May 26, 2024 — Fish are becoming smaller and we humans are most likely to blame. Climate change and overconsumption have drastically altered fish populations and could lead to food struggles in the future. Other species are also seeing changes due to climate change, which could lead to a shift in the aquatic ecosystem as it is currently known. Nonetheless, many marine ecosystems are actively adapting to the changing ocean and climate conditions, showing more resilience than expected.
After new study, feds aim to preserve historic shipwrecks in Gulf of Mexico
May 20, 2024 — In late 2011, technicians for the petroleum company Shell were surveying the Gulf of Mexico for potential drilling sites when they came across an anomaly.
About 274 miles south of Galveston, Texas, and roughly 4,300 feet below the surface, sonar illuminated a rare sight. It was the hull of an 84-foot long sailing ship, its masts broken and cast to the sides.
The techs reported their discovery to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an agency within the Department of Interior which currently manages a database of around 4,000 shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico, plus thousands more on the East and West coasts. The agency partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to explore the shipwreck. Researchers ultimately found two more sunk ships in the vicinity, naming them Monterrey A, B and C.
The Monterrey shipwrecks are now among 13 sites nominated by the BOEM for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Texas State University, which helped with Monterrey excavation, has called the find “one of the more significant shipwreck sites discovered in the Gulf.”
The BOEM last month published a series of videos showcasing the findings from each site — the result of a comprehensive study that was part of the nomination process. Authors hope their study will serve as a template for future nominations.
“Not all shipwrecks are created equal,” said James Delgado, an independent marine archaeologist who wrote the study. “They all have their own significance for their own reasons.”
Along with two other BOEM-nominated shipwreck sites, the Monterrey shipwrecks appear to be early 19th century ocean-going commercial traders.
Read the full article at the Courthouse News Service
17 Industry Groups Ask Congress to Fund North Pacific Fisheries Surveys at No Less Than $15M
May 16, 2024 — A letter from 17 industry leaders to Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska urged Congress to “prioritize immediate and long-term funding” for the annual surveys of core commercial fisheries populations in the North Pacific done by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).
The May 10 letter was based on an earlier letter from the Freezer Longline Coalition (FLC), a trade association representing the owners of 19 longline vessels that target Pacific cod, urging the senators to bolster the survey program with funding and a strategic plan.
FLC’s executive director Chad See noted in his April 25 letter how essential collection of data is to support the sustainable management of North Pacific species, which provide “60% of all seafood harvested in the U.S. each year, directly support nearly 50,000 jobs and contribute nearly $16 billion to the U.S. economy.”
Just as annual surveys give scientists core data over a long term, missing or delaying surveys may leave scientists in the dark on anomalies that impact a species’ health. The cancellation of surveys during Covid meant managers were unaware of a continued, catastrophic drop in Bering Sea snow crab abundance. The head’s up they would have gotten in 2019 was not fully realized until 2021, delaying measures to recover the stock and contributing to unintentionally high catch limits.
“Stock data aside, North Pacific surveys also generate a wealth of other data that is helping NMFS scientists and fisheries stakeholders to better understand the impacts of climate change in the region and to anticipate potential management changes and other actions to support the continued sustainability of the fisheries, the marine ecosystem and the fishermen and communities that rely on the resource,” FLC’s See wrote in the April letter. “Perhaps more than anywhere else, the Arctic region within which the North Pacific lies is experiencing first-hand the impacts of a changing climate.”
Long-term ocean sampling in Narragansett Bay reveals plummeting plankton levels: impact uncertain for local food web
May 16, 2024 — URI researchers estimate that in Narragansett Bay, the level of tiny plantlike creatures called phytoplankton has dropped by half in the last half century, based on new analysis of a long-term time series study of the bay.
That’s what a new paper published by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) reports — news, recently uncovered, that is both surprising and concerning.
Analyzing the full time series of the bay, the research team found that phytoplankton biomass in Narragansett Bay declined by a stunning 49% from 1968 to 2019. The intensity of the winter-spring bloom, which starts the annual cycle of productivity in the Bay, decreased over time and is also occurring earlier each year.
URI’s new study in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) shares information from one of the longest plankton time series in the world. The subject of study is not only a destination for generations of Rhode Islanders and tourists but a fruitful site of research for oceanographers at URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus.
“A lot of people live, work and play on the shores of Narragansett Bay,” Oceanography Professor Tatiana Rynearson says, providing key goods and services for the nearly 2 million people who inhabit its watershed. Even in the dense Northeast, Narragansett Bay stands out as a well-used body of water. The bay sits between regions of cold winters and warm summers, Arctic waters to the north and warm waters to the south, existing at a bit of a scientific sweet spot that offers researchers a dynamic environment to study.
Sharing Aquaculture Science Across Borders: 50 Years of American-Japanese Collaboration
May 15, 2024 — Food is a powerful means of sharing culture, and the United States and Japan share a love of delicious and sustainable farmed seafood. Since 1971, NOAA Fisheries and the Japanese Fisheries Research and Education Agency have collaborated through the U.S.-Japan Natural Resources Aquaculture Panel.
The panel’s principal aims are to cooperatively:
- Develop and conserve natural resources
- Share information and results of research activities
- Provide a continuing forum for applied science and technology cooperation
“The two countries, Japan and the United States, have very different cultural backgrounds and for this very reason we can work together to solve problems from different perspectives, producing results that cannot be achieved in one country,” said Dr. Hideaki Aono, former Japan Panel Chair (2019–2024). “Since there has been more than 50 years of research exchange between two countries, the strong sense of trust facilitates sharing knowledge and technology.”
Science and Technology Exchange
The panel has evolved to adapt to emerging challenges and opportunities. NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture sponsors this bilateral in collaboration with aquaculture scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and national Sea Grant programs. The panel holds annual meetings where scientists share research results, new technology, and approaches for sustainable aquaculture.
Over the years, American and Japanese aquaculture experts have collaborated on:
- Laboratory and field research
- Exchanges of samples for research
- Synthesizing hard-to-get data in the archives of each nation
- Gathering statistics to chart the growth of the aquaculture industries in both the United States and Japan
Gulf of Maine Research Institute Webinar to focus on Farmed Shellfish Market Analysis and Historic Growth
May 14, 2024 — The following was released by Gulf of Maine Research Institute:
An upcoming webinar will take a deep dive into the analysis of the farmed shellfish market released earlier this year by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute that showed Maine’s farmed shellfish industry is projected to bring in well over $20 million in yearly revenues by 2028.
In this free webinar, experts from GMRI and Pentallect will share valuable information on the current market scenario, growth opportunities, and key challenges in the industry.
This webinar is for aquaculture farmers who want to better understand current shellfish markets, as well as financial intuitions who may be involved or are interested in the market outlook of aquaculture businesses (to give loans or invest in) and seafood distributors. Presenters will discuss current market trends, highlight growth opportunities and key findings from the Shellfish Market Analysis published in February.
The report finds that Maine has a “significant opportunity to expand its farmed shellfish industry” and that based on projections, the Maine shellfish industry could achieve revenues of over $28 million by 2028, or a 40 percent growth from 2022.
In total, shellfish represents a $700+ million in the U.S. marketplace for domestic harvesters, and $1.1 billion including imports. Maine accounts for approximately 3.5 percent of the total shellfish domestic-sourced landings, delivering approximately $26 million in landed value.
Oysters in particular are seeing dramatic growth since the last report in 2016. The Northeast region of the United States has been the only region to expand oyster capacity over the past six years, and is well positioned to capitalize on that growth and demand not met by other markets.
Maine specifically has been the Northeast share growth leader since 2015, gaining a staggering 8 share points from Massachusetts, the current greatest share holder.The best, or mid-point, projection estimates that demand for Maine oysters will grow by almost 50 percent over the 5-year planning horizon, generating approximately 5.5 million oysters. Demand for Maine aquaculture-sourced mussels is projected to grow approximately 40 percent over current supply by 2028, which exceeds the largest harvest achieved in 2019 by close to 20 percent, the report found.
While Maine’s scallop industry is only 2 percent of scallop volume nationally, Maine scallops fetch the highest average price per pound. The report finds that scallops are a newer aquaculture market and are less impacted by federal quotas than other regions, given the majority of scallops coming from day-boats in state waters.
For more information, read more about the shellfish market and opportunities for growth here: GMRI_Farmed_Shellfish_Market_
To register for the webinar, please visit: Shellfish Market Analysis Webinar – Gulf of Maine Research Institute (gmri.org)
WHO: GMRI Scientists, Pentallect experts, aquaculture famrers, financial institutions
WHAT: A deep dive and discussion on the Market Shellfish Analysis
WHEN: Thursday, May 23, 4 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
WHERE: Zoom
About the Gulf of Maine Research Institute:
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. Located in Portland, ME, the institute is dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.gmri.org.
SMAST faculty receive $4.9 million through sea scallop research program
May 12, 2024 — Faculty at the UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) have received a combined total of $4,898,059 in this year’s NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program.
Through the Scallop RSA Program, the New England Fishery Management Council “sets aside” scallop poundage to generate funds for scallop research projects. RSA awards provide funding for research and compensation for fishing industry partners who harvest the scallops. These programs support research that informs fishery management decisions, and foster collaboration between the fishing industry and scientific community, leading to more informed and effective management of scallop resources.
Research projects are selected by NOAA on a competitive basis. For the 2024-2025 Scallop RSA Program, 3 of the 14 selected projects belong to SMAST researchers.
Commonwealth Professor Changsheng Chen is the principal investigator on a 2-year project titled, “Assessing Cumulative Impact of Offshore Wind Energy Development on Sea Scallop Laval Transport and Settlement in Southern New England Waters.” The project aims to further evaluate the cumulative impacts of wind turbine generators on scallop larval dispersion, transport, and recruitment.
Assistant Research Professor Adam J. Delargy and SMAST Dean Kevin D.E. Stokesbury are the principal investigators on a project titled “Intensive drop camera surveys of sea scallops in two key areas of Georges Bank,” which consists of drop camera surveys in two Nantucket Lightship SAMS zones and part of the Northern Edge Habitat Area of Particular Concern. Results will be used to estimate scallop biomass in support of the scallop harvest specification process.
Understanding the Best Conditions for Rice’s Whales
May 12, 2024 — NOAA Fisheries has been on a quest to find what conditions make the best habitat for the endangered Rice’s whale. A team of scientists from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center published research findings in the journal Endangered Species Research that characterize their habitat. The findings were based on whale surveys and oceanographic data.
The study found the oceanographic conditions important for Rice’s whale habitat are primarily located along the outer edge of the continental shelf around the Gulf of Mexico. Here, conditions promote high food productivity and likely support optimal feeding habitat for the whales.
Transformation of ocean management is underway, study finds
May 12, 2024 — Marine ecosystem-based management (EBM) is a growing practice of ocean stewardship and conservation that offers benefits to the production of healthy, local food and the preservation of clean water, as well as recreation, habitation and storm protection in the Gulf of Maine and beyond.
Despite its benefits and recognition as a keystone practice of ocean stewardship and conservation, adoption of EBM has been slow to take hold. The first mention of EBM was included in U.S. fisheries management guidance documents more than 20 years ago.
Resource managers and policymakers need a proof-of-concept that this approach can occur incrementally with existing resources and tools. Previous management efforts have been implemented sector by sector focused on fisheries or navigation, but a transformation in ocean management to enable more ecosystem-based approaches is underway.
To support this change in ocean management, a group of researchers and practitioners, including University of Maine marine sciences professor Heather Leslie, have investigated the global progress of marine EBM initiatives.
Live Long and Prosper! When it Comes to Shark Surveys, Longevity Matters
May 12, 2024 — There is a popular quotation among fisheries scientists by John Shepherd: “Counting fish is just like counting trees, except they’re invisible and they keep moving around.” It’s a great analogy, and a good illustration of why surveys are valuable for fisheries management. When scientists fish areas in a standardized way over many years, it gives us a way to keep a relative count of fish stocks over time, despite all the moving these “invisible” fish may do. When it comes to managing long-lived species like sharks, repeated surveying over the years can also be an opportunity to see repeat customers!
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