Responsibilities

• Responsible for the development, and application of, quantitative ecological risk assessment (ERA) tools to prioritize vulnerable species in the EPO for data collection, research and management.
• Responsible for the development of quantitative ecosystem models for the EPO.
• IATTC delegate on the ISC Billfish Working Group

Education

• Ph.D., University of Wollongong, Australia, 2001
• Bachelor of Science, University of Wollongong, Australia, 1998

Biography

Dr. Shane Griffiths joined the staff in 2016 to take the lead on IATTC’s ecosystem research activities. He is a Senior Ecosystem Scientist with the Ecosystem and Bycatch Program, which is mainly responsible for the research activities relating to the interplay between tuna fisheries and the eastern Pacific Ocean ecosystem, identifying species and habitats at risk, and to developed measures to mitigate such ecological impacts. These strategic research activities have been developed to guide management to ensure IATTC-managed fisheries are operating in an ecologically sustainable manner, and meeting formal obligations under the Antigua Convention. With a strong background in the biology and ecology of large pelagic fishes, Shane’s career evolved to incorporate this knowledge into the development of quantitative ecosystem models (e.g., Ecopath) to determine the ecological impacts of fisheries and climate change on marine ecosystems. His current research portfolio focuses on the development, and application of, the quantitative ecological risk assessment tool EASI-Fish (Ecological Assessment for the Sustainable Impacts of Fisheries). Shane led his team to develop this method specifically for data-limited settings, to rapidly and cost-effectively identify potentially vulnerable species that require the development of specific management measures, or further data collection to facilitate formal assessment by the IATTC’s Stock Assessment Program.

Committees

• ISC Billfish Working Group (2017-present).
• IUCN Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group member (2020-present).
• Red Laúd OPO Network (Eastern Pacific Leatherback Conservation Network) (2020-present).
• SPRFMO Habitat Monitoring Working Group (2021-present).