Measuring Ecosystem Performance across Multiple Dimensions using Index Numbers

NOAA Science Seminar Series

Title: Measuring Ecosystem Performance across Multiple Dimensions using Index Numbers (EBM/EBFM)

NOAA Central Library Seminars

Speaker: John Walden, Economist, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Sponsors:  NMFS and NOAA Central Library

Seminar Contacts: Peg Brady (peg.brady@noaa.gov) and NOAA Central Library Seminars (library.seminars@noaa.gov)

Remote access: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4702291695240836368 
Registering for this seminar will provide you access to the full series of seminars. 

Accessibility: Captions are added to the recordings of presentations once uploaded to the NOAA Central Library YouTube Channel. Sign language interpreting services and closed captioning are available, but need to be requested at least 5 days before the event.

Abstract: Marine ecosystems provide many outputs that benefit humans, and managers often use several indicators to evaluate an ecosystem’s status. However, this leaves an unresolved question of which outputs, or environmental conditions, matter most? We circumvent the problem by developing composite indices with endogenous weights, collapsing multiple outputs and environmental conditions into two indices based on historical performance. This is accomplished using Data Envelopment Analysis, a linear programming technique, and applied to a U.S. ecoregion. Results show that the indices can identify changes in ecosystem performance over a 22 year period.

Keywords: Ecosystems, Index Numbers, Data Envelopment Analysis

About the Speaker: John Walden is an economist at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where he leads the fisheries performance measures working group. His research interests focus on evaluating economic performance using math programming models for both commercial fishing fleets and ecosystems. Past efforts he led include the National Marine Fisheries Service’s measurement of U.S. commercial fishing capacity, and a follow-up study to measure fishing vessel productivity. 

Recordings: Recordings will be shared 24 hours after the event on the NOAA Central Library YouTube channel.

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{John Walden, Economist, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center}