About Us
Ecosystems Research and EcoFOCI
EcoFOCI is a joint research program between the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA/ NMFS/ AFSC) and the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA/ OAR/ PMEL). FOCI was established by NOAA in 1984 to study the variability in recruitment success of commercially valuable fin and shellfish in Alaskan waters. The project initially studied walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) in the western Gulf of Alaska. From FOCI to EcoFOCI, the program has broadened to ecosystems research in the North Pacific and Alaskan waters, drawing on multiple scientific disciplines, and matching NOAA scientists with academia as part of NOAA’s Cooperative Institute partnership.
The goal of our ecosystems research is to determine the influence of the physical and biological environments on marine populations and the subsequent impact on fisheries. We work towards understanding ecosystem dynamics, applying that understanding to fisheries resource management, and analyzing observations in the context of climate and ocean changes. EcoFOCI scientists integrate field, laboratory and modeling studies, and work on many timescales: seasonal, annual, decadal and longer. Our research regions include the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Passes, the Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea.