Marine Scotland Science: directory

Steven O’Connell 

Fisheries Assessment and Advice
Fisheries Advice Group
Pelagic Survey Scientist

E-mail: Steven.O’connell@gov.scot

Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, AB11 9DB, UK

Pronouns: he/him/his

Details of specialism

My work focusses on the population dynamics of herring (Clupea harengus) in the North East Atlantic. I am the scientist in charge (SIC) for the annual Herring Acoustic Survey (HERAS) in Scottish waters and collaborate with stakeholders and international scientists to advise and participate in pelagic surveys.

Within the broad topic area my particular focuses currently include:

• understanding the population structure of herring in the North sea and West of Scotland
• the use of genetics to identify specific herring populations by spawning area and time of spawning
• fisheries acoustic techniques and trawling to contribute towards the annual herring index

Main policy links

• sea fisheries division
• international fisheries: pelagic

External committees and responsibilities

• member of the ICES Working Group of International Pelagic Surveys
• member of the ICES Working Group on Acoustic Trawl data Governance
• member of the ICES Working group on Fisheries Acoustics, Science and technology
• member of the ICES Workshop on Acoustic backscatter Models

Papers of relevance

O’Connell S (2020) ICES 2020 Working Group of International Pelagic Surveys (WGIPS). ICES Scientific Reports 2, 56. 473 pp. 

O’Connell S (2019) ICES. 2019. ICES Working Group of International Pelagic Surveys (WGIPS). ICES Scientific Reports 1, 11. 493 pp.