addition to these objectives, the multisite enables AFS to provide technical assistance and content help to Units instantly, improves troubleshooting of Unit website issues, and allows WordPress tools available to AFS to be made available to Units. Redesign of Fisheries.org with Wood Street: We have worked closely with ESAB and FITS to come up with a design that is tailored for fisheries professionals. The process has taken longer than expected, but has debuted this month. • The website is now integrated with the IMIS membership database. Our Annual Meeting Website: We will have a standardized format that the Society runs. Other Websites Related to AFS: • Built the World Council of Fisheries Societies website. • Partnered with USFS and AFWA to build the eDNA database website. • In the process of constructing a “Names of Fishes” database website. Member Added Value: Our plans for the future include growing our website so we can create member-only content. A good example of this is the Education/Career book, being developed by headquarters, Steve McMullin, Ron Essig, and AFS Sections, including CARS (Caleb Hasler and Michael Donaldson) and the International Fisheries Section (Felipe Amezcua). More Member Added Value and Ways to Connect Students/Young Professionals with the Society • With the help of Craig Paukert and Andrew Carlson, we are working to get together a team of up-and-coming younger fisheries members to record video interviews with past presidents.

SOCIETY AWARDS

Congratulations to the 2014 AFS Award Recipients. Awards were announced during the Annual Meeting in Québec City, Québec, August 17–21. They were honored for their contributions to the American Fisheries Society, to their profession, and to resource conservation. AWARD OF EXCELLENCE—Presented to an AFS member for original and outstanding contributions to fisheries science and aquatic biology. Kenneth A. Rose, Louisiana State University PRESIDENT’S FISHERY CONSERVATION AWARD—Presented in two categories: (1) an AFS individual or Unit or (2) a non-AFS individual or entity, for singular accomplishments or long-term contributions that advance aquatic resource conservation at a regional or local level. Co-Recipient: David Fielder, Alpena Fisheries Research Station Co-Recipient: Michael Thomas, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Station WILLIAM E. RICKER RESOURCE CONSERVATION AWARD—Presented to an individual or organization for singular accomplishments or long-term contributions that advance aquatic resource conservation at a national or international level. Ronald Taylor, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute CARL R. SULLIVAN FISHERY CONSERVATION AWARD—Presented to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the conservation of fishery resources. Gary Grossman, University of Georgia MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD—Presented to an individual for loyalty, dedication, and meritorious service to the Society throughout the years and for exceptional commitment to AFS’s programs, objectives, and goals. Dale Burkett, Great Lakes Fishery Commission THE EMMELINE MOORE PRIZE—Named after the first female AFS president, Emmeline Moore (1927–1928), this award recognizes career achievement in the promotion of demographic diversity in the Society. Gwen White, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD—Recognizes outstanding contributions of time and energy for special projects or activities by AFS members. Stanley Moberly, Northwest Marine Technology, Inc. OUTSTANDING CHAPTER AWARD—Recognizes outstanding professionalism, active resource protection and enhancement programs, and commitment to the mission of the Society. Missouri Chapter OUTSTANDING STUDENT SUBUNIT AWARD—Recognizes outstanding professionalism, active resource protection and enhancement programs, and commitment to the mission of the Society. Florida Chapter Student Subunit EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC OUTREACH AWARD—Presented to an AFS member who goes the “extra mile” in sharing the value of fisheries science/research with the general public through the popular media and other communication channels. Ellen Pikitch, Stony Brook University GOLDEN MEMBERSHIP AWARDS: THE CLASS OF 1965—Recognizes individuals who have been AFS members for 50 years. Emory Anderson Alexander Argue John Blake Peter Bourque Charles Cross William Eustance James Fessler Delano Graff James Haas Terry Haines William Hauser Walter Hoagman Donald Johnson Jerome Kerby Larry Kallemeyn William Leggett William McClay John Meldrim Robert Miles Peter Moyle Joseph Rachlin Kenneth Roberson Monte Seehorn Douglas Sheppard Richard Slama Stephen Swedberg John Thomas William Thorn Robert Wilbur EXCELLENCE IN FISHERIES EDUCATION—Recognizes excellence in organized teaching and advising in a field of fisheries. Steve Miranda, Mississippi State University EMERGING LEADERSHIP MENTORSHIP—The Emerging Leaders Mentorship Award was established to develop future leaders of the Society, and the fisheries profession as a whole, by providing selected candidates an opportunity to participate for one year in activities of the AFS Governing Board. Recipients: Steve Midway, Pennsylvania State University Cari-Ann Hayer, USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center Patrick Cooney, Smith Root Justin Davis, CT DEEP Inland Fisheries Division SKINNER AWARD—The John E. Skinner Memorial Fund was established to provide monetary travel awards for deserving graduate students or exceptional undergraduate students to attend the AFS Annual Meeting. Recipients: Jeremiah Osborne-Gowey, Oregon State University Jan-Michael Hessenauer, University of Connecticut Augustin Engman, North Carolina State University Kyle Wilson, University of Calgary Noelle Yochum, Oregon State University Karen Dunmall, University of Manitoba Natalie Scheibel, South Dakota State University Stacy Vega, University of Alaska Fairbanks Nicholas Sievert, University of Missouri Laura Heironimus, South Dakota State University Honorable Mentions: David Kazyak, University of Maryland, College Park David Deslauriers, South Dakota State University Konstantine Rountos, Stony Brook University Kyle Bales, Southeast Missouri State University Henry (Jared) Flowers, North Carolina State University J. FRANCES ALLEN SCHOLARSHIP—Awarded to a female AFS Member and doctoral candidate who is conducting aquatic research. Winner: Karen Dunmall, University of Manitoba Runner-up: Cassandra May, Ohio State University STEVEN BERKELEY MARINE CONSERVATION FELLOWSHIP Recipient: Cassandra Benkwitt, Oregon State University Honorable Mentions: Nathan Furey, University of British Columbia and Marissa McMahan, Northeastern University STUDENT WRITING CONTEST Best Paper: Elizabeth Ng, University of Idaho “Learning from the Past” Runner-up: Sarah Harrison, Mississippi State University “Subsistence Fishing—Sustenance for the Soul” 2014 BEST PAPER AWARDS MERCER PATRIARCHE AWARD FOR THE BEST PAPER IN THE NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT Paul J. Askey, Eric A. Parkinson, and John R. Post Linking Fish and Angler Dynamics to Assess Stocking Strategies for Hatchery-Dependent, Open-Access Recreational Fisheries. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 33(3):557-568. dx.doi.org/10.1080/02755947.2013.785996 ROBERT L. KENDALL BEST PAPER IN TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY A. Drauch Schreier, B. Mahardja, and B. May Patterns of Population Structure Vary Across the Range of the White Sturgeon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142(5):1273-1286. dx.doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2013.788554 BEST PAPER IN THE JOURNAL OF AQUATIC ANIMAL HEALTH T. P. Loch, M. Fujimoto, S. A. Woodiga, E. D. Walker, T. L. Marsh, and M. Faisal Diversity of Fish-Associated Flavobacteria in Michigan. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 25(3):149-164. dx.doiorg/10.1080/08997659.2012.758189 BEST PAPER IN THE NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AQUACULTURE Louis R. D’Abramo, Terrill R. Hanson, Susan K. Kingsbury, James A. Steeby, and Craig S. Tucker Production and Associated Economics of Fingerling-to-Stocker and Stocker-to-Grow-Out Modular Phases for Farming Channel Catfish in Commercial-Size Ponds. North American Journal of Aquaculture 75(1):133-146. dx.doi.org/10.1080/15222 055.2012.722172 BEST PAPER IN MARINE AND COASTAL FISHERIES Sean P. Powers, F. Joel Fodrie, Steven B. Scyphers, J. Marcus Drymon, Robert L. Shipp, and Gregory W. Stunz Gulf-Wide Decreases in the Size of Large Coastal Sharks Documented by Generations of Fishermen. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 5:93-102. dx.doi.org/10.1080/02755947.2013.785996 BIOENGINEERING SECTION Career Achievement Award: Michel Larinier and François Travade, ONEMA and Electricit. de France (EDF) CANADIAN AQUATIC RESOURCES SECTION Peter A. Larkin Award Ph.D. level: Vivian Nguyen, Carleton University Runner up: Natalie Sopinka, University of British Columbia M.Sc. level: Sean Godwin, Simon Fraser University, and Maxime Veilleux, Carleton University Runner up: Jacqueline Michelle Lavery, University of New Brunswick EDUCATION SECTION Young Professional Achievement Award: Mark Fincel, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks AFS Best Student Poster Award (at the 2014 Annual Meeting in Qu.bec City, Qu.bec) Winner: Nick Sievert, University of Missouri AFS/Sea Grant Best Student Paper at the 2014 Annual Meeting in Québec City, Québec Winner: Zach Penney, University of Idaho Honorable Mentions: Antranik Kajajian, Old Dominion University, and Sara M. Turner, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ESTUARIES SECTION Student Travel Award: Geoffrey Smith, University of Florida FISHERIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTION Best Student Poster Award: Nick Sievert, University of Missouri FISH CULTURE SECTION Student Travel Awards: Paula Caldentey, Mote Marine Laboratory, and Meghan Manor, West Virginia University Best Paper in NAJA: Louis R. D’Abramo, Terrill R. Hanson, Susan K. Kingsbury, James A. Steeby, and Craig S. Tucker FISH HEALTH SECTION Snieszko Student Travel Awards: Thomas Rosser, Diem Thu Nguyen, Carissa Gervasi, Megan Kepler, Bikramjit Ghosh, and Kevin Erickson FISHERIES ADMINISTRATION SECTION 2014 Outstanding Sport Fish Restoration Program Projects • Sport Fishery Development and Management Category: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—Collaboration to Maintain Quality Fisheries in Brazos River Reservoirs: Using New Technology to Relate Reservoir Water Levels, Littoral Habitat, and Recreational Access • Research and Surveys Category: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources—Development and Evaluation of Watershed Models for Predicting Stream Fishery Potential FISHERIES MANAGEMENT SECTION Award of Excellence: Jake Rice, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Conservation Achievement Award: Bonefish and Tarpon Trust Hall of Excellence: Gordon C. Robertson, American Sportfishing Association, and Harold L. Schramm, Jr., Mississippi State University GENETICS SECTION James E. Wright Graduate Award: Ryan Waples, University of Washington Stevan Phelps Memorial Award: Helen Neville and Louis Bernatchez for their paper titled, “Coding Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Population Genetics of Nonnative Brook Trout: The Ghost of Introductions Past.” Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142(5):1215-1231. dx.doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2013.793613 MARINE FISHERIES SECTION Steven Berkeley Marine Conservation Fellowship Winner: Cassandra Benkwitt, Oregon State University Honorable Mentions: Nathan Furey, University of British Columbia, and Marissa McMahan, Northeastern University Oscar E. Sette Award: Mary C. Fabrizio, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Student Travel Awards: Laura Koehn, University of Washington, Owen Nichols, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, and James Robinson, University of Victoria SOCIOECONOMICS SECTION A. Stephen Weithman Best Student Paper Award Winner: Ingrid Biedron, Cornell University Honorable Mention: Scott Knoche, University of Maryland WATER QUALITY SECTION Best Student Poster Award: Steven Mattocks, University of Massachusetts-Amherst