Gulf of Alaska Survey

Respondents will be notified of the survey with an email letter sent directly to respondents or to Council staff to forward to respondents. We will request that Council staff provide a list of names to whom they forward the letter. The draft email letter text is below:

<Sent from NOAA email address>

Dear –

We invite you to participate in an online survey to select ecosystem indicators to be used for fisheries management in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). The goal of this project is to select a short (8-10) list of ecosystem indicators for the GOA that will form the basis of a GOA Report Card and Ecosystem Assessment to include in NOAA’s Ecosystem Considerations report. Providing these Report Cards and Ecosystem Assessments is a part of how ecosystem-based fisheries management is practiced in Alaska.

You've been selected because you have known experience relevant to fisheries management in the GOA ecosystem. We hope that by surveying a greater number of individuals that were involved with previous ecosystem indicator selection for the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Report Cards, the new survey results will reflect broader expertise and an “equal” voice from all participants.

There are 11 questions in the survey, which we estimate will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Your responses are voluntary. We will ask you to provide your name and a short description of your GOA expertise at the end to help us analyze the results. Because of this, we cannot accept anonymous responses.

We appreciate your time in completing this survey and helping us to develop an ecosystem Report Card that best represents the state of the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem to inform fisheries management.

If you have any question about the survey please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks,

Stephani Zador

<email signature text with contact details>

Reminder emails will be sent out 2 weeks after the initial email to those individuals who have not responded. Draft email text is below:

<Sent from NOAA email address>

Dear –

Two weeks ago an invitation to participate in an online survey was sent to you. The goal of the survey is solicit your expert opinion on which ecosystem indicators for the Gulf of Alaska should be included in a new ecosystem Report Card to be provided to the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council.

We would appreciate your responses to the survey question within 3 weeks. If you are unable or decline to complete this survey, please let me know.

If you have any question about the survey please do not hesitate to contact me.

Many thanks,

Stephani Zador

<email signature text with contact details>