School of Earth and Environmental Science
Integrating Ecology into Fishery Management and
Policy
Effective management of marine resources requires the
successful integration of rigorous scientific
information, practical management strategies, and clear
policy directives. Dr. Tissot’s
research is focused on the interface between biology,
management, and policy. He examines ecological
interactions between habitat and commercially important
marine fishes and invertebrates, and the role of the
community in managing marine resources. Through
collaboration with state, federal, and international
agencies, he is involved in a range of activities
including basic research, research with implications
towards resource management, and environmental policy
development.
In Hawaii, Dr. Tissot and his colleagues have improved the management of the aquarium fishery along the Kona coast by developing a collaborative research program with the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, University of Hawaii SeaGrant, University of Hawaii Hilo, and the local community. Working with the Hawaii State Legislature, Dr. Tissot was involved in the establishment of nine marine protected areas developed to minimize conflicts between aquarium fish collectors and the local community. Using a community-based management approach combined with underwater scuba surveys, he helped establish and monitor the long-term success of protected areas, which have resulted in a 48 percent increase in aquarium fish populations since 1999, an enhancement of the local fishery, and a decline in user conflicts.
Groundfish populations (such as rockfish, lingcod, and other bottom dwelling fishes) and their associated deep-sea fisheries on the continental shelves of Washington, Oregon, and California are at an all time low. Working in collaboration with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service; Fish and Wildlife departments in these states; and with several universities and non-profit organizations, Dr. Tissot and his team are exploring, mapping, and quantifying groundfish habitats using submersibles at depths down to 3,500 ft. Specifically, they are examining the role of deep-sea invertebrates, especially cold water corals, and how they may be important as habitat (food, shelter, or other interactions) for commercially important fishes. Information from his work has been used to formulate management strategies for west coast bottom trawling and in the development of legislation in Congress.
Dr. Tissot’s long-term goals are to develop a generalized understanding of linkages between science, management, and policy in order to develop stable and effective resource management strategies. These strategies include training students, scientists, managers, and the general public to think holistically and to develop collaborative partnerships to solve societal problems.
Contact Information
Brian N. Tissot, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Earth and Environmental Science
14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave.
Vancouver, WA 98686-9600
Telephone: 360-546-9611
E-mail: tissot@wsu.edu
Environmental and Natural Resources
- Emmett P. Fiske
- Richard Gill
- John Harrison
- Brian N. Tissot
- Timothy VanReken
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is an associate professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Science at Washington State University Vancouver. He received his Ph.D. in zoology from Oregon State University with a focus on marine ecology. Prior to coming to WSU, Dr. Tissot was chair of the Marine Sciences department and director of the Kalakaua Marine Education Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. His work focuses on the importance of habitat in fishery biology, management, and policy. He has ongoing projects in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and California. In addition to over 40 publications in scientific journals, Dr. Tissot’s work has been featured in Scientific American, Smithsonian, and in the Washington Post. In 1996 Dr. Tissot received the Board of Regents’ award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Hawaii. |
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