Brett Cooper

Brett develops applications to generate timely bycatch estimates, create statistical samples for observer deployment and project target species catch. He also created a bycatch GUI that allows users to browse, filter, and search the bycatch from the three U.S. western pacific longline fisheries.

For bycatch estimation, he creates database tables, performs queries to extract, manipulate, and integrate large datasets from databases across multiple offices, and executes code to generate bycatch estimates using three estimators. These estimates cover over 100 species across three fisheries, and they are also broken down into specific management areas. These results are also presented in the Bycatch GUI, which Brett designed and implemented. The insights generated from these estimates support sustainable resource management and informed decision-making within the Pacific Islands, contributing to the conservation and effective utilization of marine resources.

Brett received his B. S. in Mathematics from Harvey Mudd College. He has worked in fisheries for five years, after beginning his career in statistical modeling in the finance and consulting industries.