Here we’ll walk through the basic steps to get started evaluating length data with the Stock Health Tracker. The Stock Health Tracker leans on the power of length data to provide simple metrics, proven to be indicative of fishery health. Here users can upload and explore data, using interactive visualizations and automated reporting. Let’s get started!
First, you’ll need to either log in or create an account with https://natureanalytics.ca/FishKit/.
Once you’re into the app, on the left-hand side, navigate to the “Data Repository” tab and click on it. Then click the “FishKitData Repository” button. This will take you to the FishKit Data Repository where you can upload your length data for use in the FishKit app.
Within the Data Repository, in the left hand menu, select “Length data.” Then, from the dropdown menu, select “Create new.”
You should now see step-by-step prompts and questions to help you correctly upload your length data. Note that there may be some necessary work to prepare your data for using in the app.
To upload your data, start by attaching your .csv file. Once your dataset is uploaded, a preview will appear on the right side of your screen so you can make sure your data uploaded correctly.
Back on the left, make sure you specify how your data are formatted. Then, specify the measurement protocol that was used. Also note your data must be in cm and from fishery catch (fishery-dependent data, as opposed to fishery independent surveys).
Once all of these prompts are correctly answered, return to the box on the right to enter a title and description for your dataset. Then, click “Finalize and save length data.”
In the popup menu, type in the title again, without any special characters or spaces. Click “Continue,” and then “Continue” again. Your dataset is now ready to be used in analyses.
Now that you’ve uploaded your length data, navigate back to your computer tab with the FishKit app. On the left hand side click the “Stock Health Tracker” section. Then, click “Step 1 Select inputs.” This will walk you through all the information you need to select to use the Stock Health Tracker.
Click “Advance to Life History.” Here you can browse through all the life histories available in the public repository. Once you find the life history you’d like to use, select it in the table, and then click the “+” button in the bottom right corner to view the life history.
You should then see a window containing the “main summary” of the life history. You can also select “version history” and scroll down to see the parameters themselves.
Once you’ve decided that you would like to use the selected life history for analysis, click “Advance to length data,” located above the life history summary.
Click the length dataset you would like to use from the dropdown menu, and then click “Select” to activate it. You can click the “+” button in the bottom right corner to view more details about the length data, including summary information and a preview of the dataset.
When you’re ready to move on, click the “Advance to activate” button above the dataset information.
Make sure the selected life history information and length data dataset are the ones you want to look at. You can also customize a name for the activation. Then, press “Activate.”
Once you’ve activated the life history, you’ll get this alert. Click anywhere on your screen to dismiss it. Then, click “Step 2 Track stock.”
Now you have entered the Stock Health Tracker. The name you gave your activation should be listed along the top of the page.
The first metric you see is the “Mature fish in the catch” metric, highlighted in blue on the left. The graph and dial illustrate the proportion of fish in the dataset above the length at 50% maturity. The length at 50% maturity is specified below the dial.
Click “Optimal sizes in the catch” on the left side to view that metric. The graph and dial illustrate the proportion of optimal sized fish in the catch.
Click “Mega-spawners” on the left side to view that metric. The graph and dial illustrate the proportion of mega-spawners in the catch. The mega-spawner minimum size is specified below the dial.
Click on “Fish above the size limit” to explore the proportion of fish above a size limit of interest. To view data on this screen, type in a number in the white box under “Minimum size limit” in the box beneath the metrics.
You can also scroll down on the dashboard to access more advanced tools, including to run an LBSPR report.
Once you’re satisfied with your session or ready to close out of the app, in the bottom right corner, select “Step 3: Create report” to export a PDF detailing your session.
Make sure your desired session is selected, and add a report title and author(s) if you’d like. If you’re willing to share your report with the FishKit team, so we can get a better idea of how the app is being used, check “Yes” under “I agree to share the results of my FishKit session with the FishKit team.” Then, select what you’re using the tool for from the dropdown menu. You can also include facilitator notes that you may have taken, and enter the minimum size limit you looked at. You can also choose to include the LBSPR report if you generated one.
Lastly, click the orange “Create report” button, which will download the report to your computer.
You can continue to explore the Stock Health Tracker with as many life histories, length datasets, and reports as you’d like!
That concludes the overview of the Stock Health Tracker’s basic functionality! Please visit our resources page for more helpful information and tutorials.