yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares Michael H. Prager, Ph.D.
Consulting in Marine Resource Population Dynamics


Senior Scientist — retired

Southeast Fisheries Science Center
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

Adjunct Professor of Fisheries Science
Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia


Mike Prager

Selected publications

Reprints of articles without PDF links are available by email request.

Thorson, J. T., and M. H. Prager.  2011.  Better catch curves: Incorporating age-specific natural mortality and logistic selectivity.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 140: 356–366.  [PDF]

Shertzer, K. W., M. H. Prager, and E. H. Williams.  2010.  Probabilistic approaches to setting acceptable biological catch and annual catch targets for multiple years: Reconciling methodology with National Standards Guidelines.  Marine and Coastal Fisheries 2: 451–458.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and K. W. Shertzer.  2010.  Deriving acceptable biological catch from the overfishing limit: Implications for assessment models.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 30: 289–294.  [PDF]

Berkson, J., S. F. Hudy, S. L. McMullin, B. R. Murphy, M. H. Prager, M. J. Kelly, and N. Thompson.  2009.  Addressing the shortage of stock assessment scientists through undergraduate workshops.  Fisheries 34: 220–227.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and A. A. Rosenberg.  2008.  Closing the loop in fishery management: the importance of instituting regular independent management review.  Conservation Biology 22: 830–831.  [PDF]

Shertzer, K. W., M. H. Prager, and E. H. Williams.  2008.  A probability-based approach to setting annual catch levels.  Fishery Bulletin 106: 225–232.  [PDF]

Shertzer, K. W., M. H. Prager, D. S. Vaughan, and E. H. Williams.   Fishery Models.  Pages 1582–1593 in Sven Erik Jørgensen and Brian D. Fath (Editor-in-Chief), Population Dynamics.  Vol. 2 of Encyclopedia of Ecology, 5 vols.  Oxford: Elsevier. (This is a concise summary of standard fishery models.)

Shertzer, K.W., and M. H. Prager.  2007.  Delay in fishery management: consequences to yield, biomass, and probability of stock collapse.  ICES Journal of Marine Science 64: 149–159.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and K.W. Shertzer.  2006.  Remembering the future: A commentary on "Intergenerational discounting: a new intuitive approach."  Ecological Economics 60: 24–26.

Prager, M. H., and K.W. Shertzer.  2005.  An introduction to statistical algorithms useful in stock composition analysis.  Chapter 24 in S. X. Cadrin et al., editors.  Stock identification methods: applications in fishery science.  Elsevier, Burlington, MA, 715 p.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H. 2003. Reply to letter to the editor by Maunder. (The letter was about Prager 2002.) Fisheries Research 61: 151–154.

Prager, M. H., C. E. Porch, K. W. Shertzer, and J. F. Caddy.  2003.  Targets and limits for management of fisheries: a simple probability-based approach.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23: 349–361.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and E. H. Williams.  2003.  From the golden age to the new industrial age: fishery modeling in the early 21st Century. Natural Resources Modeling 16: 477–489.  [PDF]

DeVries, D. A., Grimes. C. B., and M. H. Prager.  2002.  Using otolith shape analysis to distinguish eastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean stocks of king mackerel.  Fisheries Research 57: 51–62.

Prager, M. H.  2002.  Comparison of logistic and generalized surplus-production models applied to swordfish, Xiphias gladius, in the North Atlantic Ocean.  Fisheries Research 58: 41–57.

Shertzer, K. W., and M. H. Prager.  2002.  Least median of squares: A suitable objective function for stock assessment models?  Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59: 1474–1481.  [PDF]

Vaughan, D. S., and M. H. Prager.  2002.  Severe decline in abundance of the red porgy, Pagrus pagrus, population of the Atlantic Ocean off the southeastern United States. Fishery Bulletin 100: 351–375.  [PDF]

Vaughan, D. S., M. H. Prager, and J. W. Smith.  2002.  Consideration of uncertainty in stock assessment of Atlantic menhaden.  American Fisheries Society Symposium 27: 83–112.  [PDF]

Williams, E. H., and M. H. Prager.  2002.  Comparison of equilibrium and nonequilibrium estimators for the generalized production model. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 59: 1533–1552.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and C. P. Goodyear.  2001.  Effects of mixed-metric data on production model estimation:  simulation study of a blue-marlin-like stock.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 130: 927–939.   [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and M. S. Mohr.  2001.  The harvest rate model for Klamath River fall chinook salmon, with management applications and comments on model development and documentation.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 21: 533–547.   [PDF]

Lindley, S. T., M. S. Mohr, and M. H. Prager.  2000.  Monitoring protocol for Sacramento River winter chinook salmon: application of statistical power analysis to recovery of an endangered species.  Fishery Bulletin 98: 759–766.  [PDF]

Vaughan, D. S., J. W. Smith, and M. H. Prager.  2000.  Population characteristics of Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus.  NOAA Technical Report NMFS–149, 19p.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H. 1996.  A simple model of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, spawning migration in Chesapeake Bay.  Bulletin of Marine Science 56: 421–428.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., C. P. Goodyear, and G. P. Scott.  1996. Application of a surplus production model to a swordfish-like simulated stock with time-changing gear selectivity.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 125: 729–740.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., E. D. Prince, and D. W. Lee. 1995. Empirical length and weight conversion equations for blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish from the North Atlantic Ocean. Bulletin of Marine Science 56: 201–210.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H.  1994.  A suite of extensions to a nonequilibrium surplus-production model.  Fishery Bulletin 92: 374–389.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and A. D. MacCall.  1993.  Detection of contaminant and climate effects on spawning success of three pelagic fish stocks off southern California: Northern anchovy Engraulis mordax, Pacific sardine Sardinops sagax, and chub mackerel Scomber japonicus.  Fishery Bulletin 91: 310–327.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and J. M. Hoenig.  1992.  Can we determine the significance of key events on a recruitment time series? — A power study of superposed epoch analysis.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 121: 123–131.   [PDF]

Jones, C. M., J. R. McConaugha, P. Geer, and M. H. Prager.  1990.  Population density estimates for spawning stock of Callinectes sapidus in Chesapeake Bay, 1986–1987.  Bulletin of Marine Science 46: 159–169. [PDF]

Prager, M. H., J. R. McConaugha, and C. M. Jones. 1990.  Fecundity of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, in Chesapeake Bay.  Bulletin of Marine Science 46: 170–179. [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and J. M. Hoenig.  1989.  Superposed epoch analysis, a randomization test of environmental events on recruitment, with application to chub mackerel.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 118: 608–618. [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and A. D. MacCall.   1988.   Sensitivities and variances of virtual population analysis as applied to the mackerel, Scomber japonicus.   Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. 45: 539–547.  [PDF]

Saila, S. B., C. W. Recksiek, and M. H. Prager.  1988.  BASIC fishery biology programs: a compendium of microcomputer programs, and manual of operation.  Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam. 230 p.

Prager, M. H.  1988.  The group method of data handling: a new method for stock identification.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 117: 290–296.

Prager, M. H., J. F. O’Brien, and S. B. Saila.  1987.  Using lifetime fecundity to compare management strategies:  a case history for striped bass.  North American Journal of Fishery Management 7: 403–409.  [PDF]

Prager, M. H., and R. D. Goos.  1984.  A case of mushroom poisoning from Suillus luteus. Mycopathologia 85: 175–176.  [PDF]