[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4161-4162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01223]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC615]


CIE Review of the Atlantis Ecosystem Model in Support of 
Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management in the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine 
Ecosystem

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The NMFS will convene a peer-review of the Gulf of Mexico 
(GOM) Atlantis ecosystem model, in support of ecosystem-based fishery 
management in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) large marine ecosystem. The 
purpose of the meeting is to facilitate a formal peer-review of the GOM 
Atlantis ecosystem model, to evaluate the model performance 
characteristics and to identify any appropriate EBFM applications in 
the southeast region that the GOM Atlantis model could be used to 
simulate. The external and independent peer review will be conducted by 
the Center for Independent Experts (CIE), which is a NOAA-supported, 
formal scientific peer-review process for evaluating scientific 
information to ensure quality and credibility. The public is invited to 
attend the presentations and discussions between the CIE review panel 
and the scientists who have participated in the development and 
internal, peer-review of the GOM Atlantis model.

DATES: The public portion of the Review of the Atlantis Ecosystem Model 
in Support of Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management in the Gulf of Mexico 
Large Marine Ecosystem Meeting will be held March 28th, 2023-March 
30th, 2023, with an open session for public comment on March 30th, from 
9:30-11:30 a.m. eastern. Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 
the daily meeting agenda.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be available via Google Meet 
(meet.google.com/pxj-bdic-zwh), or in-person at the Florida Fish and 
Wildlife Research Institute (100 8th Ave. SE, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701), in the 3rd floor conference room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Masi, phone: 727-551-5729; 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For further information, please visit the 
Gulf Council's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/GulfCouncil/, 
or their main web page at https://gulfcouncil.org/.

Daily Meeting Agenda--GOM Atlantis Model (CIE) Peer Review Meeting

    The agenda is subject to change; all times are in Eastern Time and 
are approximate. Times may change, at the discretion of the Peer Review 
meeting facilitator.

Tentative Agenda

    (Final agenda to be provided two weeks prior to the meeting).

Review of the Atlantis Ecosystem Model in Support of Ecosystem-Based 
Fishery Management in the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem

March 28--March 30, 2023

Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, 100 8th Avenue SE, St. 
Petersburg FL 33701
Tuesday March 28th, 2023
9-9:30 a.m. Introduction to the role of Atlantis ecosystem model at the 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center (Michelle Masi)
9:30-10 a.m. History, goals, and evolution of Atlantis model 
development at NWFSC and CSIRO (Isaac Kaplan)
10-10:20 a.m. Current and potential role of Atlantis ecosystem models 
for the Gulf of Mexico Integrated Ecosystem Assessment and/or Council's 
Fishery Ecosystem Plan (Chris Kelble/Mandy Karnauskas)
Break
10:30-12 p.m. Overview of mechanics, assumptions, and functional forms 
of Atlantis (Cameron Ainsworth/Holly Perryman)
Lunch
1-2 p.m. Continued: Overview of mechanics, assumptions, and functional 
forms of Atlantis (Cameron Ainsworth/Holly Perryman)
Break
2:15-3:30 p.m. Context from earlier model versions: larval dispersal, 
seagrass routine/dynamics, changes in fishing pressure scenarios 
(Cameron Ainsworth/Holly Perryman)
3:30-4:30 p.m. Panel deliberation--1 hr
Wednesday March 29th, 2023
Published Atlantis model (Cameron Ainsworth/Holly Perryman)
9- 9:30 a.m. Aims of the modeling effort
9:30--9:45 a.m. Geography and functional groups
9:45--10:30 a.m. Data (Cameron Ainsworth)

[[Page 4162]]

     Lower trophic levels
     Fish
     Protected species
     Fisheries and management representation
Break
10:45-12 p.m. Example applications and recent publications (Cameron 
Ainsworth)
     Testing management scenarios
     Cumulative impacts of groundfish fisheries
     Forage fish harvest and effects on food web
     Linking of Atlantis to economic impacts models
Lunch
1-2:30 p.m. Model calibration and fits to history (Cameron Ainsworth/
Holly Perryman)
     Estimates of unfished biomass
     Sensitivity to fixed fishing mortalities, estimates of MSY 
and FMSY
     Fits to historical data
     Sensitivity to initial conditions
2:30-3:30 p.m. Handling of uncertainty (Cameron Ainsworth/Holly 
Perryman)
     Bounded scenarios--uncertainty in biomass estimates
     Bounded scenarios--uncertainty in rate parameters
3:30-4 p.m. Discussion regarding the appropriate role of this model for 
management needs defined in TOR 1.
4-5 p.m. Panel deliberation
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
Public Comment & CIE Panel Discussion and Q&As
9:30-11:30 a.m. Public Comment (Open to the Public)
Lunch
12:30-2:30 p.m. Extra time to discuss any provided model diagnostic 
material

    The meeting is open to the public; however, will only be able to 
provide input during the public comments session (March 30th, from 
9:30-11:30 a.m. ET).

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Special requests should be directed to Michelle Masi, via email.

    Dated: January 18, 2023.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-01223 Filed 1-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P