Background for August 31st Webinar

The webinar will be held August 31st, 9am-12pm by Webex. You should have received an invitation by email. The post below details the objectives for the webinar and what to expect during the objectives refinement. Please leave comments in the box below or email to michael.colvin at msstate.edu.

Webinar Overview

The objectives of the webinar are to:

Overview progress to perform analysis: this will be a general overview of the modeling process and how PSPAP data is being used to inform analyses
Overview the evaluation process for alternative designs: this will be a general overview of how we link analyses to objectives.
Revising and clarifying objectives, specifically:
1. Clarify objectives focusing on quantifiable metrics and spatial and temporal resolutions.
2. Clarify objectives that can be achieved by the population assessment program and those achievable by the broodstock program.
3. Evaluate isolated objectives for inclusion (i.e., are there objectives that do not fit in the network that can be eliminated?)

What to expect during the webinar

During the webinar, the majority of the time will be dedicated to revisiting and revising monitoring objectives. The first 30-45 minutes will overview progress to date and process overview. The remaining time will focus on objectives. Below are some low hanging fruit from the original objectives network that needs clarification and refinement. The objective in the network is in bold, and the sub bullet represents questions and clarifications.

Catch rates of all PS by size class.
- How are size classes defined?
Quantify PS abundance or relative abundance
- What is the spatial scale is of interest: segment, RPMA, other?
Quantify PS population trend
- What is the time horizon for this metric?
- We can define trend 2 ways
  - Population growth rate (\(\lambda = Survival \enspace rate + Recruitment \enspace rate\))
  - Change in abundance or relative abundance from one year to the next
Quantify PS recruitment to age-1.
- Is this for natural origin fish only?
- How is age 1 defined? Size at a given date?
- How should recruitment be defined? Presence or absence of age-1 Pallid Sturgeon? Abundance (relative or absolute)? As a rate?
Age structure.
- How is this metric quantified? As mean age? Proportions?
- What is the spatial resolution? Segment? RPMA?
- How should aging error be evaluated?

There will be additional time to provide input on these objectives. Input gathered from this webinar will be compiled and a secondary input period used in electronic format (e.g., web form).