Workshops

This workshop is designed for new and emerging leaders in AFS. It addresses the need for new and emerging leaders to better understand how AFS functions, the roles of Unit leaders in AFS, and how to be an effective leader in an all volunteer organizations such as 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

Graduate students and young professionals face a steep learning curve in scientific communication.  Whether it’s an academic seminar, publishing in a scientific journal, reviewing a grant proposal, or reaching stakeholders over social media – each audience can have high expectations of you as the subject matter expert.  This workshop is designed to help you with sci comm whether you are starting your first research project, finishing up your second post-doc, or just getting your feet wet in the natural resources workforce. Topics that will be covered are: 1) designing an effective presentation; 2) strategic approaches to writing (and reading!) your next manuscript in a peer-review journal; 3) engaging in the peer-review process; 4) harnessing the power of social media; and 5) crafting key scientific findings in understandable and concise ways. The format will be a series of lectures interspersed with open discussions facilitated by the speakers. A ‘meet the editors’ session will put a face on the diversity and depth of journals published by the American Fisheries Society.

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

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

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!

Promoting “ethnic, socio-economic, generational, and disciplinary diversity” within the American Fisheries Society (AFS) is identified as a key strategy in the 2015-2019 AFS work plan. In 2017, the Equal Opportunities Section of AFS (EOS) initiated the start of a workshop series to identify, understand, and create tools to address this challenge in AFS.  During the 2017 Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, EOS hosted a workshop addressing unintentional bias within AFS and the fisheries profession at-large.  In response to concerns raised during that workshop, EOS will be hosting a discussion on personal safety and security within the fisheries profession during this year’s Annual Meeting.  In this workshop, we will discuss how personal safety and security relate to diversity and inclusion, and its role as a potential barrier in the profession. Understandably, tackling issues related to gender, race, age, culture, sexual orientation, and safety concerns can be uncomfortable conversations to navigate and tend to be avoided. However, for AFS to meaningfully address this issue, these are the uncomfortable conversations that we need to have.

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