Berring Data Collective

Ocean data from fishing gear:
Connecting and benefiting fishermen, science and maritime industries.

Photo by Pedro Rappé

EMPOWERING COLLABORATIVE OCEAN OBSERVATION

Fishing for data and fish simultaneously, with no extra effort by fishermen.

Fishing vessels can provide cost-effective and real-time data profiles in shelf and coastal seas around the world.

This same interdisciplinary data can be used for a range of oceanographic, fishing industry and fisheries science applications.

BDC supplies fishing vessels with the sensors and deck equipment necessary to collect ocean data. There are several sensor options depending upon gear and data requirements. Sensors can be attached to the net, trawl door, pot, anchors, etc. We cover the cost of the data collection systems to eliminate financial risk for participating vessels.

OUR IMPACT

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CONNECTING THE EMERGING NETWORK OF BOTH SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMS

Increasingly, scientific programs and fishing fleets collect ocean data for specific use cases. However, this data is valuable to a much broader range of users. We are working to connect the multitude of both data users and consumers, broadening the value and impact of this data. Flexible and FAIR data management combined with vessel confidentiality balances the needs of data users and producers.

FISHING INDUSTRY

Photo by Pedro Rappé

High resolution ocean data enables precision fishing, increasing targeted catch species while avoiding bycatch and choke species. Make more money while decreasing your ecosystem impact. In the long run, this data can be used to understand the true causes of abundance and distribution shifts, enabling you to better plan for the future.
multiplot-maps-tamme1-resized_1 fish ind
“Tem
“Temperature data is absolutely critical to target specific species, especially with
permit restrictions on by catch… It is not one degree, but a small fraction of a
degree change in bottom temperature that completely changes a lobster’s
behaviour.” -Captain Lawrence Moffet, F/V
Matt & Patt
perature data is absolutely critical to target specific species, especially with
permit restrictions on by catch… It is not one degree, but a small fraction of a
degree change in bottom temperature that completely changes a lobster’s
behaviour.” -Captain Lawrence Moffet, F/V
Matt & Patt

“Temperature data is absolutely critical to target specific species, especially with permit restrictions on by catch… It is not one degree, but a small fraction of a degree change in bottom temperature that completely changes a lobster’s behaviour.”

-Captain Lawrence Moffet, F/V Matt & Patt

OCEANOGRAPHY AND OCEAN OBSERVATION

Photo by Pedro Rappé

Fishermen are fishing in areas where data is needed most but also scarcest: in shelf seas, coastal waters and the Arctic.

Fishing activities are already taking place not only where data is lacking but also where it is needed most by ocean model and forecast users: in the dynamic shelf seas and coastal regions. While the deep oceans are best covered by autonomous Argo floats, fishing coverage is often over an order of magnitude higher than today’s observation coverage in shallower seas. Collaborative data collection with the fishing industry presents an opportunity to supplement the ocean observation systems of today. Data collection opportunities are not limited to sub-surface physical parameters, but can also be extended to co-locate a range of Essential Ocean Variables.

 

CLIMATE CHANGE MONITORING

Photo by Pedro Rappé

The importance of monitoring our oceans cannot be overstated. The world’s oceans provide food, resources, and employment for billions. The ocean is also an essential climate regulator and our largest buffer against increasing global temperatures from carbon emissions. Roughly 93% of the excess heat and 30% of the carbon produced by climate change is absorbed into the ocean. However, this crucial buffering capacity could change due to shifts in ocean currents or ocean acidification. Recent studies have shown large errors in prior ocean models (Cheng, et al. 2019, Lozier, et al. 2019). These models are built and run with inadequate data, directly decreasing the accuracy of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports (Lozier, et al. 2019).

The current state of the art in autonomous and cost effective ocean data collection technologies cannot operate around sea ice, where it is of the utmost importance to monitor climate change processes. Fortunately, fishing vessels often prefer to fish the ice line, providing an opportunity to get data where it is needed most. 

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FISHERIES SCIENCE

Photo by Pedro Rappé

Hydrographic data coupled directly with fine scale catch data is a key step forward in the implementation of Ecosystem based fisheries management. Oceanographic data measured with the sensors can be directly correlated to the catches, enabling greater insight into when and where which fish species are. This means quotas can be improved and by-catch avoided more effectively, leading to an overall improvement of ocean health.

Fishermen getting paid to collect data and doing it on their own terms flips the current paradigm of top-down fisheries data collection. Involving fishermen in the scientific process leads to increased stakeholder involvement, improved dialogue between fishermen and scientists, and better compliance with regulations.

Greater insight for scientists, more precise and higher average quotas for fishermen. 

FISHING FOR DATA WEBINAR

A workshop will be held at a later date when health and travel recommendations permit.

CORE TEAM

cooper-lobster

COOPER VAN VRANKEN (US)

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR / CEO

Moving from commercial fishing into fisheries science in Denmark lead to the diverse perspectives and inspiration for Berring Data Collective.

cooper@berringdatacollective.com

BERTHE

BERTHE VASTENHOUD (BE/NL)

CHIEF DATA OFFICER

With a background in fisheries science and management, Berthe has specialized in fisheries modeling and data processing for maritime spatial planning applications.

berthe@berringdatacollective.com

carles-castro

CARLES CASTRO MUNIAIN (ESP)

IT ENGINEER

Carles is Robotics and Automation engineer with a background in Industrial and Electrical Engineering. He is fluent in diverse programming languages, but standing out in Python.

carles@berringdatacollective.com

cpt-joe

CAPT. JOE LITCHFIELD (US)

NORTH PACIFIC OPERATIONS

Captain Joe has over 50 years of sea-going experience. First as a trawler on the east coast of the US, then off of Alaska. An expert net-builder, Joe is an endless supply of sea-faring experiences. After an illustrious trawling career, Joe pivoted to research and exploration voyages, deploying a wide array of oceanographic monitoring systems.

CaptainJoe492@gmail.com   

ADVISORY COMMITEE

manning-driftersmaller

JAMES MANNING

FISHERIES SCIENTIST & EMOLT PROGRAM FOUNDER

Jim Manning has been at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center for 30+ years. After a bachelor’s degree in mathematics (UMO) and master’s degree in oceanography (URI), his career has been largely devoted to building low-cost ocean observing systems with the help of commercial fishermen. Jim has been the primary architect and operator of eMOLT, which is one of the largest and most successful programs utilizing fishing gear to collect oceanographic data. 

dennis lisbjerg

DENNIS LISBJERG

HEAD OF SECTION OF MARITIME SERVICE, DTU AQUA

Dennis is head of Maritime Service in the Technical University of Denmark, Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua). In this position he is responsible for the research vessels involved in the collection of fisheries monitoring data in Denmark. He holds a MSc in Marine biology and a MBA. Besides working at DTU, he is involved in citizen science efforts in Danish Zoological Society collecting data on sea turtles.

HEIDI​ ANDREASEN

FISHERIES BIOLOGIST, ​DTU AQUA

Heidi originally hails from the Faroe Islands, from a family with strong fishing traditions. She has been working at the Technical University of Denmark, Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua) as a fisheries biologist for over 25 years, with extensive biological, laboratory, acoustic, and oceanographic data collection and processing experience. Heidi is a strong link between the Nordic fishing communities and scientific researchers, providing invaluable connections to BDC.

 

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