One thing about being a fisheries biologist, and in a past life I was one, is how much fun it is to do fisheries research. It's often so much fun that the research continues forever, with very little happening on the ground as a result of the research. I would really hope that at some point the research, even if the data are inconclusive, points you in the right direction and that you actually start doing things on the ground. That's the reason our government instituted the recreational fisheries conservation partnerships program, which funded hundreds of on-the-ground projects: habitat improvement, fish passage enhancement, and those kinds of things.
I don't have much time, so give a quick answer. Is the ultimate goal of all this research to actually do something on the ground that will enhance salmon stocks?