Saving Seafood

As NOAA predicts larger than average Gulf dead zone, study reveals billions in damage to fish stocks

June 4, 2020 — NOAA scientists announced on 3 June that the forecast for the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic area, more commonly referred to as the “dead zone,” will be larger than average in 2020.

The current forecast of the dead zone – an area of low to no oxygen that can kill fish and other marine life – predicts an area of roughly 6,700 square miles, which is larger than the recent average measured size of the dead zone of 5,387 square miles. For comparison, 6,700 square miles is roughly the size of the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Researchers predict warming Atlantic will push lobsters offshore, scallops northward

June 4, 2020 — East Coast sea scallop stocks will likely follow lobsters in shifting away from rich Mid-Atlantic and southern New England grounds in the coming decades as a consequence of warming ocean waters, according to a new study that projects the impact of climate change on the two richest Atlantic fisheries.

Researchers used species distribution models and a high-resolution global climate model to picture the possible impact of climate change on habitat for lobsters and scallops in the Northeast continental shelf ecosystem, ranging from the New York Bight north to southern New England, Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine.

Their findings, recently published in the journal Diversity and Distributions, suggest that over the coming 80 years both lobsters and scallops will be shifting northward, and lobsters also moving into deeper Gulf of Maine waters.

The researchers note that the latest benchmark assessment of the lobster stock, cited by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 2015, showed the stock in the southern Mid-Atlantic range was already severely depleted due to several environmental factors including recruitment failure and shell disease related to warmer waters.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Reminder: Habitat Committee Webinar on Scenario Deepening, June 5

June 3, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

As part of its Climate and Communities Initiative (CCI) the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is sponsoring a series of webinars with its advisory bodies, which are open to the public.

The webinar with focus on Habitat concerns will be held on the following date and times:

  • Habitat Committee: Friday, June 5, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Please see the CCI “Scenario Deepening” webinar notice on the Council’s website for materials and public participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Reminder: Salmon Advisory Subpanel and Management Team Webinar on Scenario Deepening, June 2

May 29, 2020 — The following was released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council:

As part of its Climate and Communities Initiative (CCI) the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is sponsoring a series of webinars with its advisory bodies, which are open to the public.

The webinar with focus on salmon fishery management will be held on the following date and time:

  • Salmon Advisory Subpanel and Technical Team: Tuesday, June 2, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Please see the CCI “Scenario Deepening” webinar notice on the Council’s website for materials and public participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: New UW consortium will lead to a broader, deeper study of ocean health

May 28, 2020 — The University of Washington’s selection to host a new research consortium is a testament to the school’s well-earned reputation. It will help advance understanding of climate, ocean dynamics and marine ecosystems, building on the school’s track record of excellence in the field.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced last week that the UW will lead a new Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, which includes Oregon State University and University of Alaska Fairbanks. The designation comes with up to $300 million in funding for research into areas such as climate and ocean variability, the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, aquaculture and polar studies, in conjunction with the NOAA labs.

The selection is a testament to the UW’s research prowess: The commitment is nearly triple the last NOAA Cooperative Institute award to UW and formalizes longstanding collaborations among researchers along the West Coast.

Read the full opinion piece at The Seattle Times

Maine to collect ocean acidification data with new sensors

May 26, 2020 — Maine marine officials said three new sensors installed in a coastal community will help scientists get a better understanding of ocean acidifcation.

The growing acid levels in the ocean are a hazard for some kinds of sea life, including some of those sought by Maine fishermen. Scientists have linked acidification to factors that also drive climate change.

The Maine Department of Marine Resources said it has installed the three sensors in Boothbay Harbor. The department said the sensors will help researchers get a better understanding of how ocean acidification and dissolved oxygen levels can change the health of the state’s marine life and ecosystems.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

Protecting Fish Habitat Helps Put Food on Your Table

May 22, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Healthy habitats are productive habitats. They provide food and shelter for fish and help to maintain sustainable fish populations and fisheries that produce the seafood that we all love and depend on. Everyone benefits when marine habitats are protected from the effects of fishing.

Fish Rely on Healthy Habitats for Growth and Survival

Fish that live on or near the bottom of the ocean need food and places to hide from predators in order to survive and grow large enough to reproduce. Rocky habitats, especially those with lots of attached plants and animals like sponges, mussels, and anemones, are ideal habitats for many species of fish. These habitats are also the most vulnerable to impacts from commercial fishing gear. Nets and dredges that are towed over the bottom of the ocean can disturb bottom habitats, removing and damaging plants and animals that live there. Disturbed habitats provide fish with less food and less shelter from predators. Some habitat organisms grow and form very slowly. Once they are removed or damaged, it can take years for them to be replaced. As a result, if these vulnerable bottom habitats are fished too heavily they may never fully recover from the effects of fishing and are no longer healthy habitats for fish.

Types of Towed Fishing Gear

In New England and the Mid-Atlantic, fishermen use three primary types of towed commercial fishing gear: bottom trawls, scallop dredges, and clam dredges. Other gears such as lobster traps remain in place while fishing and have very little effect on bottom habitats.

Read the full release here

NOAA selects Univ. of Washington to host regional institute for climate and ocean research

May 22, 2020 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has selected the University of Washington to host a Pacific Northwest research institute focusing on climate, ocean and coastal challenges, supported by a five-year award worth up to $300 million.

  • The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, or CICOES, will be a collaboration involving UW as well as the University of Alaska at Fairbanks and Oregon State University. It’ll build on the 42-year history of UW’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, under the continued directorship of UW marine biologist John Horne.

Read the full story at Geek Wire

Reminder: Scientific and Statistical Committee Webinar on Scenario Deepening, May 26

May 22, 2020 — The following was released by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council:

As part of its Climate and Communities Initiative (CCI) the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) is sponsoring a series of webinars with its advisory bodies, which are open to the public.

The May 26 webinar (SSC) will be held on the following date:

  • Scientific and Statistical Committee: Tuesday, May 26, 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Please see the CCI “Scenario Deepening” SSC webinar notice on the Council’s website for materials and public participation details.

For further information:

  • Please contact Pacific Fishery Management Council staff officer Dr. Kit Dahl at 503-820-2422; toll-free 1-866-806-7204.

Warming Oceans Choke Fish as Habitats Get Less ‘Breathable’

May 20, 2020 — The cool, nutrient-rich water of the California Current supports a variety of marine life, including invisible phytoplankton, economically important salmon, rockfish, and Dungeness crab, and majestic orcas.

For the study in Science Advances, researchers used recent understanding of water breathability and historical data to explain population cycles of the northern anchovy. The findings for this key species could apply to other species in the current.

“If you’re worried about marine life off the west coast of North America, you’re worried about anchovies and other forage fish in the California Current. Ultimately it’s what underpins the food web,” says lead author Evan Howard, a postdoctoral researcher in oceanography at the University of Washington.

Read the full story at Futurity