ICES 2006 Boston wishes to thank our
Conference Partners:
      
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute is new genre of marine research and education institution - neutral, place-based in the Gulf of Maine bioregion, and strategically focused on emerging ecosystem stewardship challenges.
Our mission is to convene interested parties to discuss, debate, and resolve marine resource conflicts; facilitate and conduct collaborative research in the Gulf of Maine; and educate about the Gulf of Maine's fresh and saltwater resources.
GMRI brings together diverse stakeholders to identify and address emerging research and education challenges. We enable scientists and fishermen to work together as equal partners in research - over 20 current projects, stretching from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod and offshore to Georges Bank, are addressing critical information gaps about key fish stocks, essential habitats, and fishing gear technology. We use communications and computing technology to engage students with their local aquatic environments and current research initiatives, thus equipping them to understand and support effective marine stewardship. Our new research facility, on Portland, Maine's working waterfront, provides a neutral forum for the Gulf of Maine community to gather, learn, and implement innovative and collaborative strategies to ensure the sustainability of our marine resources.
Northeast Consortium
The Northeast Consortium was created in 1999 to encourage and fund effective, equal partnerships among commercial fishermen, scientists, and other stakeholders to engage in cooperative research and monitoring projects in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. The Northeast Consortium consists of four research institutions (University of New Hampshire, University of Maine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), which are working together to foster this initiative.
MIT Sea Grant Center for Fisheries
Engineering Research
The MIT Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Sea Grant College Program, a network of 30 programs located in each of the coastal and Great Lakes states in the USA. Funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mission of MIT Sea Grant is to lead the development of technology and the pursuit of scientific investigation addressing important problems surrounding human use of and impact on coastal waters and oceans. Through research, education and outreach, we are committed to the sustainable development of those resources. The Center for Fisheries Engineering Research is a research focus of MIT Sea Grant that confronts engineering and technology issues critical to commercial fishing and offshore aquaculture.
Diversified Communications
Diversified Communications is in business to create, develop and support innovative, effective communications businesses.
As a privately held, family-owned business, Diversified Communications is uniquely positioned to meet the challenges of today's rapidly changing communications industry. We understand the importance of long-term investments and carefully choose the areas in which we do business. Our core values are standards that guide our operations.
Beginning over fifty years ago as a single radio station, Diversified currently operates in the broadcasting, exhibition, publishing and emerging-media industries.
The Broadcasting Division comprises two television stations in location in Bangor Maine and Gainesville, FL. Our stations provide viewers in these diverse markets with top-quality programming and services. Through all our broadcasting activities--from covering local events, fundraising for local charities or reporting on local high school and university sports events--we participate as full members of the communities we serve.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Fisheries Service, on behalf of the American public, is responsible for the stewardship of our nation's living marine resources. This is accomplished through science-based conservation and management, and healthy ecosystems.
NOAA Fisheries Service has a gear technology research unit located in Pascagoula, Mississippi and their mission is to develop and implement new gear and techniques for the solution of critical fisheries and ecological problems. An engineering component provides expertise to bring the latest technology to bear on fisheries problems from designing new electronic monitoring systems to applying remote sensing and GIS to fisheries research.
NOAA Fisheries Service Fisheries Management Program works to maintain sustainable commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries, eliminate overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks; and increase long- term economic and social benefits. NOAA Fisheries Service's Office of Science and Technology oversees the agency's scientific research, monitoring, and forecasting contributions including 'end-to-end'
coastal and oceanic ecological observing system.
The Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute
The Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute links the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the University of Massachusetts to enhance the Commonwealth's ability to positively affect marine fisheries management in the state and throughout the Northeast.
The Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute exists to promote sustainable fisheries by providing timely information needed to protect, conserve, and manage Massachusetts marine and coastal resources. This information is gathered through interdisciplinary research that examines the interactions between marine organisms and their environments. Although the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Institute programs are application-oriented, these studies enable scientists to understand the underlying processes, in addition to finding immediate solutions.
Sponsors
World Wildlife Fund--Marine Conservation Program
The WWF International Smart Gear Competition aims to inspire and reward innovative, practical and cost-effective ideas that allow fishermen to fish 'smarter' - better targeting their intended catch while reducing the problem of accidental catches or bycatch. The problem of bycatch is a major fisheries management problem, wasting fishermen's time and costing millions in damaged gear. It is also one of the greatest threats to the marine environment, wasting valuable natural resources and causing dramatic declines of many marine species. This competition is looking for new solutions to an age old problem.
The competition is open to eligible entrants from any background- including fishermen, scientists, researchers, professional gear manufacturers, engineers, students and backyard inventors. A panel of international experts will judge entries for the most practical, cost- effective methods for reducing bycatch of any species. A grand prize of $30,000 will be awarded to the winner, with two $10,000 runner-up prizes also to be awarded. With a global network active in more than 100 countries, WWF will also work with the winners towards implementing their ideas in applicable situations around the world.
Additional information can be found at www.smartgear.org.
Simrad Fisheries
Since the company was started more than 50 years ago, Simrad has grown to be the world's most recognized brand in professional fish finding equipment. Simrad has been the pioneer in many fisheries acoustic technologies which has resulted in the manufacturing and placement of advanced sonars, echo sounders and catch monitor instrumentation for the world's fishing fleet. The Simrad technology is backed up by world wide sales and service designed to meet the dynamic requirements of the fishery community.
Simrad is also a world leader in design and manufacturing for fishery research equipment. Single and multibeam quantitative echo sounders and sonars are used on research vessels all around the world, scientists rely on Simrad's technology to be reliable and accurate.
Legal Seafoods
"In 1968, the Berkowitz family opened their first seafood restaurant, right next to the fish market. The restaurant featured communal picnic tables where people ate family-style. The fish was simply prepared, either fried or broiled, and served on paper plates. Despite the low-key atmosphere, the food was sublime, and word spread quickly about the surprising little fish place. This early success crystallized the family philosophy: Legal must remain primarily a fish company, though now also in the restaurant business. Now under the leadership of Roger Berkowitz, George's son, Legal operates more than 31 family-owned restaurants, a mail order business and a grocery products division. For three generations, the Berkowitz family has continued this tradition of serving the highest quality, freshest fish for a great value. Enjoy the Legal Difference!"
New England Aquarium
The mission of the New England Aquarium (NEAq) is to present, promote and protect the world of water. Though perhaps best known by its exhibits on the Boston waterfront, NEAq also houses Research and Conservation departments that undertake projects throughout the world. The focus of these projects is on using scientific understanding of aquatic environments as a basis for engaging industries such as fishing and shipping to adopt more ecologically sound practices. NEAq's principal program areas are in Fisheries (including bycatch reduction, changing seafood buying preferences, and sustainable aquaculture), Endangered Species and Habitats (particularly the North Atlantic Right Whale and coral reefs), and Conservation Medicine and Ocean Health.
Exhibitors
Centre for Aquatic Resources--Marine Institute
CSAR provides industrial research and development technology transfer, and educational/training services to the fishing industry.
Marport Canada, Inc.
Marport Canada Inc. is a world leader in underwater sensing, processing and communication products. We develop and manufacture next generation acoustic products, including sensors, echo-sounders and sonars for the global commercial fishing fleet.
Professional mariners around the world rely on Maroprt products to maximize their fishing effectiveness. All Marport products are based on proven hardware to ensure error-free operation, extended telemetry range, long battery life and reliability in the harshest ocean environments.
Marport's new 3DS sonar technology is a revolutionary concept for fisheries harvesting and research. The new sonar combines the capabilities of both multibeam and sidescan in a way that is both innovative and cost effective. The unit combines forward looking, side looking, down sounding, profiling and temperature/depth in a single head-rope unit. In addition to fish-finding it will be capable of a wide variety of acoustic imaging and seabed mapping functions.
Northstar Technical, Inc.
Netmind monitors the performance of a fishing trawl, while being towed, by providing real-time, non-filtered information to the ship's captain. The geometry of the trawl is measured by wireless acoustic sensors, which are attached to the fishing gear and are displayed in graphical or numeric format.
Star Oddi
Star-Oddi is a manufacturer of miniature data loggers with sensors as temperature, depth, salinity, tilt and compass. Star-Oddi also manufactures a fish tag, Data Storage Tag (DST) that can receive and record geographical position. The data loggers are used for various research applications, including fish tagging, oceanography, fisheries research etc. Star-Oddi is recognised for being a leader in technology for fish tagging. Its Underwater Tagging Equipment (UTE) is a state of the art technology for tagging deepwater fish species at hundreds of meters depth, because deepwater species like redfish do not survive being brought to the surface for tagging.
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