Defining Biological Reference Points in a Dynamic Northeast U.S. Marine Environment

A workshop entitled Defining Biological Reference Points in a Dynamic Northeast U.S. Marine Environment was held in person (New Bedford, MA) and virtually January 8-9, 2024. The 78 participants in the workshop included stock assessment, ecosystem, and social scientists from the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), staff and Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) members from the New England Fisheries Management Council (NEFMC) and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC), as well as regional experts actively engaged in stock assessment and ecosystem science. This report summarizes the content of the workshop, including contributions from workshop participants and consensus recommendations. Workshop recommendations focused on when and how to revise reference points with specific action items identified as possible next steps to address these issues within the region. Workshop participants recommended identifying both ecosystem-wide and stock-specific changes to inform decisions on when to revise reference points.