Saving Seafood

What Does NOAA’s Chief Scientist Do?

September 23, 2020 — There is a lot of buzz this week as various news outlets report on possible changes in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chief Scientist position. I will defer to other sources on the hubbub around names being considered. It occurred to me that many people may not be familiar with NOAA’s senior leadership structure, and more specifically, what the Chief Scientist does. Here’s a quick “101” for you.

Before we delve into the roles of the Chief Scientist, let’s explore the way NOAA is organized. NOAA is arguably the leading federal agency for matters related to weather, oceans, fisheries, climate, and climate change. It is housed within the Department of Commerce. Why, you might ask? According to Jeffry Mervis at ScienceMag.org, the Obama administration explained why it ended up in that Department. Apparently it dates back to the Nixon administration. He writes, “Commerce secretaries have long bemoaned the presence of NOAA, a scientific and fisheries agency, in a cabinet department devoted to promoting U.S. trade and economic development….” According to Mervis, Nixon was angry with Interior secretary Wally Hickel because of his criticism of the Vietnam policy at the time so as Mervis writes, “Nixon punished him by not making the newly created NOAA part of the Interior Department, which already housed the U.S. Geological Survey.” You can find the original Obama administration wording on this curious piece of history in Mervis’ article.

Irrespective of that story, it is clear that weather, climate, and fisheries play an important role in economic activities but enough about the housing of the agency. The organization chart above reveals the leadership structure within NOAA. I once served on the NOAA Science Advisory Board so have a pretty good understanding of the puzzle. Dr. Neil Jacobs has a really long title of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observations and Prediction, Performing the duties of Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmospheres. Whew, let’s just call him the person in charge at NOAA. You can see that RDML Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Jacob’s Deputy, and the Chief Scientist (currently Craig McLean in an acting capacity) report directly to Jacobs. In the grey boxes, you will find the line offices which include the National Weather Service, National Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Services, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (McLean’s original responsibility), and the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations/NOAA Corps.

Read the full story at Forbes

Sens. Markey and Warren press NOAA on observer redeployment while stock surveys remain suspended due to COVID-19

August 19, 2020 — The following was released by The Offices of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey (D-MA):

Dear Acting Administrator Jacobs:

We write regarding steps that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has taken during the COVID-19 pandemic to manage fisheries stocks in the Northeast. We appreciate the challenges your agency faces in balancing the safety of NOAA employees, observers, fishermen, and broader communities with regulatory requirements for monitoring, observations, and surveys. However, we question the lack of consistency between the current operational plan for monitoring and observation and that for ecosystem surveys.

The dangers posed to the health of both fishing boat crews and observers led NOAA to temporarily waive at-sea monitor and observer coverage in the Northeast. The size of fishing vessels and the nature of the work makes social distancing a challenge, and the cross-jurisdictional nature of the Northeast fishery—with both observers and fishermen often traveling and working across state lines—provides an additional element of risk and complication. NOAA has provided guidance on how fishermen can seek additional waivers for coverage, but directed that at-sea observers and monitors redeploy starting on August 14, 2020.

Read the full letter here

NOAA Awards $3.1 Million to 21 Small Businesses to Develop New Technology

August 18, 2020 — NOAA has awarded $3.1 million in grants to 21 small businesses from 14 states to support the development of innovative technology for aquaculture, commercial and recreational fisheries, weather prediction, earth and ocean observations and modeling.

“Small businesses across our nation are catalysts for technology innovation, which can produce products and services that support NOAA’s mission while directly benefiting the public and growing the American economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross.

In December 2019, NOAA’s Small Business Innovation Research Program issued a call for applications for Phase I funding in topic areas including aquaculture; recreational and commercial fisheries, weather service improvement and evolution; next generation NOAA observing platforms; and next generation observation and modelling systems.

“As NOAA continues to strengthen its commitment to protecting life and property, we are increasingly reliant on the expertise and agility of the private sector,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., acting NOAA administrator. “Through collaboration with these small businesses, Americans will benefit with increased forecast accuracy and better management of our natural resources.”

Read the full story at Environment Coastal & Offshore

Chair Huffman Seeks Answers on NOAA’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

July 16, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requesting further information on NOAA’s plans to address COVID-19 impacts on fisheries management, NOAA staff, the fishing industry, and members of the public. The letter was addressed to Dr. Neil Jacobs, the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

“These unprecedented conditions will persist into next year and possibly later, and it is your responsibility to respond and react to the ongoing challenges appropriately,” Rep. Huffman states in the letter. “Now, more than ever, it is critical that our federal agencies are adaptive, transparent, and focused on keeping their workforce safe and addressing the real needs of the public that they serve.”
 
The letter outlines requests for further information on four specific items, including:
  1. Communications and Guidance: the agency has developed guidance to avoid using words related to the pandemic, such as COVID.
    • Who developed the internal guidance and what was the basis of these options, particularly the ‘preferred approach’? Was there input from public health experts and career staff?
    • Even if, as claimed, NOAA developed this guidance to ensure consistency in communications, what is the purpose of limiting references to the ongoing pandemic?
    • Does the agency plan to continue using this internal guidance document?
  2. Fisheries Surveys: due to health risks, several surveys have been cancelled this summer.
    • What was the decision-making process used to cancel these surveys? What public health information is the agency using to evaluate risks to NOAA employees?
    • What additional technologies, staffing models, or new cooperative research could be used to fill this gap in the near term, and if necessary, in future years? What tools does NOAA have at its disposal now, and what would require outyear planning?
    • Is there a way to involve fishermen to collect part of this missing survey data?
    • How will these cancelled surveys impact fisheries management?
  3. Waivers for Observer Requirements: waivers have been granted to regions on a case by case basis, which has required some to accept more health risks than others.
    • What is the justification for extending observer waivers in some regions but not others? Do waivers consider the recent significant increase in cases throughout the country?
    • Does the agency plan to continue using its current guidelines for observer waivers? If the guidelines are updated, will there be opportunities for stakeholder input?
    • Given that regions like the Pacific have a strong pattern of compliance and currently have an experimental electronic monitoring (EM) program, has the agency considered the use of EM when evaluating observer waivers?
    • How does the agency plan to advance the use of EM, which would be especially valuable in these types of circumstances, when human observers pose health risks and are putting themselves at risk due to the limited space onboard fishing vessels?
  4. Status of CARES Act Fisheries Relief Funding: the $300 million appropriated by Congress has yet to reach anyone who has been impacted.
    • What is the status of the relief funding?
    • How long does NOAA expect to take to review and approve state spend plans? How long does NOAA expect to take to distribute funds once plans are approved?
A copy of the full letter can be found here.

Joe Cunningham calls on NOAA to stop seismic airgun blasting permits off SC coast

June 29, 2020 — Representative Joe Cunningham sent a letter to Dr. Neil Jacobs, acting head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), regarding the agency’s recent decision to allow the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) “to proceed in processing seismic testing permits off South Carolina’s coast,” despite the state’s opposition.

Cunningham said that the ruling “highlights the Administration’s unwillingness to listen to the bipartisan majority of voices in our state that have made it clear seismic testing and offshore drilling is unwanted, unnecessary, and a threat to our way of life.”

Read the full story at WBTW

MASSACHUSETTS: UPDATE: Moulton calls for extension of monitor waiver

June 19, 2020 — Two Massachusetts congressmen are urging NOAA Fisheries to extend the waiver that removed at-sea monitors from commercial fishing vessels in the Northeast fisheries as a continued protection against the COVID-19 virus.

In a letter to Neil Jacobs, an acting undersecretary at the Department of Commerce, U.S. Reps. Seth Moulton and Bill Keating said a continuation of the at-sea monitor waiver is “critical to both protect the health and welfare of fishermen who are working to sustain their operations and to maintain our region’s seafood supply during the continued COVID-19 pandemic.”

On March 24, NOAA Fisheries implemented the at-sea monitor waiver and took the observers off the boats. It has extended the waiver at least twice. Moulton said the agency informed his office on June 12 that the waiver would be withdrawn, possibly as early as July 1, and at-sea monitors would return to assigned vessels.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

NOAA celebrating Golden Anniversary throughout 2020

January 13, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA:

NOAA is kicking off a year-long celebration to mark its upcoming 50th anniversary. Since its inception on October 3, 1970, NOAA has become one of the world’s premier science agencies that protects life and property, leads stewardship of the ocean and Great Lakes, and drives the blue economy — a mission that spans from the surface of the sun to the floor of the ocean.

“Over the past five decades, NOAA has grown into a premier science agency essential to our Nation,” said Neil Jacobs, acting NOAA administrator. “We are proud of that legacy and of the people who champion it every day. Our skilled and diverse workforce and partnerships make NOAA a strong and unique agency, and they have set the stage for continued innovation and discovery for decades to come.”

Although NOAA was formally established decades ago, its roots originated a century earlier with the Survey of the Coast in 1807 and the Weather Bureau and U.S. Fish Commission in the 1870s.

“Our nation’s oldest science agencies came together, as one, with a vision to protect and enrich life by better understanding our ocean and atmosphere,” said Cheryl Oliver, director of the NOAA Heritage program, which honors the legacy of NOAA through special events and exhibits across the country. “Today, people depend on NOAA science and services every day, in our homes, on the coasts we love, in our daily commerce, in the seafood we eat and in our personal safety.”

Day in and day out, NOAA serves the nation in many ways including:

  • Leading in environmental science and technology, helping the world adapt to our changing planet. NOAA is innovating, pushing forward with new research, cutting-edge technologies and ground-breaking scientific discoveries that will help us better understand our planet.
  • Building a Weather-Ready Nation. NOAA is at the forefront of weather science, making earlier and more accurate forecasts, equipping emergency responders so communities are informed and prepared for natural disasters. Our forecasts save lives, protect property, boost the U.S. economy and strengthen national security.
  • Serving as leading stewards of a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable ocean. NOAA is leading stewardship of our ocean by ensuring the long-term sustainability of our fisheries, protecting vulnerable marine species and their habitat, and supporting aquaculture.
  • Powering the blue economy. NOAA is exploring, mapping, and observing our nation’s waters — and preserving our underwater parks and coastal reserves. NOAA supports resilient coasts, working waterfronts, marine commerce, and sustainable seafood for a thriving economy.
  • Harnessing big data. NOAA is providing a truly integrated digital understanding of the Earth from data collected by satellites, ships, aircraft, and a vast network of environmental monitoring systems. NOAA leverages this data to help keep the public safe, promote the nation’s economic security, protect and manage resources, and enhance our understanding of the planet.

Throughout the year, visit www.noaa.gov/50-years to find features, events, multimedia, and NOAA milestones as we celebrate five decades of science, service, and stewardship.

Neil Jacobs, meteorologist and acting head of NOAA during a turbulent time, nominated to lead the agency

December 19, 2019 — Less than a month after Barry Myers, the controversial pick to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, withdrew from consideration, President Trump has nominated acting administrator Neil Jacobs to lead the agency.

Jacobs, a meteorologist, has been the acting head of NOAA since 2018, but the agency has been without a permanent leader since Trump was inaugurated, the longest rudderless stretch in its history. The agency is tasked with a diverse range of duties, including forecasting the weather, conducting climate research, managing the nation’s fisheries and more.

Jacobs sailed through Senate confirmation to serve as the assistant secretary of commerce or, in his current official capacity, acting head of NOAA. However, to be confirmed as permanent NOAA administrator, he will require a new confirmation vote.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

NOAA early career scientists honored for innovative research

July 25, 2019 — The following was released by NOAA:

Eight NOAA scientists today were awarded the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for pioneering research on the Earth’s atmosphere, weather, our ocean, coasts, fisheries and marine ecosystems.

They were among 314 federally-supported scientists who received a PECASE at a ceremony hosted by the White House Office of Science Policy and Technology at the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

The PECASE is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early career scientists. It recognizes recipients’ potential to advance the frontiers of scientific knowledge and their commitment to community service, as demonstrated through professional leadership, education or community outreach.

Michelle Barbieri, a veterinary medical officer at NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, listens to the heart of a monk seal. Barbieri and seven other NOAA scientists each received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. (NOAA)

“Congratulations to the NOAA PECASE awardees on their ground-breaking research into some of today’s most important weather, climate and natural resource challenges,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., acting NOAA administrator. “I am proud of the scientific leadership they have brought to their respective fields, and I am confident they will move NOAA and the Nation forward by advancing science and technology.”

Meet the winners:

Eric Anderson, a physical scientist at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for leading innovative research in hydrodynamic forecasting to address many of the Great Lakes’ most pressing issues, including harmful algal blooms, extreme storm conditions, and oil spill response.

Michelle Barbieri, a veterinary medical officer at NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, for advancing the field of marine mammal and sea turtle health, conservation, and emergency response.

Andrew Hoell, a physical scientist at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Sciences Division in Boulder, Colorado, for development of novel regional drought prediction research and effective communication of this research to support the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, a project of USAID that coordinates with government agencies and international partners to produce objective, forward-looking analysis on the world’s most food-insecure countries.

Brian McDonald, an atmospheric scientist at NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Research (CIRES) in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado and NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory Chemical Sciences Division, for innovative approaches that improve the scientific understanding of the sources of atmospheric pollutants and link human activity to environmental change.

Andrew Rollins, an atmospheric scientist at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory Chemical Sciences Division, for pioneering work in the development and application of new measurement techniques for studying water vapor, a major greenhouse gas, and sulfur dioxide, which influence Earth’s climate.

Elizabeth Siddon, a fisheries scientist at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, in Seattle, for research of climate-mediated shifts in North Pacific Ocean fisheries, which has led to significant improvements in the ability to reliably forecast fisheries population dynamics.

Jeffrey Snyder, a meteorologist at NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, for leading cutting-edge research using weather radar to improve the detection and short-term forecasts of severe thunderstorms, large hail and tornadoes.

Melissa Soldevilla, a fisheries scientist at NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, for applying cutting-edge acoustic techniques to determine the distribution, abundance, and threats to some of the most iconic and endangered marine mammals in the world.

See stories from NOAA Research and NOAA Fisheries to learn more about the winners and their work.