Saturday, August 18
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Bayesian I: Intro to Bayesian Inference Using Gibbs Sampling (BUGS) for Fish Biologists
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
AFS members registering for both the Bayesian I & II courses will receive a discounted price that will cover the registration of both courses.
- Student Member: $225
- Young Professional Member: $275
- Member: $325
Instructors:
Benjamin Staton and Henry Hershey, Auburn University

Ben Staton

Henry Hershey
Beginning GIS for Fisheries Scientists
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
AFS members registering for both the Beginning/Intermediate GIS and Advanced GIS courses will receive a discounted price that will cover the registration of both courses.
- Student Member: $225
- Young Professional Member: $275
- Member: $325
Instructors:
Kayla Key, USGS and Tennessee Tech University
Michael Moore, University of Missouri

Kayla Key

Michael Moore
This course will begin with an examination of the R and R Studio software including documentation and external packages. The course will cover the basics of programming and syntax in R and the basic principles of object-oriented programming. Using a real data set, participants will learn to read, manipulate, and export data. The course will also demonstrate basic statistical tests and analytic tools in practical situations. Lastly, the course will show how to create figures of several types as well as customize their appearance. The general format of the course will be in the form of digital worksheets.
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
Instructors:
Joe Caracappa and Chris Free, Rutgers University

Joe Caracappa

Chris Free
Sunday, August 19
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Advanced GIS for Fisheries Scientists
Building on the “Beginner GIS for Fisheries Biologists’” course, this course will focus on geoprocessing, interpolation, and spatial analysis methods to aid in habitat assessments for fisheries monitoring and research. The lectures will be designed to prompt questions and discussions from the participants to keep them engaged and thinking about how they can apply the information to their job. The hands-on exercises will primarily be self-paced with assistance from the instructors and will provide examples for both freshwater and marine applications. Course exercises will be designed to introduce the participants to ArcGIS by guiding them through increasingly complex tasks for practical application.
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
AFS members registering for both the Beginning GIS and Advanced GIS courses will receive a discounted price that will cover the registration of both courses.
- Student Member: $225
- Young Professional Member: $275
- Member: $325
Instructors:
Kayla Key, USGS and Tennessee Tech University
Michael Moore, University of Missouri

Kayla Key

Michael Moore
Bayesian II: Intermediate Bayesian Inference Using Gibbs Sampling (BUGS) for Fish Biologists
There has been a large increase in the use of Bayesian methods to analyze ecological and fisheries data over the last decade. This increase is in part due to availability of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods in a variety of free software packages. Advantages of Bayesian methods include a formal approach to incorporating previous information into the analysis and parameter estimation of complex problems. By focusing on the practical application of BUGS language for the intermediate topics covered, this course will meet a growing need among fisheries biologists and researchers to apply Bayesian methods to the analysis of fisheries data.
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
AFS members registering for both the Bayesian I & II courses will receive a discounted price that will cover the registration of both courses.
- Student Member: $225
- Young Professional Member: $275
- Member: $325
Instructors:
Benjamin Staton and Henry Hershey, Auburn University

Ben Staton

Henry Hershey
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
A Crash Course in Ageing and Age Validation of Finfish and Shellfish
- Student Member: $125
- Student Non-Member or Young Professional Member: $150
- Member: $175
- Non-Member: $250
Instructors:
Sarah Borsetti and Anthony Vastano, Rutgers University

Sarah Borsetti

Anthony Vastano