May 28, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is beginning a cooperative research initiative, partnering with the Northeast fishing industry to learn more about Atlantic mackerel population dynamics. The initiative will receive $2.3 million in the current fiscal year.
The project will engage more than 50 fishing vessels to collect and analyze data to improve our understanding of the Atlantic mackerel stock. Fishing vessels will be involved in:
- Developing acoustic technologies to detect and quantify mackerel, including active acoustics
- Collecting mackerel samples for biological analysis
- Tagging mackerel to understand movement between US and Canadian waters
- Participating in mackerel egg surveys to better understand spawning
- Developing and testing hypotheses about the ecosystem drivers of mackerel
This research initiative builds upon the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s 20-year model of success with cooperative research. This research includes working with the fishing industry to identify research needs, collect data, and support sustainable management of resource species.