Saving Seafood

Beyond Ocean Mapping: Using Uncrewed Vehicles to Advance Ocean Research

August 21, 2026 —  It’s January off of Nantucket Shoals. An uncrewed surface vehicle begins a series of carefully planned transects through Southern New England, collecting data day and night. There are no scientists onboard, but the 30-foot vessel is constantly measuring ocean currents, water temperature, salinity, weather and other ocean conditions. It’s also helping identify areas with high fish and plankton abundance. Every nautical mile traveled adds to a more complete picture of how marine ecosystems function.

These missions reflect NOAA’s growing use of uncrewed systems technology. Traditionally, these autonomous platforms have supported hydrographic surveys, nautical charting, and ocean mapping. But the benefits extend beyond creating better maps. Today, the same technologies are helping scientists answer complex ecological and oceanographic questions. They’re collecting critical, high-accuracy, and time-sensitive data across nearly every mission area.

“Over the last several years, we have been able to expand the applications for how uncrewed surface vehicles can help with various research related to stock, ecosystem, and protected species evaluations and assessments,” explains Dr. Conor McManus, marine development and advanced technology program lead for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center. “With each mission we conduct, we are learning more about the Northeast U.S. Shelf ecosystem, but also how we can better operationalize these technologies to meet our scientific or data needs.”

These technological advances are expanding where, when, and how our scientists collect ocean data. The results allow researchers to observe the ocean more continuously and in places that are difficult to sample with ships alone. These vehicles complement ship-based surveys—filling gaps in data that can arise from challenges like winter weather and limited ship availability.

This year, there were three uncrewed surface vehicle missions in the Northeast—two operated by Chance Maritime Technologies and one using DriX. They demonstrated how the benefits of uncrewed survey technology can answer many different scientific questions.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

A Winter at Sea Reveals Seasonal Habits of Whales, Dolphins, and Seabirds in Hawaiʻi

August 21, 2026 — The Hawaiian archipelago is teeming with marine life, and winter brings some of the most exciting activity of the year. It’s a season when many whale and seabird species travel to the islands. Migratory baleen whales such as humpback and minke whales are only found in Hawai‘i in the winter, when they seek warmer waters to breed. Others—including various types of dolphins—rely on this marine ecosystem year-round, but scientists have yet to uncover the details of their wintertime habits.

To close that gap, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center launched a survey in late January 2026. Scientists spent 2 months monitoring these species around the main Hawaiian islands aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette. The mission, called the Winter Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey, is only the second of its kind.

Six years after the first winter survey, researchers returned to better understand where, when, and how many whales and dolphins use this habitat. The data from these surveys feed into stock assessments, helping us track the status of these species and make informed conservation decisions. This work is especially important for high-priority species like false killer whales, including an endangered population that lives around the main Hawaiian islands.

Winter conditions at sea can be rough, with higher swells and lots of white caps. This makes animals harder to see. But NOAA scientists are experienced with scientific methods that rise to the challenge. During the survey, eagle-eyed visual observers spied more than 200 groups of whales and dolphins, even in difficult conditions. They documented humpback mothers with their calves, bottlenose dolphins riding the ship’s bow, and pantropical spotted dolphins leaping high into the air. Cutting-edge passive acoustic technology helped detect other whales and dolphins that could be heard but not seen.

In these photos, take a look behind the scenes of the survey and find out which species spend their winters in Hawaiʻi.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries Announces Closure of 2026 Illex Squid Directed Fishery

August 20, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has projected that 96 percent of the Illex squid domestic annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested by August 23, 2026. Therefore, effective 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, through 24:00 hr local time on December 31, 2026, permitted vessels may not fish for, possess, or land more than 10,000 lb of Illex squid at any time per trip, and may only land Illex squid once per calendar day. Vessels issued an Illex squid moratorium permit that enter port before 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, may land and sell more than 10,000 lb of Illex squid from that trip, consistent with the possession limits applicable to the vessel’s Illex squid permit.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

 

Giving North Atlantic Right Whales a Check-Up Using Advanced Technology August 17, 2026

August 18, 2026 — This story is part three of a three-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales with passive acoustics, monitoring them with aerial surveys, and using boats, drones, uncrewed surface vehicles and satellites to learn as much as we can about them and their habitat. In the Northeast, we work with many partners to track right whales, including mothers and calves, using advanced technology to help inform actions that reduce risks to the species.

Passive acoustic monitoring and aerial surveys can provide critical information about endangered North Atlantic right whales. But to assess their health, you need to get closer. That’s why we use these techniques in tandem with vessel surveys. From the water, scientists conduct drone photogrammetry, take biopsies and photographs, and even collect breath samples. Our team flies drones and takes samples from the R/V Selkie, a 23-foot boat, in Cape Cod Bay in the spring and in the Southeast over the winter.

Assessing Right Whale Health Using Drones and Biopsies

Taking and analyzing specialized photos using a drone is called photogrammetry. It allows scientists to measure calf growth rates and check on mother right whales’ health. Mothers nurse their calves but do not eat while they are in the Southeast, so they lose blubber until they start feeding again in the Northeast. Our team gets a longer time series by sampling both in the Southeast calving grounds and Northeast feeding grounds. They also use drone imagery to examine scarring and entanglements. Our team processes the photos using an open source software called MorphoMetriX .

Our vessel survey teams also collect right whale biopsy samples. Along with state partners, they biopsied all but one of the 23 newborn calves this season. Samples provide critical information about the genetics of the calves. Genetics allow us to identify individuals and trace family relationships. These samples can also inform scientists about the health of the calf. That information is added to the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog.

To biopsy a whale, scientists slowly approach within 30 feet on a small boat and use a specialized hollow biopsy dart discharged by a crossbow. They collect a small sample of skin and blubber—about 1 inch long and the diameter of a pencil. The dart floats, allowing scientists to easily retrieve it for genetic and health analysis. The samples are quickly flash frozen aboard the boat. Ultimately, the samples are stored at the National Institute of Standards and Technology lab in Charleston, South Carolina. They are available for many types of ‘omics research studies. The team hopes that long-term preservation will enable researchers to do the most good for right whales.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

American Tuna Gets a Boost: Increased Bluefin Tuna Quotas Mean More Opportunities for U.S. Fishermen

August 18, 2026 — In a major win for America’s fishing industry, NOAA Fisheries is implementing increased bluefin tuna quotas after historic negotiations by the United States at the 2025 annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Today’s action—alongside additional quota increases for bluefin tuna, North and South Atlantic swordfish, and North Atlantic albacore—will dramatically expand access, create new fishing opportunities, and provide greater flexibility for U.S. fishermen.

U.S. pelagic longline fishermen who incidentally catch Atlantic bluefin tuna will also benefit from significantly greater operational flexibility. Through successful negotiations, the U.S. ICCAT delegation also secured a substantial increase in the bluefin tuna bycatch set-aside quota. It  accounts for the catch of eastern Atlantic-origin bluefin tuna by U.S. vessels operating in the vicinity of the ICCAT bluefin tuna management area boundary and adjacent areas (i.e., western Atlantic exclusive of the Gulf of America). NOAA Fisheries has incorporated this increased allocation into its Individual Bluefin Tuna Quota program, providing additional opportunities for the fleet. 

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA and partners to explore, map deep waters of American Samoa

August 18, 2026 — NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partners will conduct two expeditions in waters around American Samoa this summer and fall to map and characterize the deep seafloor in the nation’s highest-priority region for offshore critical mineral exploration. The expeditions will generate publicly available data and information to increase understanding of mineral potential, guide future exploration, and support federal and local decision-making.

These expeditions will take place aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The first will take place August through September 2026 using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The second expedition will run from late September through October 2026. Throughout both expeditions, the team will deploy advanced mapping technology and observational sensors.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Feds to weigh possible new fishing rules and restrictions to protect Mid-Atlantic whales

August 17, 2026 — Federal fisheries officials are beginning a process that could eventually lead to new fishing restrictions along the East Coast designed to protect native whale species.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced Aug 14 that it intends to conduct an environmental review of potential changes to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. The plan is intended to reduce deaths and serious injuries of North Atlantic right whales, humpback whales, and fin whales caused by entanglements in commercial trap/pot and gillnet fishing gear along the East Coast.

NMFS stresses that Friday’s publication merely begins a public comment process and is not a proposed federal rule.

Read the full article at WBOC

Aerial Surveys: Monitoring Right Whales from Above

August 14, 2026 — This story is part two of a three-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales with passive acoustics, monitoring them with aerial surveys, and using boats, drones, uncrewed surface vehicles and satellites to learn as much as we can about them and their habitat. In the Northeast, we work with many partners to track right whales, including mothers and calves, using advanced technology to help inform actions that reduce risks to the species.

Many North Atlantic right whales migrate thousands of miles to the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic from mid-November to mid-April. Female right whales give birth in the shallow coastal waters of the Southeast during the winter months. The whales spend the rest of the year feeding in the plankton-rich waters off of the Northeast and Canada.

We take to the skies to monitor this journey. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s aerial survey team conducts right whale surveys aboard a NOAA Twin Otter Aircraft. The team has flown 325 hours monitoring whales since January 2026. In the spring, they monitored whales off of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. In June, they joined Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) as part of a Joint Aerial Survey Team, flying out of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, they flew 50 hours monitoring aggregations of right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

US court hears arguments against turtle excluder devices in inshore Louisiana waters

August 14, 2026 — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is considering a challenge to a 2019 NOAA Fisheries rule forcing Louisiana inshore shrimpers to install turtle excluder devices (TEDs).

A TED is a grid of metal bars placed in a trawl net that block larger animals – like turtles – while allowing smaller animals – like shrimp – to pass through. Louisiana shrimpers claim the requirement on inshore vessels is excessive, making their work more difficult and expensive despite little risk to turtles.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MASSACHUSETTS: Gloucester honors Lily Jean crew at Fisherman’s Memorial

August 13, 2026 — Six months after the F/V Lily Jean sank off Cape Ann, Mass., the Gloucester fishing community gathered Saturday, Aug. 8, to remember the seven people lost aboard the vessel and other mariners who died over the past year.

The annual remembrance at Gloucester’s Fisherman’s Memorial carried particular weight this year following the Jan. 30 sinking of the 72-foot Gloucester-based groundfish trawler Lily Jean about 25 miles off Cape Ann.

All seven people aboard were lost: Capt. Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien and NOAA fisheries observer Jada Samitt.

Family members, state officials and members of the community gathered Saturday at the memorial, where generations of Gloucester fishermen lost at sea are remembered.

“It feels like every time they do something like this, you relive it, that day in January,” Tiffany Leigh, girlfriend of Short, told WCVB.

State Sen. Bruce Tarr also spoke about how deeply the loss has affected a community accustomed to the dangers of working at sea.

Read the full article at National Fisherman