Originally published by National Fisherman

During a panel at the 2026 Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) Annual Meeting, Mattera and other fishermen and mariners described ocean observations as not an abstract collection of scientific data, but as working information used to decide whether to leave the dock, where to fish, when to head home, and how much risk a crew is willing to take. The discussion also revealed what fishermen want next: better access to information, more observations from the bottom of the ocean, easier comparisons between forecasts and actual conditions, and data that can help them fish more efficiently. “I’ve already believed that nobody knows the ocean better than the people who work on it every day,” Train said. “the data isn’t there to replace experience and knowledge, but it’s another tool we can use to make these decisions.” That relationship between observation and experience became one of the clearest themes of the meeting. Fishermen have always read the ocean. Buoys, sensors, and forecasts simply give them more things to read.