Dynamic ocean management, or management that uses near real-time data to guide the spatial distribution of commercial activities, is an emerging approach to balance ocean resource use and conservation. Employing a wide range of data types, dynamic ocean management can be used to meet multiple objectives-for example, managing target quota, bycatch reduction, and reducing interactions with species of conservation concern. Here, we present several prominent examples of dynamic ocean management that highlight the utility, achievements, challenges, and potential of this approach. Regulatory frameworks and incentive structures, stakeholder participation, and technological applications that align with user capabilities are identified as key ingredients to support successful implementation. By addressing the variability inherent in ocean systems, dynamic ocean management represents a new approach to tackle the pressing challenges of managing a fluid and complex environment.

Designing effective bycatch mitigation programmes requires an understanding of the life histories of target and non-target species, interactions of fish and fishing gear, effects of spatial and temporal shifts in fishing effort, socio-economic impacts to the fishery, and incentives of fishery participants. The effects of mitigation measures (including fishing gear modification, time/area closures, bycatch quotas and caps, incentive programs, and fleet communication programs) have been evaluated with respect to reducing bycatch and discards. Less attention has been focused on evaluating unanticipated results related to shifts in fishing effort, changes in the size of non-target species caught, reduced catch of target species, and economic viability to fishing fleets. Time/area closures, bycatch quotas/caps, and fleet communication programmes were evaluated against a set of criteria to assess overall effectiveness in reducing bycatch without causing unintended biological and socio-economic impacts. The results suggest that wide-ranging studies of species' life histories, potential changes in fleet behaviour, and individual incentives are important for developing and implementing mitigation programmes. Combining a suite of mitigation techniques has been successful in meeting biological and socio-economic fisheries goals. Additionally, collaborative programmes that utilize the skill sets of fishers, scientists, and managers have increased effectiveness in meeting bycatch reduction objectives.

Bycatch of Yellowtail Flounder in the U.S. Sea Scallop Fishery is a constraint to achieving optimum yield of scallops. Between 2000 and 2009, in‐season bycatch closures of prime scallop grounds resulted in economic losses over US$100 million. To address this constraint, we collaborated with the scallop fishing industry to implement a bycatch avoidance program in the Nantucket Lightship harvest area in 2010. Vessels shared near real‐time location information about bycatch amounts during fishing activities. We compiled the information, identified bycatch hotspots, and provided daily advisories to vessels on the fishing grounds. Catch per tow of Yellowtail and fishing effort in high bycatch regions significantly declined after the fleet received the advisories. The fleet harvested the target scallop allocation worth US$40 million while catching only 32% of the Yellowtail bycatch limit. This program continues as a collaborative, iterative approach to bycatch reduction that balances fleet objectives with conservation constraints.

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