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Commercial Fisheries News Volume 33 Number 3 November 2005 Rago, Murawski take on new NMFS science jobs WOODS HOLE, MA – Biologist Paul Rago of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) Northeast Fisheries Science Center is the new chief of the center’s population dynamics branch. The selection became official in July, making Rago the top stock assessment scientist for the Northeast region. He replaces Steve Murawski, who is now the director of scientific programs and chief science adviser for all of NMFS. Rago is widely recognized within industry for his survey and assessment work on scallops and dogfish in particular, though he has spent considerable time working on lobsters, squid, surf clams, ocean quahogs, striped bass, Atlantic salmon, monkfish and a variety of groundfish species as well. “He’s well versed in quantitative science and he’s highly respected by the scientific community,” said science center Director John Boreman, who made the final selection. “He has strong leadership skills and he’s a quick study,” said Boreman. “He’s very personable and he always wants to help. That’s something I look for in everyone here at the center. We’re public servants and we’re here to help people.” Rago has almost two decades of experience working with statistical models to assess and monitor the status and dynamics of fish and shellfish populations. He has participated in one way or another in almost every Stock Assessment Review Committee since 1993 and has written or contributed to numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers covering everything from interpreting spawning stock and recruitment data for New England groundfish to reviewing biological reference points for sea scallops. Scallops, industry Rago has received numerous awards, including a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Bronze Medal in 2002 for “innovative research involving the use of commercial fishing vessels and fishermen’s knowledge in the development of joint data collection programs.” Kevin Stokesbury of the School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth heads up the annual scallop video survey conducted by SMAST and industry, and in the course of that work, he has interacted with Rago on numerous fronts. Stokesbury admits that he and Rago had some “major debates” about scallop dredge efficiency several years ago, and sometimes those debates were heated. “But that’s science and it pushes you,” said Stokesbury. “Paul was always professional and I really enjoy working with him.” The scallop plan development team (PDT), of which Rago is a member, now accepts SMAST’s assessment of scallop densities based on the video surveys. But the PDT still questions whether the surveys can adequately measure the size of scallops on the bottom. So, to get to the root of the matter, Stokesbury invited Rago and others over to help SMAST conduct additional research to calibrate shell height from the video images while taking into account extenuating factors like how far the camera is situated from the bottom. And as a result, Rago is a contributor to the scientific paper Stokesbury is writing about the work. Stokesbury said, “As is almost inevitable in science, there are debates between what you see in the field and what you see in mathematical models. I find Paul open to new ideas and willing to discuss them. He’s a genuinely nice guy and I think he will do a good job.” Murawski Steve Murawski began his career with NMFS almost three decades ago at the center’s Sandy Hook laboratory. In 1978, he transferred to the Woods Hole laboratory and, by 1990, he was chief of the population dynamics branch. Murawski is highly recognized among Northeast region fishermen for his easy ability to communicate complicated scientific concepts in ways that make sense to working people. He left the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in October of 2004 to become director of NMFS’s Office of Science and Technology. The position is based at NMFS headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. However, he held that post for only seven months before being promoted once again in May – this time to the top science job at NMFS. Now Murawski oversees all of the agency’s science centers, which, in total, include 30 different laboratories, 11 research vessels, and 1,400 employees, operating under a $400 million budget. Murawski said he remains in “constant contact” with the Northeast center and communicates with center personnel “almost every day,” which makes him well aware of the evolving research needs of New England and Mid-Atlantic industry members. Magnuson, ecosystems Being close to Capitol Hill has had one particular advantage lately. Murawski has been involved with science issues related to the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and he’s in a perfect geographic location to do so. He also has been deeply involved in assessing and addressing the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. And in another charge, Murawski said he has been spending a considerable amount of time on ecosystem management, which he believes has many benefits. “One of our big missions here is to try to move toward a more ecosystem-based approach,” he said in early October. “It’s not some new paradigm. It’s a natural evolution, and the Northeast is a spear-point for that.” Janice M. Plante s="eachmonth">Back to story list |
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