Saving Seafood

Conservation & Environment

US pioneers restoration of deep water corals damaged by country’s worst oil spill

June 2, 2025 — In the twilight depths of the Gulf of Mexico, about as deep down as a football field is long, U.S. Navy divers carefully snip small branches of corals with gloved hands. Their voices crackle through communication systems to the ship above, distorted to high-pitched tones by the helium mixtures they breathe.

“These guys, they’re tough, tough Navy dudes that are saturation experimental divers,” Chris Gardner, a U.S. government fisheries biologist on the team that oversees deepwater coral restoration in the Gulf, told Mongabay. “But the audio can be a little goofy because they’re breathing mostly helium. So, there’s definitely some Mickey Mouse effects going on.”

The surreal scene, of highly trained Navy divers speaking in cartoon voices while performing precise underwater surgery on orange and purple coral colonies, illustrates the extraordinary measures underway to restore ecosystems damaged by the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon spill, the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

This work marks one of the world’s first attempts at deep-sea coral restoration, and the largest to date, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency in charge of the restoration.

Read the full article at Mongabay

NOAA predicts colder than normal deep-water temperatures for the Gulf of Maine

May 30, 2025 — The Gulf of Maine will again experience colder than normal bottom-water temperatures, according to a new forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA projects deep water temperatures in the Gulf of Maine will be cooler by 0.9 to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit this summer, compared to the seasonal average. The outlook is based on new models developed by NOAA researchers that provide large-scale predictions of the ocean and regional ecosystem changes.

Read the full article at Maine Public

Once in Dire Straits, Atlantic Sturgeon Are Staging a Comeback on the East Coast

May 29, 2025 — Matt Balazik surveyed Virginia’s James River for the carcass of a local legend. Growing up along the 340-mile tributary to the Chesapeake Bay, the scientist had heard plenty about Atlantic sturgeon, the large, ancient fish that was once abundant in this water. The species had always inspired fascination, here and elsewhere, because of its prehistoric build. Instead of scales, five rows of bony plates run along the length of its torpedo-shaped body—like armor on a dinosaur, a fellow creature of the Cretaceous period. Spotting a sturgeon jump out of the water was thus like glimpsing a living fossil.

But after periods of rampant overfishing and pollution, the fish had nearly vanished from the James and, in its scarcity, gained a certain mythological status. For all his days out on the river, Balazik had never seen one.

So when somebody reported an eight-foot floater near Herring Creek one day in 2007, the then-Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) graduate student didn’t hesitate to hop in a boat and start scanning the river’s surface for the fish that had long eluded him.

His sweeping search, however, proved fruitless. And as he turned around, he realized his vessel wouldn’t have enough fuel to make it back to VCU’s Rice Rivers Center. Chagrined, he waited by shore for his adviser to ferry over some gas.

Only then did Balazik finally lay eyes on the mammoth fish. One leapt from the water.

Read the full article at the Smithsonian Magazine

Restoration Revitalizes Fish Stock, Brings Community Together

May 29, 2025 — In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, commercial fish species in the Gulf of America (formerly the Gulf of Mexico) were significantly impacted. The Oceanic Fish Restoration Project, part of NOAA’s restoration efforts after the spill, partnered with the pelagic longline fishing community to help rebuild robust fisheries in the Gulf.

The Unique Challenges of Restoring Open Ocean Fisheries

For commercial fishermen, the spill halted their business instantly. The plume of oil, and other chemicals, exposed fish at all life stages to toxic levels of contaminants.

It also happened at the worst possible time for some fish: spawning season. Eggs, embryos, and larvae were all especially vulnerable to the impacts of oil and other contaminants. Unable to mature and reproduce, another generation of fish was lost. As Captain Ally Mercier in Pompano Beach, Florida said, after the spill, “the water was so polluted… there was [sic] just no fish.”

Restoration in the deep waters away from coastlines presents a unique challenge. “We can’t just replant fish,” explains Ellen Bolen, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Director of Marine and Coastal Restoration. NFWF is a partner in the project.

The Gulf’s pelagic longline fishery is made up of around 30 vessels along the coast from Texas to Florida. They use longline gear in the open ocean to catch fish like yellowfin tuna, swordfish, and mahi mahi, supplying seafood to the Gulf region and beyond. But longlines often catch juveniles with no commercial value and when caught, young fish typically don’t survive. Reducing this bycatch and increasing survivability rates were the key to replenishing these species.

Rebuilding robust oceanic fish populations would require keeping juveniles in the water longer—and giving them time to reproduce—all the while continuing to support the fishing industry.

Partnering with Industry to Develop a Plan

To help reduce bycatch and support open ocean fisheries, NOAA and partners focused on using a different type of fishing gear. The gear would still catch what the fishermen were after, but would also greatly reduce the number of juvenile fish killed in the process.

To understand more about the fishing community—who they were, how their fishery operated, and what their needs were—the project team connected directly with community members.

Sandy Nguyen came aboard as a critical partner and the project’s first community liaison. She encouraged the fishing community to apply to participate and supported them through the administrative process of coming on board.

Rebuilding pelagic fish populations was a goal shared by federal and state agencies, fishermen, surrounding communities, and more. As the project came to life, another community liaison joined: Bobby Nguyen. “Everybody that’s connected to this project is hoping to give a fighting chance for these fish to come back,” he said.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Walmart slashing 1,500 corporate jobs

May 29, 2025 — Not long after Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.A.-based retail giant Walmart warned it would have to raise prices on customers due to tariffs, it is now planning to cut around 1,500 corporate positions as part of a restructuring push to simplify its operations, according to a memo reported by Reuters.

Teams in its global technology operations, e-commerce fulfillment in U.S. stores, and its advertising business Walmart Connect will be impacted, according to the firm.

Read the full at SeafoodSource

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Partners Announce More than $23.4 Million for Fish Habitat Conservation in 2025

May 29, 2025 — The following was released by the National Fish Habitat Partnership:
Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) (htps://fishhabitat.org), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and partners are providing more than $23.4 million to support 53 on-the-ground fish habitat conservation projects in 29 states. The USFWS is providing $5.9 million this year, with non-governmental organizations, state resource agencies, and other partners contributing an additional $20.4 million. This represents a 6.7:1 leveraged funding match for NFHP funding.
These projects empower and boost locally led conservation efforts that restore and reconnect habitats to create more robust fish populations, improved fishing opportunities, and healthier waterways. Twenty individual Fish Habitat Partnerships across the nation make up our national efforts and work with a variety of partners, including private landowners, farmers and ranchers, Tribes, non-profit organizations, state, federal, and local government agencies, and many others to achieve fish habitat conservation goals that protect, restore, and enhance habitat conditions locally for fish.
In 2025, project types include removing barriers to fish passage, reducing erosion from farm and ranchlands, restoring stream banks, combating the impacts of drought, and conducting monitoring and assessment work to identify conservation needs for fish and their habitats. This year’s projects meet local priorities through partnerships that span from restoring urban and suburban streams to reconnecting tidal wetlands, in states across the country from Alaska to Vermont. Projects target and address limiting factors to improve habitat, water quality, and benefit our nation’s fisheries resources. This funding will also support the coordination of individual Fish Habitat Partnerships and the operations of the National Fish Habitat Board to help establish national priorities under NFHP.
“Annually, the National Fish Habitat Partnership focuses on putting priority conservation projects on-the-ground through partnerships, which benefit both fish and the American people,” said Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Chair of the National Fish Habitat Board. “These locally-driven projects are designed to leave a conservation legacy for the protection, restoration and enhancement of fish habitat for future generations to enjoy in the outdoors.”
 
NFHP uses a nationally focused aquatic conservation strategy to maximize the reach of limited fish habitat conservation dollars. Under NFHP, federal, state, tribal, and privately raised funds are leveraged through regional Fish Habitat Partnerships to address the nation’s biggest fish habitat challenges. The USFWS is a key partner in implementing the partnership, providing leadership and technical expertise on the local, regional, and national levels, as well as financial assistance directly to partners for on-the-ground conservation projects. Since 2006, the USFWS has provided over $65.6 million to conservation projects which leveraged at a 5:1 ratio to provide over $335 million in funding support for fish habitat conservation projects that improve angling and recreational opportunities across the nation.
 
NFHP assembles the collective expertise of federal, state, and non-governmental organizations to identify and prioritize conservation work to achieve significant benefits for fish and other aquatic resources for the American people.
 
For more information on all of our NFHP projects, please visit our Projects and Accomplishments Dashboard.

Seattle’s Alaska Pollock Industry Unites for Inaugural ‘Net Recycling Day’

May 29, 2025 — The following was released by the At-Sea Processors Association:

In a powerful display of responsibility in action, more than 150 volunteers from the Alaska Pollock catcher-processor fleet gathered at Terminal 91 today for the first-ever Net Recycling Day. Today’s event was a collaborative hands-on effort to dismantle and recycle end-of-life fishing nets previously used for harvesting Wild Alaska Pollock—the world’s most sustainable whitefish.

Five of the region’s predominant fishing companies led the event, including: American Seafoods, Arctic Storm Management Group, Coastal Villages Region Fund, Glacier Fish Company and Trident Seafoods. These companies are all members of the At-Sea Processors Association working collectively to raise the bar on sustainable fisheries management.
Volunteers from each of the five companies, as well as from other companies that support and partner with the Wild Alaska Pollock fishery, teamed up throughout the day to cut, sort and prepare four retired fishing nets for recycling. Participants worked side by side with vessel captains, crew, and gear experts, gaining first-hand experience working with the gear and learning how each part functions.

The recycled net material will be sent to specialized facilities where it will be repurposed into new life forms including decking, outdoor furniture and sports equipment, lunch trays, and other goods, thereby extending the life of gear that might otherwise accumulate in coastal communities or in landfills.
“Fishing gear doesn’t last forever—but it also doesn’t have to go to waste. As we continuously improve our nets and gear, it is encouraging to know that the gear that has served one useful purpose can now serve another one,” said Tim Fitzgerald, Chief Sustainability Officer at American Seafoods. “Today’s Net Recycling Day brought out the catcher-processor sector of the Alaska Pollock industry together in a deeply collaborative way to show that recycling efforts are possible—and already happening—right here in Seattle.”
While this is the inaugural event for all five companies representing the catcher-processor sector of the Alaska Pollock fishery, net recycling events have been held, individually, by some of the companies for years. American Seafoods, for example, has been holding its own net recycling events since 2021.
“Access to resources for responsible recycling and disposal of old fishing gear is a pressing need. Any step we can take to prevent accumulation of marine debris, microplastics, and ghost gear, results in valuable lessons we hope to share with other fisheries,” said Caitlin Yeager, Vice President of the At-Sea Processors Association. “Our members are constantly evaluating their fishing practices through collaborative research, improved bycatch reduction devices, and new technology such as live feed cameras. Getting rid of the old makes way for the new and serves as a reminder of the strides being taken in our commitment to responsible fisheries management.”
The Net Recycling Day took place today, at Pier 91, from 8:30am – 3:30pm. Multimedia clips from the event, including photo and video, can be found here.

As glaciers melt, salmon and mining companies are vying for the new territory

May 28, 2025 — The Tulsequah Glacier meanders down a broad valley in northwest British Columbia, 7 miles from the Alaska border. At the foot of the glacier sits a silty, gray lake, a reservoir of glacial runoff. The lake is vast, deeper than Seattle’s Space Needle is tall. But it didn’t exist a few decades ago, before 2 miles of ice had melted.

On an overcast day, a helicopter carrying three salmon scientists zoomed up the valley. As it neared the lake, the pilot banked to the right and flew over the south side of the basin, whirring over a narrow outlet where it drains into the Tulsequah River. He landed on a beach of small boulders and the researchers clambered out one by one.

“We don’t think there are fish here yet,” said one of them, Jon Moore, an aquatic ecologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. “But there will be soon.”

The lake, so new to the landscape that it doesn’t have an official name, is still too cold and murky for salmon, but that’s likely to change soon. As the Tulsequah Glacier above it retreats, the lake is getting warmer and clearer, becoming a more attractive environment for migrating fish. “It’s going to be popping off,” Moore said.

Read the full article at KYUK

NOAA ocean outlook projects cooler deep waters for Gulf of Maine

May 28, 2025 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Gulf of Maine, historically one of the fastest-warming ocean regions in the world, is predicted to experience cooler bottom water temperatures this spring and summer, according to a new experimental outlook developed by NOAA scientists.

Initial signs of this shift were reported by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and documented in the NOAA Fisheries 2025 New England State of the Ecosystem Report.

Data shows that since late 2023, the Northwest Atlantic has seen cooler bottom-water temperatures due to the southward movement of the eastern portion of the Gulf Stream and possibly an increased influx of Labrador Slope and Scotian Shelf water into the system. Researchers expect the Gulf of Maine to be 0.9-1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (0.5-1 degree Celsius) cooler this summer compared to the average summer temperature.

“The cooling trend from the Labrador Shelf region is significant and could have important effects on local marine ecosystems and fisheries,” said Vincent Saba, a research fishery biologist at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center.

Bottom-water temperatures influence the productivity of groundfish, like cod, haddock, pollock, and several species of flounder, which prefer cooler water. Lobster, the most valuable fishery in the northeast, are also temperature-sensitive. Warming waters along the New England coast in recent decades have contributed to the collapse of the southern New England lobster population while the Gulf of Maine population has boomed. Researchers expect that cooler waters will impact this economically and culturally important species.

The commercial fishing industry in New England is a major economic driver, contributing $1.4 billion in revenue to the regional economy in 2022 and supporting over 280,000 jobs. The industry also has a significant socioeconomic impact on coastal communities.

A companion longer-term outlook, also developed by NOAA scientists, suggests that more frequent inflows of cooler deep waters may continue to temper warming in the basin for the next several years. Continued monitoring is needed to confirm this prediction.

“This is the first product to offer high-resolution predictive information on ocean conditions at near-term time scales for the full East Coast of the U.S.,” said Katherine Mills, Senior Scientist at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. “Species in the groundfish complex—like cod, haddock and winter flounder—are more productive when water temperatures are cooler. This information can be used to anticipate where and when certain marine species might be available and help commercial harvesters and supply chain businesses more effectively plan their operations.”

This seasonal outlook was developed under the Changing Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) by scientists across NOAA Research and Fisheries, with input from the National Ocean Service, National Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service and the National Weather Service.

The outlook is based on two models developed by NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. The first is SPEAR, the “Seamless System for Prediction and Earth System Research”, which provides large-scale predictions for the ocean, atmosphere and land. The SPEAR output is then fed into a higher-resolution regional model, built with the Modular Ocean Model version 6 (MOM6), to simulate ecosystem changes in the coastal regions.

Working in tandem, the two models generate ocean predictions for a wide region along the U.S. East Coast, from the Gulf of Maine through the Southeast U.S. and into the Caribbean Islands  that are home to economically important fisheries and protected species. The outlook for the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean regions predicts moderately above-normal surface temperatures through this spring and summer.

Through CEFI, NOAA Research is building out experimental regional ocean prediction systems for all U.S. coastal regions and the Great Lakes that will include information on ocean chemistry (acidity, oxygen) and plankton populations. The regional configurations all rely on NOAA’s global prediction systems for large-scale information while enabling finer resolution of local features critical for fisheries and coastal communities.

“These outlooks help us communicate these predicted changes, allowing the fishing industry and coastal communities to prepare and respond effectively,” Saba said.

Cooler water bottom temperatures could aid New England fisheries

May 28, 2025 — Cold water flowing into the the Gulf of Maine from Canada’s Maritimes region this spring and summer could have a positive impact on key seafood species whose U.S. populations have plummeted due to climate change-induced warming waters, according to new NOAA research.

Data shows that since late 2023, a shift in the eastern Gulf Stream has helped chill bottom-water temperatures in the Northwest Atlantic, which could result in an influx of cold water into northernmost New England. Researchers from the agency’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center say flows from Canada’s Labrador Slope and Scotian Shelf could result in the Gulf of Maine being 0.9 to 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the summer average.

The Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest-warming ocean regions in the world, according to NOAA, where rising water temperatures have spurred migration of lobster and other fish species toward Canadian waters in the Bay of Fundy. The result has been a steep dropoff in southern New England’s lobster economy to the benefit of lobstermen in the Gulf of Maine.

Read the full article at E&E News