Cooperative research between scientists and stakeholders is a time-tested model that has gained additional traction through formalized policy by fishery agencies and the emerging trend of citizen science initiatives. The benefits are many. Stakeholder-scientist networks have the capacity to leverage limited funds and produce information that surpasses independent academic efforts. Stakeholders typically have innate and historical knowledge of resource availability and environmental patterns, as well as readily available infrastructure and a "boots on the ground" capacity to mobilize research or monitoring programs. Inclusion of stakeholders in the data collection process encourages trust in the regulatory and management process. Cooperative research encompasses a huge spectrum of possibilities across marine and freshwater fisheries. Although marine and freshwater systems are fundamentally different, there are also commonalities, and as initiatives shift from traditional “pay-for-hire” models to true transdisciplinary science, there is great potential for these groups to learn from each other.  This symposium invites speakers to discuss these issues through reviews of established case studies or emerging cooperative fishery research approaches from either marine or freshwater ecosystems.  The goals for this symposium include i.) to highlight cooperative fisheries research in marine and freshwater systems, ii.) to provide examples where administrative policies have promoted the scope of cooperative research, or where the research itself has influenced management policy, and iii.) to create a forum to discuss lessons learned – what works (and why)?