Recreational fishing in the United States promotes economic growth, cultural traditions, and environmental stewardship, but can also negatively impact fish stocks when fisheries are mismanaged. The scale of recreational fisheries is often underestimated due to difficulties in monitoring their complex, dynamic, and often expansive nature. In California, the documented history of recreational fishing dates to the late 1800s, and the industry has grown since. In 2013, California marine anglers took 5.3 million fishing trips, landed 8.4 million fish, and contributed $2.8 billion to the economy. Despite this extensive history and the well developed fisheries of the present day, we have limited quantitative historical fisheries data as well as measurements of current fish population dynamics. We developed a new historical database of "trophy" fish catch records (1966-2013) that could provide early signs of fisheries overexploitation, given that these large size classes are generally the most vulnerable to the impacts of fishing. We also founded the Coastal Angler Tagging Cooperative in partnership with the recreational fishing community to conduct demographic analyses of three of the most important recreationally targeted inshore species in the genus Paralabrax. Historical analyses indicate that "trophy" sizes of pelagic and coastal pelagic species are generally showing little signs of decline, while most decreasing trends are exhibited by demersal species. Rockfishes in particular (Sebastes sp) have shown both temporal and spatial declines in trophy size. However, the demersal species are also the most likely to benefit from the recently implemented statewide network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), and many rockfishes have begun to show positive trends since new management policies were adopted in 2001. Our analyses of Paralabrax populations indicate a positive response to the recently implemented increase in minimum size limits, as well as spatial and seasonal differences in both length frequency and catch-per-unit-effort, depending on the species. We documented a new spawning aggregation site for Barred Sand Bass (P. nebulifer), and we highlight the virtual absence of traditional spawning behavior for this species in both 2013 and 2014. Collaborations between the scientific and fishing communities can be highly successful, and we encourage this in future research efforts

Marine heatwaves are increasingly affecting marine ecosystems, with cascading impacts on coastal economies, communities, and food systems. Studies of heatwaves provide crucial insights into potential ecosystem shifts under future climate change and put fisheries social-ecological systems through “stress tests” that expose both vulnerabilities and resilience. The 2014–16 Northeast Pacific heatwave was the strongest and longest marine heatwave on record and resulted in profound ecological changes that impacted fisheries, fisheries management, and human livelihoods. Here, we synthesize the impacts of the 2014–2016 marine heatwave on US and Canada West Coast fisheries and extract key lessons for preparing global fisheries science, management, and industries for the future. We set the stage with a brief review of the impacts of the heatwave on marine ecosystems and the first systematic analysis of the economic impacts of these changes on commercial and recreational fisheries. We then examine ten key case studies that provide instructive examples of the complex and surprising challenges that heatwaves pose to fisheries social-ecological systems. These reveal important insights into improving the resilience of monitoring and management and increasing adaptive capacity to future stressors. Key recommendations include: (1) expanding monitoring to enhance mechanistic understanding, provide early warning signals, and improve predictions of impacts; (2) increasing the flexibility, adaptiveness, and inclusiveness of management where possible; (3) using simulation testing to help guide management decisions; and (4) enhancing the adaptive capacity of fishing communities by promoting engagement, flexibility, experimentation, and failsafes. These advancements are important as global fisheries prepare for a changing ocean.