Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Trollers help track what’s driving Southeast Alaska’s catch

October 22, 2026 — Twenty Southeast Alaska commercial troll vessels will help researchers investigate how changing ocean conditions influence where salmon and other fish are found as part of a new nearly $600,000 research project.

According to the Juneau Empire, the Sitka-based Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust announced the project Oct. 1 after receiving a $293,600 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Combined with $300,000 in matching funds, the project is valued at $593,600.

The effort will recruit 20 commercial troll vessels for the 2028 and 2029 fishing seasons, pairing fishermen’s catch information with measurements of underwater temperature and depth.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Rise of hybrid crabs raises questions for Bering Sea management

October 22, 2026 — A surge in hybrid crabs in the Bering Sea is raising new questions about how federal regulators count crab populations and set harvest limits, according to new Kodiak-based research.

The study, “A Bering Sea marine heatwave triggers unprecedented crab hybridization, challenging fisheries management,” was authored by Erin Fedewa, Emily Ryznar, Connor Cleary and Mike Litzow at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center Kodiak Lab, and published Monday in the  Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Read the full article at the Kodiak Daily Mirror

Decade of Data Shows Rapid Decline in Pelagic Fish and Invertebrates in Deep Gulf

October 21, 2026 — Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, scientists across the region jumped into action to monitor its impacts. One particular effort focused on pelagic nekton—the small critters like fish, shrimp, and cephalopods that swim freely in the ocean and serve as the base of pelagic food webs. The Deep-Pelagic Nekton Dynamics of the Gulf (DEEPEND) Consortium led this project to quantify long-term trends in the offshore fauna of the Gulf. While observed declines in these critical prey groups can’t be tied directly to the spill, scientists have not identified another likely explanation.

Tracking the Shift: A Decade of Deepwater Science

The first pelagic nekton sampling effort took place as soon as possible following the spill, with sampling occurring almost continuously for 9 months in 2011. These data represent the benchmark of pelagic nekton to which past and future numbers can be compared. The numbers were also similar to data collected during the 1980s and 1990s.

The next sampling involved six efforts across four consecutive years (2015–2018), followed by three more in 2021–2023. Overall, these efforts comprise more than a decade of abundance and composition data for pelagic nekton in the Gulf of America.

During each of these events, the project team sampled discrete depths from 0 to 1,500 meters in the Gulf using a 10-square-meter Multiple Opening/Closing Net and Environmental Sensing System, or MOCNESS, with 3 millimeter mesh. Once net tows were complete, the science teams identified and counted each of the animals collected in each sample.

In addition to traditional net-sampling methods, the team also used echosounders to measure acoustic backscatter in the water column during the day and at night. This allowed them to independently estimate relative abundance of animals in fine spatial detail. Scientists also collected tissue samples from three dominant lanternfish species to monitor changes in genetic diversity.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

VIMS Survey Finds Average Striped Bass Year Class in Chesapeake Bay

October 21, 2026 — Preliminary results from an ongoing long-term survey conducted by William & Mary‘s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) suggest that an average year class of young-of-year striped bass was produced in the Virginia tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in 2026.

Striped bass are an important top predator in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and a valuable resource for commercial and recreational anglers. The 2026 year class, representing fish hatched this spring, will reach fishable sizes in three to four years.

The VIMS Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey recorded a mean value of 9.52 fish per seine haul in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The 2026 value is an increase from the 5.12 fish per seine haul recorded in 2025, though both years are similar to the historical average (7.77 fish per seine haul) observed in Virginia tributaries. The improvement in recruitment observed in 2025 and 2026 is consistent with historically observed patterns: years with below-average recruitment (i.e., 1999, 2002, 2012, 2024) were followed by years with average to above-average recruitment (i.e., 2000, 2003, 2013, 2025).

“While this year’s class is considered average in terms of abundance, it represents a significant increase from 2024,” said Jack Buchanan, marine scientist at VIMS and the chief scientist of the Juvenile Striped Bass Seine Survey, who noted that striped bass recruitment can vary considerably from year to year. “A single year of poor recruitment can be partially offset by the previous or following year’s production, which helps stabilize the overall population and the fisheries it supports.”

Read the full article at ECO Magazine

MARYLAND: The Chesapeake Bay’s young rockfish are still struggling. It may be the ‘new normal.’

October 20, 2026 — For the eighth straight year, Maryland scientists found well below average numbers of young rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay.

This summer’s survey, released Monday, showed the best results since 2018, the last time that surveyors counted an above-average quantity of juvenile striped bass, or rockfish. But with “young of the year” index of 5.5 this year — compared to a historical average of 10.8 — Maryland scientists aren’t really celebrating.

“The important piece of information is that it is still below average, and it is now the eighth year of low abundance,” said Carrie Kennedy, the Tidal and Coastal Monitoring and Assessment Division director for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Virginia scientists also released their results Monday, showing a slightly better picture. The state’s index was 9.52, a bit above its historical average of 7.77.

In Maryland, it’s possible that these continued low numbers of rockfish at or below 3 inches in length are “the new normal,” Kennedy said. Fisheries scientists believe that changing environmental conditions, including water temperature, could be altering the species’ reproduction in some way. Maryland’s survey has been running since 1954, making it one of the longest-running fish surveys in the nation, according to the DNR.

Read the full article at Maryland Matter

Shark Depredation Tripled in 20 Years of Longline Survey

October 20, 2026 — Depredation, the removal of or damage to hooked fish or gear by sharks or other marine predators, is a growing concern among fishing communities. Depredation results in increased mortality for managed fish stocks, economic loss, and degraded fishing experiences.

NOAA Fisheries biologists Dr. William “Trey” Driggers and Dr. Walter Ingram recently analyzed data from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Bottom Longline Survey. Their goal: to determine trends in depredation rates over the past two decades. This is one of the first fishery-independent analyses of shark depredation—most research has been conducted in the fishery. The data confirm what anglers are seeing on the water: increasing trends in depredation by species like sandbar, blacktip, bull, and tiger sharks. 

History of the Bottom Longline Survey

The annual Bottom Longline Survey, which started in 1995, samples U.S. waters of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of America, from Brownsville, Texas, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Scientists use these data to monitor trends in abundance of federally managed sharks and other fish species like red snapper. It provides fishery-independent indices of abundance for numerous federal stock assessments in the Southeast region. When the survey protocol was standardized in 2001, Dr. Driggers recognized the importance of collecting data on depredation events. He added it as a standard data collection metric for the survey.

Since 2005, the survey has collected data on:

  • Whether depredation occurred
  • Predator species preying on the hooked catch, when possible
  • Species of the depredated catch
  • Variables like location, depth, temperature, and salinity

This has resulted in a standardized record of depredation events for all survey longline sets for more than two decades.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

MARYLAND: Maryland striped bass reproduction improves, remains below average for eighth straight year

October 20, 2026 — Striped bass reproduction in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay showed signs of improvement this year but remained below average for the eighth consecutive year, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The department’s annual juvenile striped bass survey recorded an index of 5.5, the highest since 2018. That is up from 4.0 in 2025 and 2.0 in 2024, but still well below the long-term average of 10.8.

Biologists say they collected 723 juvenile striped bass during sampling at 22 sites in the Choptank, Nanticoke, and Potomac rivers and the upper Chesapeake Bay. The upper Bay and Choptank River produced the strongest results, according to researchers.

Read the full article at WBOC

Decline in baby Maine lobsters is warning to the fishery, study finds

October 19, 2026 — A sharp decline in baby lobsters offered an early warning of substantial losses in Maine’s Midcoast lobster population, according to a new University of Maine study that connects falling numbers across successive stages of the crustaceans’ lives.

Researchers found that an 80% decline in baby lobsters sampled between 2010 and 2022 preceded declines farther along in the population: a 70% decrease in young lobsters since 2015 and a 50% decrease in adults large enough for fishermen to catch.
The findings show how a shortage of the smallest lobsters can work its way through the population, eventually reducing the number reaching harvestable size. They also underscore the importance of monitoring lobsters years before they enter the commercial fishery.
The study’s midcoast region, extending from Brunswick to the Schoodic Peninsula, recorded the steepest declines in the Gulf of Maine. That broad study area encompasses the waters off Waldo County and much of Maine’s central coast.
The losses followed a substantial boom. From the 2000s to the 2010s, the number of lobsters sampled in the region doubled before the trend reversed.
The research adds to evidence that the Gulf of Maine’s lobster population has declined since the mid-2010s, raising questions about the future of a fishery that generated more than $461 million in Maine landings in 2025.

Maryland Survey Finds Strongest Four-Year Run of Juvenile Menhaden Abundance in Over 30 Years

October 19, 2026 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) 2026 juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in Chesapeake Bay, has documented another year of abundant juvenile Atlantic menhaden, completing the strongest four-year average of juvenile menhaden abundance since 1988–1991, according to the full survey series dating back to 1959.

In today’s announcement, Maryland DNR reported that young Atlantic menhaden were again found in abundance during its 2026 juvenile striped bass survey. There was also good news on two other important forage species. Atlantic silversides were recorded in the highest numbers in more than a decade, and the Bay anchovy has shown better than average relative abundance over the past four years.

The underlying menhaden data reveal an especially striking trend. For four consecutive years, from 2023 through 2026, the Bay-wide juvenile menhaden abundance index has exceeded every annual reading recorded during the preceding 31 years, from 1992 through 2022.

The menhaden index reached 3.78 in 2023, followed by 3.66 in 2024, 2.54 in 2025 and 2.49 in 2026. The four-year average of 3.12 is the highest for any consecutive four-year period since 1988–1991.

The results provide substantial evidence of sustained strong juvenile menhaden abundance in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay survey waters, where menhaden serve as an important food source for predatory fish and birds.

The news for striped bass itself was less encouraging. Maryland reported an eighth consecutive year of below-average striped bass spawning success. However, the 2026 young-of-year index of 5.5 was the highest since 2018, improving from 4.0 in 2025 and 2.0 in 2024. The long-term average is 10.8.

Maryland DNR identified several environmental factors that can affect striped bass spawning success, including winter temperatures, spring rainfall and river flows. The agency noted that prolonged regional drought and resulting low river flows may have contributed to unfavorable spawning conditions in 2026.

Maryland’s latest survey adds four more years of strong juvenile menhaden observations to the scientific record as fisheries managers consider the future of menhaden management in the Chesapeake Bay. While the juvenile survey does not directly measure adult menhaden biomass or availability in particular areas, its findings provide important evidence about the Bay’s forage fish population.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) has also explained that ending all menhaden fishing would not, by itself, rebuild the striped bass population to its biomass target. The ASMFC manages Atlantic menhaden using ecological reference points designed to account for the forage needs of striped bass and other predators.

Sources: Maryland DNR announcement | Maryland DNR juvenile striped bass survey | the ASMFC Atlantic Menhaden FAQs

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

MARYLAND: Maryland Striped Bass Reproduction Index Higher for 2026 But Below Average For Eighth Straight Year

October 19, 2026 — The following was released by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources:

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) 2026 juvenile striped bass survey recorded a young-of-year index of 5.5. Although it marks the eighth consecutive year of low spawning success for striped bass, this is the highest index recorded since 2018. The survey tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in Chesapeake Bay.

During this annual survey, fisheries biologists sample 22 sites located in four major striped bass spawning areas: the Choptank, Nanticoke, and Potomac rivers, and the upper Chesapeake Bay. Biologists visit each site three times per summer, collecting fish with two sweeps of a 100-foot beach seine net. The index represents the average number of 3-inch or smaller juvenile striped bass caught in 132 sweeps of the net. The survey, one of the longest-running continuous fish surveys in the United States, has been conducted in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay since 1954.

This year’s survey captured 723 juvenile striped bass. The highest performing areas were the upper Bay and Choptank River. Although striped bass catches were below average, the fish were more widely distributed than in recent years, indicating suitable habitat throughout the nursery areas. The long-term average index for the survey is currently 10.8, while the index was 4.0 in 2025 and 2.0 in 2024. 

“We are encouraged to see some improvements to the numbers of juvenile striped bass this year, while it wasn’t as robust as we would like,” said Maryland DNR Fishing and Boating Services Director Michael Luisi. “Ongoing low recruitment is anticipated to impact rebuilding of the coastwide striped bass population. Results from coastwide juvenile indices will be incorporated into the ongoing work to produce the benchmark stock assessment expected to be completed in 2027.”

Biologists captured nearly 72,000 fish of 61 different species while conducting this year’s survey. Fishing license, tackle, boat, and marine fuel purchases fund DNR’s fish conservation work. Positive findings from the survey include two important forage species that were documented in abundance during the survey. Young Atlantic menhaden were found in abundance, while Atlantic silversides were found in the highest numbers in over a decade. These species are vital to the ecology of the Bay as a food source for many other species of fish and wildlife. Another encouraging finding was above-average reproduction of American shad in the Potomac River and upper Chesapeake Bay; however, the survey does not evaluate the larger, adult populations of these species.

Efforts to rebuild the Atlantic Coast population of striped bass to previous high levels have been underway for several years and are ongoing. Through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Maryland and other states that border the Atlantic Ocean have implemented management measures, including reductions to catch limits, tighter slot limits, and season closures. Continued low levels of reproduction will influence future conservation measures under consideration by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Recent population estimates indicate healthy adult populations of striped bass, despite the downturn in juvenile spawning success. A rebuilt adult population should reproduce successfully when conditions like river flow, temperature and food availability are favorable for striped bass eggs and larvae.

Multiple factors affect striped bass spawning success in the Chesapeake Bay. Cold winters and wet springs tend to be beneficial for spawning, and while Maryland experienced a cold winter, the prolonged regional drought and resulting low river flows may have led to unfavorable conditions for striped bass eggs and larvae. High river flows increase spawning habitat,  allow eggs to remain suspended in the water column, and bring larvae closer to food sources. Other variables, including a shortened spawning period, could also influence spawning success.

These consecutive below-average year classes will likely become more apparent among the adult population of striped bass in the coming years, as the juveniles reach maturity. A benchmark stock assessment for the coastwide population of Atlantic striped bass is underway and expected to complete peer review in spring 2027. The stock assessment will evaluate the condition of striped bass from Maine to North Carolina and inform future management actions.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science conducts a similar survey in the southern portion of Chesapeake Bay.