Human Dimensions
Social scientists study the human species — our behavior, our institutions, our relations to one another and to the natural world. In the context of fisheries, we seek a better understanding of the human values, actions, communities, and institutions that influence marine and anadromous fish, marine mammals, and other marine species and ecosystems in the Pacific NW. Our research provides data and tools that support NMFS and other agencies’ regulatory and management decisions, as well as contributing scientific work and information to the broader research community and the public.
The Human Dimensions Program in the Conservation Biology Division conducts economic and sociocultural research spanning all marine species and ecosystems. Mark Plummer, Karma Norman, Suzanne Russell and Dan Holland are the program’s four social scientists. Mark focuses his economic research on habitat protection and recovery planning for salmon, and on ecosystem valuation for Puget Sound. Karma’s research emphasis is on the socioeconomic significance of Pacific Coast fishing to individual communities. Suzanne concentrates on the socioeconomics of individual transferable quotas in West Coast groundfish fisheries and the marine mammal industry of the Puget Sound. Dan’s research is focused on the design of management approaches that promote profitability of fisheries while ensuring sustainability of target and non-target species and protection of habitat. The CB Human Dimensions program works with economists and social scientists in the Fisheries Resource Analysis and Monitoring socioeconomic group, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, as well as the NMFS Northwest regional office.
Pacific Coast Groundfish Study