UC San Diego

Fisheries play a vital role ensuring nutritional security, while also holding economic and cultural importance globally. Considering their significance, it is essential to focus efforts to ensure our fisheries are sustainable. Efforts to improve the sustainability of fisheries embrace diverse approaches, comprising both top-down and bottom-up strategies. While top-down tactics entail development of fisheries management measures and international cooperation, bottom-up approaches emphasize community-driven initiatives. In pursuit of sustainable fisheries, adopting a holistic approach that incorporates both top-down and bottom-up strategies can be more effective than relying solely on one strategy. In this context, leveraging the best available science is key to inform and enhance these strategies, maximizing their effectiveness. My dissertation explores this notion by conducting science to inform and improve current top-down and bottom-up strategies, all aimed at enhancing the sustainability of fisheries. Chapter 1 investigates the recovery of the northern Pacific Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis) in the eastern Pacific Ocean after intensive international management to recover the species. Chapter 2 reconstructs population trends of Caribbean parrotfishes (family Scaridae) by leveraging a long-term citizen-scientist diving program to explore parrotfish dynamics and provide insights to promote parrotfish conservation more effectively. Chapter 3 investigates consumer perception and understanding of seafood ecolabels, a market-based tool aimed at promoting sustainable fisheries practices from the bottom-up, highlighting the need for increased community education and engagement. Collectively this dissertation underscores the need for diverse strategies to achieve fisheries sustainability.