Sunday, August 19
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Leadership at All Levels in AFS
Registration is free, but attendees are asked to sign up in advance.
Instructors: Steve McMullin, AFS President
Jesse Trushenski, AFS President-Elect
Scott Bonar, AFS 1st Vice President
Brian Murphy, AFS 2nd Vice President
John Boreman, AFS Constitutional Consultant

Steve McMullin

Scott Bonar

Jesse Trushenski

Brian Murphy
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
A Life Cycle of Scientific Communication: Presenting, Writing, Reviewing, and Using Social Media for a Variety of Audiences
Registration fee: $25
Instructors:
Aaron Bunch, Virginia Department Game of Inland Fisheries
Patrick Cooney, Smith-Root
Richard McBride, NOAA
The following members of AFS journals’ editorial teams will be joining this session during the “Meet the Editors” section of this session:
Derek Aday, Editor, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
Jim Bowker, Associate Editor, North American Journal of Aquaculture
Dan Daugherty, Editor, North American Journal of Fisheries Management
Steve Midway, Features Editor, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
Deb Murie, Subject Editor, Marine and Coastal Fisheries

Rich McBride

Aaron Bunch

Patrick Cooney
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Impact-a-thon: Angling for New Ideas in Science Communication
A peer-reviewed publication is a key element of the scientific process, but what can be done to increase the impact of published work, especially beyond the world of fisheries professionals?
To improve public, stakeholder, and decision-maker engagement with scientific information, Wiley’s Research division wants to explore new ways to further the impact of fisheries science. The workshop will begin by exploring the specific methods used to translate scientific language for both science and non-science groups, and how best to tailor a message for specific audiences. We will look at both the written and visual components that can be used to increase the impact of scientific messaging. The second part of the workshop will be all about getting creative. For this part, teams will be formed to brainstorm ideas and design projects that could improve the communication of fisheries science, focusing on reach, understanding, inspiration, etc. For example, participants might propose a project that examines the effectiveness of different communication styles between academics and anglers regarding marine protected areas. Throughout the event, teams will be challenged and supported by workshop leaders. The workshop will end with presentations by each team on their ideas and project design. A panel of judges (editors, society leaders, science communicators) will provide feedback and select the proposal that has the most potential for increasing the impact of fisheries science. The winning proposal will be awarded a grant up to $7,500 from Wiley Publishing to put their ideas into action.
Impact-a-thon Objectives
The objectives of an Impact-a-thon hosted in partnership with Wiley Publishing and the AFS Science Communication Section will be to:
- Accelerate the implementation of fisheries science from published research
- Inspire and engage the next generation of fisheries scientists
- Expand the awareness of key topics in the area of aquatic ecosystems, conservation and sustainable fisheries
Registration fee: $25
Instructors:
Patrick Shirey, Ecology Policy, LLC
Julie Claussen, Fisheries Conservation Foundation
Solomon David, Nicholls State University
Sean Landsman, University of Prince Edward Island
Ben Shouse, Pew Charitable Trusts
Heather Soulen, NOAA Fisheries
Wiley Publishing Research Division Team:
Samantha Green
Anna Hofvander
Kathryn Chaloux
Steven Ottogalli

Patrick Shirey

Julie Claussen

Ben Shouse

Solomon David

Heather Soulen

Sean Landsman
12:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Monsters of Climate Science
The 1980s “Monsters of Rock” tour brought together the best heavy metal bands in the world to play together. The Monsters of Climate Science workshop will bring together top scientists from around the country for an afternoon of mayhem, mirth, and majorly informative presentations on different aspects of climate change and the impacts on fisheries. This event, which is organized by the AFS Estuaries and Marine Fisheries Sections, will benefit student travel awards for the AFS Annual Meeting. Laser lights, heavy metal, great talks, and a great cause–what’s not to like?
- Students: $20
- All other attendees: $40
Monsters:
Doug Beard, U.S. Geological Survey (opening remarks)
Lisa Kerr, Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Abigail Lynch, U.S. Geological Survey
Vince Saba, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center
Michelle Staudinger, U.S. Geological Survey
Talia Young, Princeton University
Click here to read more about the Monsters!

Doug Beard

Lisa Kerr

Michelle Staudinger

Abigail Lynch

Vince Saba

Talia Young
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Uncomfortable Conversations: Safety and Security in the Fisheries Field
The goals of this workshop are to:
- Identify unsafe situations and settings to help trainees and professionals be aware and prepared.
- Share resources, tools, and Best Practices.
- Communicate workshop feedback, and provide recommendations to AFS Leadership on addressing the need for a Safety and Security in the Fisheries Profession Best Practices document.
Registration fee: $15
Facilitator: Dave Barak, Student Conservation Association
Organizers: April N. Croxton, Zachary L. Penney, Jodi Whittier, Nivette Perez-Perez, and Cecilia Lewis

Dave Barak