Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Bringing Multiple Tools and Analytical Frameworks to Advance the Understanding of River Herring Ecology and Conservation. Jordaan, Adrian, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA

In this presentation I will lean on extensive collaborations to detail our efforts to answer key ecological and management-relevant questions about alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis). I will discuss the various techniques and approaches to answer the questions. Then I will summarize the incremental knowledge gain as we work towards a more nuanced and complete understanding of the threats to the river herring, and how we may improve their status moving forward. Finally, I will highlight where gaps remain, in particular between the real world needs and what our science is delivering. If we cannot as a community of scientists align inquiry to support actionable science, the result may be the loss of populations down the proverbial drain.