General Observation Program

Skipper Science recognizes that coastal communities and fishers understand the changing conditions of their environment better than anyone, and aims to elevate these voices in research and management by providing a platform to systematically record and anonymously share their observations. By signing up for a free account through the Skipper Science app, participants are automatically enrolled in the General Observation Program. We launched our pilot season in the summer of 2021 and have received observations related to water temperature, weather events, sea bird and marine mammal sightings, and more. We share this data through our annual season reports and also send a selection to be included in the Ecosystem Status Report, published by NOAA and shared with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee.