A Spatial Model Odyssey with Zarathrustra in the Fisheries Universe: Will the Mission of Integration Succeed?

A spatial model odyssey in the fisheries universe began in the 1950’s with the pivotal work of Beverton and Holt. There have been many captains and crew continuing the journey. Several diverse locations have been explored: (1) mark-recapture estimation of movement from tagging data, (2) population dynamics models with movement, and with or without age structure, (3) the use of these models for stock assessment and management using data from fisheries and surveys, (3) holistic integration of mark-recapture movement data into stock assessment models and determination of what spatial information can be obtained in the absence of mark-recapture data, and (5) the use of genetic information to inform the conceptual framework for modeling population structure. I will revisit this journey by reviewing the development of models and their application to real data along the lines of Goethel et al. (2011, Reviews in Fisheries Science 19:119-136). Should these models be used in stock assessment as the base model with movement, or as a research tool to evaluate the base model without movement? In several cases, the latter seems to be the destination, preventing the successful conclusion of the journey to integrate movement explicitly into actual fisheries assessment and management.