Saving Seafood

Spencer Fullerton Baird: Founder of the Woods Hole Laboratory and Fisheries Science

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Spencer Fullerton Baird was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1823. Time spent as a child exploring the countryside with his brother fueled his passion for natural history. In 1838 he met John James Audubon, who gave him part of his bird collection, and encouraged young Baird’s interest in ornithology and collecting specimens.

He attended Dickinson College, receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1840. Baird then enrolled in the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York for a year, but decided he was not cut out for medical practice. He returned to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to continue his studies at Dickinson College. He received a master’s degree in 1843 and an honorary doctor of physical science degree in 1856

Baird was offered a teaching position at the college in 1845 as a professor of natural history. Popular with students for taking them into the field to study nature, he became chair of both the natural history and chemistry departments in 1848. He also served as librarian and curator of the college’s natural history collections.

Read the full release here

Meet Trevor Spradlin, Marine Mammal Biologist

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What do you do at NOAA Fisheries?

I am a marine mammal biologist and have been at NOAA Fisheries for 26 years. I am currently the Deputy Chief for the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division in the Office of Protected Resources. I work with an amazing team of colleagues on a suite of conservation issues for whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and sea turtles. I help supervise the scientists and managers in the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. The program coordinates and oversees the agency’s nationwide emergency response efforts to rescue marine mammals in distress, and investigates the health and health trends of marine mammal populations. I also work closely with our regional offices to develop and promote safe and responsible marine wildlife viewing practices. We encourage the public to learn about the animals in the wild without disturbing or harming them.

Tell us about your educational and career journey.

I was born and raised in Washington, D.C., so I am a city kid by birth but an ocean kid at heart. In my early years, I spent many weekends on the Chesapeake Bay and summer vacations at Atlantic coast beaches, which instilled a strong affinity for the ocean in me. I first became enamored with marine mammals at a very young age after visiting the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and experiencing the life-size models of whales and dolphins in the Ocean Hall. At the time, the museum had one of the few life-size models of a blue whale that existed in the world, and it was awe-inspiring to behold, especially as a small child.

I received my undergraduate degree from Boston University where I majored in Biology with a specialization in Marine Science and minored in Italian Studies. The Marine Science curriculum included a year at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. It was amazing to live on Cape Cod in a community so dedicated to marine science and conservation. I began volunteering at the New England Aquarium on weekends during my junior year of college. I assisted the wonderful curators who worked with the marine mammals in human care and responded to stranded animals. I volunteered for many years at the Aquarium and that experience opened numerous doors for me. I worked for several years for the pioneering marine mammal scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). I then worked at the Chicago Zoological Society/Dolphin Biology Research Institute on a suite of research projects investigating marine mammal behavior, acoustics, life history, and natural history.

Read the full release here

Celebrate Pride Month with NOAA Fisheries

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is proud to join the nation in recognizing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ (LGBTQ+) Pride Month to commemorate the many contributions of LGBTQ+ colleagues. This celebration throughout June is held to increase the awareness of LGBTQ+ history and contributions of individuals who are a part of this community.

Explore the features below to learn more about a new employee resource group created to provide a safe space for all. Get a closer look at the work of staff members throughout the country who help achieve our mission of ensuring sustainable fisheries and conserving marine species for future generations.

Read the full release here

NOAA gets first Senate-confirmed administrator since 2017

June 18, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday got a Senate-confirmed leader for the first time since 2017.

The Senate approved Richard Spinrad’s nomination to lead the oceans and weather agency by a voice vote, signaling that his nomination was noncontroversial.

In addition to leading NOAA, Spinrad will also serve as the Commerce Department’s undersecretary for oceans and atmosphere.

Read the full story at The Hill

NOAA Fisheries Updates Policy on Issuance of Waivers Under Emergency Rule

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Observers and monitors, at sea and shoreside, are an essential component of commercial fishing operations in the U.S. They provide critical information that is necessary to keep fisheries open and to provide sustainable seafood to our nation during this time. A little more than a year ago, NOAA Fisheries clarified its policy for how vessels could receive a waiver from required observer or at-sea monitor coverage. That approach was appropriate under the circumstances. However, in the United States, much has changed and improved since then. COVID-19 vaccines are widely available and infection rates are dropping. At this point, we need to acknowledge and adapt to improved conditions and, in turn, update our policy for issuing waivers under the Emergency Rule national-level criteria.

As of today, a vessel is no longer eligible for release from observer or monitor coverage under the Emergency Rule or regional waiver criteria if a fully vaccinated or quarantined/shelter in place observer is available. Per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an observer will be considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their second dose of a two-dose series, or 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine. A quarantined/shelter in place observer is one who has been isolated in place for 14 days. The observer provider companies track and confirm observer vaccination/shelter in place status and they will confirm when observers are ready for deployment.

Read the full release here

Richard W. Spinrad confirmed to lead NOAA

June 18, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA:

Richard (Rick) W. Spinrad, Ph.D., an internationally renowned scientist with four decades of ocean, atmosphere, and climate science and policy expertise, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate today as the under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and the 11th NOAA administrator.

“As an accomplished and respected scientist, educator, communicator and executive, Rick has dedicated his career to the science that is at the core of NOAA’s mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “I am grateful for his ongoing public service to the agency and the nation, and I look forward to working alongside him as we tackle the climate crisis, conserve our oceans, and grow our blue economy.”

As NOAA Administrator, Spinrad – who has worked at NOAA previously – is responsible for the agency’s strategic direction and oversight of $7 billion in proposed FY22 annual spending, including advancing U.S. weather modeling and prediction, tackling the climate crisis, accelerating the application of new technologies for improved environmental observations, leveraging non-governmental and private partnerships, and promoting a sustainable blue economy.

“I am thrilled to be back and am ready to hit the ground running,” said Spinrad. “I am humbled to lead NOAA’s exceptional workforce on a mission so relevant to the daily lives of people across America and to the future health of our planet. And I will ensure that trust and scientific integrity will continue to be the foundation for all of our work.”

Building upon NOAA’s extensive mission, Spinrad intends to advance three overarching NOAA priorities:

  • Developing a full portfolio of environmental products and services in the context of our changing climate, and in coordination and cooperation with NOAA’s sister agencies, industry, academia, NGOs, and the philanthropic community, and ensuring these products and services are more accessible to underserved communities.
  • Building a balanced portfolio of programs and policies that both enhance environmental sustainability and foster economic development in areas such as climate products and services, the new blue economy, and sustainable fisheries.
  • Creating a more just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. NOAA employs scientists and technologists, and, perhaps even more impactfully, educates and trains future professionals. The scientific and technical workforce in the environmental and ecological fields in the U.S. must become more diverse.

Previous NOAA positions held by Spinrad include that of the Chief Scientist, Assistant Administrator for Research, and Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management. Prior to joining NOAA initially, he held positions with the U.S. Navy, including the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy and the Office of Naval Research, and was the Executive Director for Research and Education at the non-profit Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education.

An author or coauthor of more than 70 scientific articles, papers, book chapters, and opinion pieces, Spinrad has also held professorships in academia and industry executive positions focusing on the ocean and environment.

Spinrad, 67, a native of New York City, earned a bachelor’s degree in earth and planetary sciences from the Johns Hopkins University, and earned a masters and a doctorate in oceanography from Oregon State University. He and his wife, Alanna, have an adult son.

MASSACHUSETTS: Gov. Baker nominates locals for regional fish council

June 17, 2021 — The New England Fishery Management Council will lose four of its longest-serving members this summer because of term limits and two of the vacant seats could be filled by candidates from Cape Ann.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has nominated Jackie Odell, the executive director of the Gloucester-based Northeast Seafood Coalition and a Gloucester resident, as his second choice to replace retiring council Chairman John Quinn in the obligatory Massachusetts seat.

“Ms. Odell’s support of the council process established by the (Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act) is rooted in a belief that utilizing data, sound science and comprehensive analyses are essential to the management decision-making process,” Baker wrote in his nominating letter to Paul Doremus, NOAA Fisheries acting assistant administrator for fisheries. “Encouraging advancements in science and evolving scientific methodologies is vital to ensure successful management measures.”

Baker listed recreational fishing stakeholder Mike Pierdinock, of Plymouth, as his preferred candidate for the Massachusetts seat.

The governor also nominated Odell as his preferred candidate for the at-large seat that will be vacated in August by Vincent Balzano, of Saco, Maine.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

Central Gulf of Alaska Marine Heatwave Watch

June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Temperatures are above the long-term average, but remain below marine heatwave conditions. These conditions are wavering near conditions observed in 2017 and 2018 for this season. Recent warming has been sporadic in the region with warmer conditions in the western sector and cooler conditions near Kodiak Island and eastward.

Why monitor marine heatwaves in the Gulf of Alaska?

Climate change is impacting the ecosystem of the Gulf of Alaska and effects are expected to magnify as warming increases over the coming decades. Over the past 6 years, the Gulf of Alaska has been experiencing extended and severe marine heatwaves. From June 2014 to January 2017 the North Pacific, including the Gulf of Alaska, had increased temperatures over a region of approximately 2 million km2 with more than 2.5 °C warmer than the long-term mean (1982–2012). The 2014–2016 marine heatwave changed the ecology of the region with reduced phytoplankton production, a shift in zooplankton production from large lipid-rich (higher fat) copepods to small lipid-poor copepods, and reduced forage fish populations such as capelin (Mallotus villosus) and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus). Species at the top of the marine food chain experienced lower recruitment (reduced juvenile survival) and increased mortality in fishes, birds, and mammals.

We will provide monthly updates on marine heatwave conditions in the Gulf of Alaska via social media @NOAAFisheriesAK and via this webpage. We will share what we are learning about current conditions in the Gulf of Alaska this year.

Read the full release here

Nominations Sought for Positions on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee. MAFAC advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters that are the responsibility of the Department of Commerce. The Committee researches, evaluates, and provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency policies that address science and regulatory programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries Service.

MAFAC members are highly qualified, diverse individuals with experience across the wide spectrum of:

  • Commercial, recreational, aquaculture, and subsistence fisheries
  • Seafood industry, including processing, marketing, working waterfronts, and restaurants
  • Marine, ecosystems, or protected resources management and conservation
  • Human dimensions or social sciences associated with living marine resources.

Members may be associated with tribes and indigenous peoples, environmental organizations, academia, consumer groups, and other marine life interest groups.

Nominees should possess demonstrable expertise in one of these areas. They must also be able to fulfill the time commitments required for two in-person annual meetings, one to two virtual meetings, and between-meeting subcommittee work. Membership is balanced geographically across states and territories, ethnically, and on the basis of gender, in addition to the range of expertise and interests listed. Individuals serve for a term of 3 years and may serve a second consecutive term, if re-appointed.

Read the full release here

Sea Turtle Week 2021

June 17, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Celebrate Sea Turtle Week with NOAA Fisheries! Sea turtles have been swimming in Earth’s oceans for hundreds of millions of years. These marine reptiles lead incredible lives, surviving for many decades at sea. They travel thousands of miles in search of food, eventually returning to the beaches where they were born to nest.

They are a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide, but they face many threats today. Six sea turtle species are found in U.S. waters and all are threatened or endangered. The largest among them—the Pacific leatherback—is critically endangered. Of all the species NOAA Fisheries protects under the Endangered Species Act, we consider the Pacific leatherback to be one of the nine species most at risk of extinction in the near future.

Explore turtle features and videos below. Stay tuned all week to learn how we conserve and protect sea turtles and how you can help too.

Read the full release here