This model was parameterized in biological years, with the models starting in July 1984 and continuing through December 2015. Two years of dummy catch and effort data were entered before July 1984 for a model burn-in period. This burn in period allowed for recruitment deviations or cycles to begin before the actual starting year data were called into the model. The Stock Synthesis assessment model was parameterized with pink shrimp commercial catch data including; directed fishing effort by year and month, i.e., effort for those trips where >90 percent of the catch were pink shrimp, used to calculate monthly CPUE; total catch; and catch by size, i.e., size composition data consisting of count of numbers of shrimp per pound; for statistical zones 1-11 from January 1984 through December 2015. To calculate catch and CPUE statistics the methods outlined in Nance et al. (2008) were used. Beginning with pilot studies in 1999, an electronic logbook program (ELB) was initiated to augment shrimp fishing effort measurements. Gallaway et al. (2003a, 2003b) provides an in depth description of this ELB data collection program and data collection procedures. These ELB data are used to supplement the effort and location data collected by NMFS port agents and state trip tickets. Total catch in pounds of shrimp tails by month was a primary input. In addition, catch is entered into the model as monthly catch in pounds in each of eleven size bins. These count categories are; <15, 15-20, 21-25, 26-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-67, 68-80, 81-100,101-115, and >115 (Hart and Nance 2010).