Atlantic coastal cooperative statistics program: Fisheries dependent data collection and dissemination on the Atlantic coast

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) is a cooperative state-federal program. One of the major tasks for the ACCSP staff is compilation of data from 23 state and federal partners into a single dataset, the Data Warehouse, in order to provide the most complete picture of Atlantic coastal catch-effort data. These data are available at confidential and non-confidential levels to hundreds of ACCSP users. In addition to being referenced by various state and federal staff for management purposes (quota monitoring and reporting compliance), the data have been accessed for multiple stock assessments by the Southeast Data, Assessment and Review and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.  The data in the Data Warehouse have also been used for a variety of Custom Data Requests for research projects by groups including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Maine Lobstermen’s Association and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ACCSP data may be used to track trends in bait fisheries, evaluate fishery participation, and socio-economic analyses.  The varied utility of the Data Warehouse demonstrates that the integrated, holistic approach to data collection and dissemination practiced by the ACCSP has succeeded in creating a valuable resource for the Atlantic coast.