California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program

Former California Sea Grant Extension Specialist Rick Starr and his Fisheries & Conservation Biology Lab at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories have been conducting marine research collaboratively with fishermen for more than 15 years. During this project the researchers conducted collaborative fisheries projects that utilize the expertise of both scientists and fishermen to better understand the health of the fish stocks and marine ecosystems in California.

The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) has several broad goals:

• Utilize the expertise of fishermen and skippers to develop and execute a scientifically sound research program
• Collect data to assess the effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) on the nearshore fish assemblage
• Collect data that can be utilized in federal stock assessments of nearshore species
• Engage the public in research and education about marine conservation and stewardship