Welcome to the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Advanced Sampling Technologies internet site. This web site chronicles the activities of the NMFS Advanced Sampling Technologies Working Group (ASTWG) and serves as its official archive. It will also serve as the primary vehicle to advertise and solicit internal research and development proposals that address sources of uncertainty and information gaps in NOAA population assessments.

Established by the NMFS Science Board in 2000, the ASTWG leads the ongoing process of improving the quality of living marine resource assessments through development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative sampling technology. ASTWG activities help NOAA meet increasing demands for accurate, precise, and timely information, as NOAA’s Ecosystem Goal Team seeks to protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and oceanic resources through ecosystem-based management. Specific ASTWG objectives, activities, and operating procedures are further are defined in its Terms of Reference.

Advanced sampling technologies include acoustic, optic, and tagging instrumentation, including software.

Mission

• Identifying information needs through the quantification and prioritization of components of uncertainty in stock assessments;
• Identifying new technologies, innovative uses of existing technologies, and approaches that involve a combination of technologies to address these information needs; and
• Facilitating and conducting research to develop these sampling technologies and their standardized implementation.