April 9, 2026 — The following was released by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA Fisheries today announced $3.4 million in grants to support data modernization and electronic data collection in U.S. fisheries. The grants will leverage $4.2 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of $7.6 million.
The grants were awarded through the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program (EMR Grant Program), a partnership between NFWF and NOAA Fisheries.
“Innovative technologies have always helped advance the science and practice of wildlife conservation,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The grants announced today will support the continued development of advancements in the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to modernize how vital fisheries data are collected, shared and analyzed. These conservation investments will benefit vital marine wildlife populations while also supporting more effective and efficient fishery management that will benefit the people and communities that rely upon them for their way of life.”
The 13 projects announced today will expand proven electronic monitoring and reporting to new fisheries, deploy artificial intelligence onboard vessels to make electronic data collection more efficient, and improve the timeliness of data collection in some of the nation’s largest fisheries. Projects will support sustainable management efforts in federal and state fisheries in Alaska, Alabama, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, along with the territory of Puerto Rico.
“By investing in emerging technologies, NOAA is continuing to provide fishermen with the high-tech tools necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of our nation’s seafood sources,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “These emerging technologies will improve data and increase the speed and transparency of information, allowing both managers and the fishing community to respond more effectively to the evolving challenges of our marine ecosystems.”
This year’s grants include multiple projects to transfer proven concepts and technology to new fisheries, spreading the economic and conservation benefits of electronic technologies further. One example is a project working to bring electronic monitoring to the scallop fishery in the U.S. Atlantic coast. Additional projects will continue the growth of electronic monitoring and electronic reporting in fisheries around the United States.
The EMR Grant Program was established in 2015 and advances NOAA Fisheries’ goals for productive and sustainable fisheries and safe sources of seafood by working to partner with fishermen and other stakeholders, state agencies, and Fishery Information Networks to incorporate technologies that modernize fisheries data collection and management. To date, the program has awarded more than $40.6 million to 139 projects in U.S. fisheries and has generated an additional conservation impact of $58.6 million through matching contributions. In 2025, Congress appropriated $3.5 million to NOAA Fisheries for this program’s 2025–2026 slate of awards.
A list of the 2026 grants made through the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting Grant Program is available here.
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,900 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $12 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.
About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Weather, water, and climate affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social media.