Greetings FITS members:

Are you a manager or researcher that uses large data sets? The FITS ex-comm is putting together a symposium for AFS 2020 in Columbus entitled: “Challenges and Opportunities of Using Big Data to Address Fisheries Management Issues.” We would like you to contribute!

Here is a description of our symposium:
Advancing technologies and software have allowed us to collect and process enormous amounts of data (aka “big data”). Big data are data that are too large in volume, high in velocity, and/or varied in structure to share, manipulate, or analyze using traditional software tools or analytical techniques. The quantity and rate of data collection in some instances have outpaced our technological capabilities for data transfer and analysis. These challenges may discourage or prohibit the exploration of research and management questions that have the potential to collect or synthesize large datasets. This symposium will highlight case studies in which research is harnessing the potential of big data to provide new approaches and perspectives into the management of fisheries at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales. An emphasis will be placed on new publishable work but all stages of research and development in this area are welcomed.

If you have projects or ideas you would like to discuss with us, please contact Daniel Weaver (daniel.weaver@maine.edu)and Paul Venturelli (paventurelli@bsu.edu).