COURSE UNIT TITLE

: FISH STOCK DYNAMICS

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
CDK 6029 FISH STOCK DYNAMICS ELECTIVE 3 0 0 8

Offered By

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR EYÜP MÜMTAZ TIRAŞIN

Offered to

MARINE LIVING RESOURCES

Course Objective

The course aims to teach current scientific theories and practices in fisheries biology, stock dynamics and resource management with a particular emphasize on the science of statistics and modelling. The course will also include applications of certain computer software used in investigation of the dynamics of fish stocks.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Recognize the need for assessment and management of fisheries resources.
2   Identify the need for sampling and research design and statistical analysis for stock assessment and management of fisheries resources.
3   Demonstrate understanding of the analytical and holistic methods used for assessment of fisheries resources and evaluate the strong and weak sides of these methods.
4   Compare age-based and size-based methods used in the modelling of fundamental processes in marine living resources such as growth, mortality and recruitment.
5   Evaluate the impact of fishing activities on the dynamics of marine fish populations and/or stocks.
6   Evaluate the impact of management strategies on the dynamics of marine fish populations and/or stocks and relate the outcomes with yielded biomass.
7   Analyse data for assessment of marine fisheries resources with certain statistical software (FiSAT II - FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment Tools and R - Project for Statistical Computing) and interpret results.
8   Demonstrate critical thinking skills in evaluation of findings from their own research work and/or from those derived from the literature and other sources, and communicate and discuss the results and their implications with others in written and verbal forms.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to Course Course Outline, Textbooks, Reference Books and Class Assignments. Marine Fisheries Resources. Population and Unit Stock Concept. Stock Assessment and Management: Ideas, Objectives and Facts.
2 An Overview of Past, Recent and Future Research Trends in Fish Stock Assessment Evolution of Stock Studies. Nature of Data for Stock Assessment. Development of Models and Data Collection. Relations between Stock Assessment and Other Disciplines in Marine Sciences.
3 Growth Growth of Fish and Study of Growth. Length-Weight Relationships. Growth Models. Age Determination Analysis. Length Frequency Analysis. Annual, Seasonal and Daily Growth.
4 Mortality Study of Mortality in Natural Fish Populations. Natural Mortality. Fisheries Related Mortality. Mortality Models. Catch Curves. Mark and Recapture Techniques.
5 Modelling Growth and Survival Introduction to FiSAT II FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment Tool Package and to the Appropriate Modules of R Statistical Package. Linear and Non-Linear Estimation Methods. Estimation of Growth and Mortality Parameters. Evaluation of Estimated Parameters.
6 VPA Stock dynamics and equilibrium. VPA. Cohort Analysis. Analysis based on length-at-age data. Analysis based on length frequency data. VPA applications with FiSAT II.
7 Stock and Recruitment Stock and Recruitment Relationships. Stock and Recruitment Models. Estimation of Model Parameters with Linear and Non-Linear Methods. Applications with FiSAT II and R.
8 Midterm exam
9 Estimation of Stock Size - I Estimation of Stock Sizes. Biomass Dynamic Models. Catch per Unit Effort and Stock Size. Fox Model. Schaefer Model. Simulations.
10 Estimation of Stock Sizes - II Estimation of Stock Sizes via Analytical Models. Yield per Recruit Models. Beverton and Holt Model. Thompson and Bell Model.
11 Estimation of Stock Sizes - III Stock Size Estimation with FiSAT II and R. Estimation of Biomass Dynamic Model Parameters. Estimation of Analytical Model Parameters. Sensitivity Analysis.
12 Relating Models to Data Models and Data. Uncertainty. Measures to Reduce Uncertainty. Data Collection Problems. Fishery Statistics in the World and in Turkey.
13 Harvesting Strategies Harvesting Strategies. Biological Reference Points. Estimation of Biological Reference Points. Student Presentations.
14 Multi Species Stock Models Multi Species Stock Models. Multi Species VPA. Multi Species Biomass Dynamic Models. Multi Species Analytical Models. Obstacles with the Management of Multi Species Stocks. Student Presentations.

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbooks:

Hilborn, R. and Walters, C. J. 1992. Quantitative Fisheries Stock Assessment: Choice, Dynamics and Uncertainty. Chapman and Hall, New York, USA.
Terrance, J. Q. and Deriso, R. B. 1999. Quantitative Fish Dynamics. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

Additional books:

Beverton, R. J. H. and Holt, S. J. 1957. On the Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations. 2, 19, Fish. Investigations, London, UK.
Beyer, J. and Sparre, P. 1983. Modelling Exploited Marine Fish Stocks. In Application of Ecological Modelling in Environmental Management, pp. 485-582. Ed. by S. E. Jørgensen. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Gulland, J. A. 1983. Fish Stock Assessment: A Manual of Basic Methods. Wiley, New York, USA.
Sparre, P. and Venema, S. C. 1998. Introduction to fish stock assessment. Part 1 Manual, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, No: 306/1, Rev 2., Rome, Italy.

Plus at least a dozen classical papers on the marine fish population dynamics.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

1. Lectures
Class lectures are carried out in a highly interactive format. The instructor prompts students for response to questions posed and solicits their thoughts on issues discussed. Lectures will focus on the real world applications, and additional elaboration and illustration will be provided for better comprehension.
2. Class Discussions
In-class assignments and homework assignments are the basis of problems to be solved in classroom discussions. Individual participation by students in classroom discussions will be strongly encouraged.
3. Presentations
The student presentations focus on the fundamental and/or critical issues. Each student will prepare one presentation during term and will present and discuss in the class.
4. Computer Applications
The FiSAT II and R software will be introduced to perform analyses of data and to produce graphics.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 ASG ASSIGNMENT
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.30 +ASG * 0.20 +FIN * 0.50
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.30 + ASG * 0.20 + RST * 0.50


*** Resit Exam is Not Administered in Institutions Where Resit is not Applicable.

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

To be announced.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

1. Regular attendance is essential for satisfactory completion of this course. If a student has excessive absences, she/he cannot develop to her/his fullest potential in the course.
2. The student is responsible is responsible completion for all the required reading planned for each week whether in attendance or not.
3. It is obligatory for all students to be involved in class discussions.
4. Student presentations must be carried out on the dates mutually agreed upon.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Dr. E. Mümtaz TIRAŞIN
Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology,
Inciraltı 35340, Balçova - Izmir.
Phone:(+90) 232 2785565 /165
Fax: (+90) 232 2785082
E-mail: mumtaz.tirasin@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 3 39
Preparation for midterm exam 1 12 12
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 11 3 33
Reading 12 5 60
Preparation for final exam 1 18 18
Preparing presentations 1 20 20
Midterm 1 3 3
Final 1 4 4
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 189

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6
LO.1554233
LO.2554455
LO.3554333
LO.4543333
LO.5554333
LO.6554333
LO.7554444
LO.8555555