Saving Seafood

2.5 Million Perfect Little Time Capsules of Ocean Chemistry

September 29, 2026 — Much like counting tree rings, scientists study fish ear stones—known as otoliths—to measure age and growth rates. These small, hard calcium carbonate structures sit in a fluid-filled pocket behind the fish’s brain, helping it balance and hear.

Beyond revealing age, otoliths act as natural recording devices. As a fish grows, its ear stones absorb trace elements from its diet and the surrounding water. By analyzing these elements scientists can:

  • Determine what fish have eaten
  • Trace their origins back to specific estuaries from which they hatched
  • Track lifelong migrations
  • Reconstruct decades of changing ocean chemistry

Every year at sea, fisheries observers and scientists aboard research surveys collect about 45,000 of these specimens. Back in Seattle, Alaska Fisheries Science Center researchers analyze more than 30,000 under microscopes to count annual growth rings. This steady stream of data feeds directly into stock assessment models, guiding efforts to sustainably manage U.S. fisheries. Over four decades, these routine surveys built an extraordinary legacy: an enormous archive of 2.5 million otolith pairs dating back to the 1960s. Today, they are housed at the University of Washington’s Fish Collection, a shared facility between the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Kelp Farms and Marine Life Co-Exist in Southeast Alaska

September 25, 2026 — Marine aquaculture, or mariculture, provides economic opportunities for coastal communities in Alaska through farming shellfish and seaweed. NOAA Fisheries continues to support Alaska’s growing aquaculture industry through policy and permitting—providing access to resources and research.

A recent study highlights one of our newest aquaculture research collaborations. Through this partnership between the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Sea Quester Farms, we investigated whether seaweed farms provide novel habitat for Alaskan marine species. We compared the fish and invertebrate species present within Sea Quester farm sites to similar locations with no farms, and found no major difference. The research provided a better understanding of how kelp farms interact with the environment, which could help inform sustainable management.

“This study responded to a direct need from resource managers and interest from farmers to understand specifically how the presence of kelp farms in Alaska influenced culturally and economically important fish and invertebrate species,” said Jordan Hollarsmith, Ph.D., lead author and macroalgae and mariculture research biologist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

Read the full article at the full article at NOAA Fisheries

21 states challenge ESA changes that could affect US fisheries

September 24, 2026 — A coalition of 21 state attorneys general is challenging the Trump administration’s changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), setting up a legal fight over rules that could affect commercial fisheries, species protection, and marine habitat.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led two lawsuits filed against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries. The states are challenging revisions involving the definition of “harm,” critical habitat designations, and protections for species listed as threatened.

The lawsuits ask the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to vacate the rules, arguing they violate the Endangered Species Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.

The changes could be particularly relevant to commercial fishermen because NOAA Fisheries administers the ESA for many marine and anadromous species. ESA protections can influence fishing regulations, federal permitting, habitat protections, and measures intended to reduce interactions with protected species.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries moves to allow rock shrimp trawling in Oculina Bank, despite concerns over rare coral

September 23, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is seeking feedback on a plan to allow shrimp trawling in the Oculina Bank off the eastern coast of Florida, despite concerns that it could damage rare coral.

“Reopening the Oculina Bank to trawling places one of the crown jewels of U.S. oceans at potential risk and could destroy some of the last remaining ivory tree coral structures on the planet,” Oceana Marine Scientist Alex Aines said in a release. “This fragile and critically important area has been rightfully protected for more than 40 years, and there’s simply no good reason to reopen portions of it now or ever.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

More than $100 million in habitat funding targets key US fisheries

September 14, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is directing $103 million toward habitat restoration projects across the country, with several of the largest awards aimed at improving habitat for commercially important salmon, shrimp, oysters, and other species.

The agency announced Sept. 10 that it selected 16 projects for funding, ranging from salmon habitat work in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to salt marsh restoration along the Gulf and Southeast coasts.

The funding is intended to restore wetlands, rivers, coral reefs, and other habitats fish rely on for feeding, spawning, and growth. NOAA said healthy habitat is essential to sustaining both commercial and recreational fisheries and the communities and industries that depend on them.

Demand for funding far exceeded what was available. NOAA received nearly 350 proposals requesting a combined $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount ultimately awarded.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet October 6-8, 2026, in Duck, NC

September 14, 2026 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, October 6 – Thursday, October 8, 2026, at The Sanderling in Duck, North Carolina. The meeting is open to the public, with the exception of a closed Executive Committee session, and will also be accessible via webinar. Meeting materials, webinar information, and public comment instructions are available on the October 2026 Council Meeting Page.

Major agenda items include:

  • Executive Committee: Review Ricks E Savage Award nominations (closed session); review draft deliverables for the 2027 Implementation Plan (open session).
  • Vessel Baseline Restrictions: Review evaluation of vessel baseline restrictions and consider initiating management action.
  • Scup Gear Restricted Areas: Review existing Scup Gear Restricted Areas, previous analyses, and recent project results; consider potential management action.
  • Illex Squid: Review 2027 specifications and revise as necessary; discuss Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Illex quota issues and consider next steps.
  • Atlantic Mackerel: Review previously adopted 2027 specifications and revise as necessary.
  • Longfin Squid: Receive an overview of the recently completed Research Track stock assessment.
  • Spiny Dogfish: Review previously adopted 2027 specifications and revise as necessary.
  • Blueline Tilefish: Review recommendations from the Joint MAFMC-SAFMC Blueline Tilefish Subcommittee and consider next steps.
  • Habitat: Receive an update from NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division on habitat-related activities of interest in the region.
  • Offshore Wind Fisheries Compensation: Receive an update on the draft design of the regional fisheries compensation fund and upcoming public comment opportunities.
  • Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan: Receive a NOAA Fisheries presentation on the scoping process for potential future modifications to the plan.
  • Business Session: Receive committee, agency, and liaison reports and provide an opportunity for general public comment.

The Council welcomes public comment from in-person and remote participants. Instructions and deadlines for submitting comments are available on the meeting page.

$103 Million in NOAA Funding Awarded to Restore Habitat for Fisheries

September 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has awarded $103 million in funding for 16 habitat restoration projects across the country. These projects will recover and sustain our nation’s fisheries by ensuring fish have access to high quality habitat.

By supporting America’s fisheries, these projects will “Make America Beautiful Again” through proactive, voluntary, on-the-ground collaborative conservation efforts. America’s abundant natural resources—including valuable commercial and recreational fisheries—are vital to our nation’s economy and culture, bolstering industries, jobs, recreation, and more.

Fisheries rely on healthy habitats like wetlands, rivers, and coral reefs as important areas to grow, eat, and reproduce. These projects will restore healthy habitat for fish across the country: from planting corals to rebuild reefs in the Caribbean, to reconnecting rivers for salmon, to restoring salt marsh for shrimp and oysters in the Gulf of America.

NOAA received many more applications than we could fund. The total demand from the nearly 350 proposals we received was $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount of funding available. The full list of funded projects can be found below.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Nine Species of Deep-Sea Sponges Discovered in Alaska

September 11, 2026 — Scientists have discovered nine new species of sponges in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands. The specimens were collected during the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s long-standing annual bottom trawl surveys, which monitor the condition of groundfish and shellfish stocks in Alaskan waters. For these sponge studies, researchers analyzed samples gathered during surveys dating back to 2012.

The new species were described across two recent scientific publications: four in one paper and five in the other. These discoveries raise the total number of known sponge species in Alaska to 232. The findings add to a growing body of knowledge about the richness of marine life in Alaskan waters. They also highlight the Aleutian Islands as a global hotspot for sponge biodiversity.

The studies also mapped sponge genetic codes, which contributes to a marine genetic library. This continues to build a robust catalog that enhances NOAA’s ability to detect species and estimate population abundances using non-invasive environmental DNA sampling.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Atlantic tuna, swordfish and shark fisheries see mixed outlook

September 9, 2026 — Commercial fishermen from New England to the Southeast are seeing a mixed picture across Atlantic highly migratory species, with several major tuna and swordfish stocks remaining in relatively strong conditions while some shark stocks continue to face rebuilding challenges.

NOAA Fisheries released its 2024- 2025 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species on Sept. 4, providing an updated look at tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks managed along the East Coast, Gulf, and Caribbean.

For fishermen, the report offers more than a snapshot of stock health. It also shows where commercial landings and revenues are moving, including a notable decline in overall highly migratory species revenue in 2024.

Tuna stocks show some of the stronger signs

Among the major commercial species, North Atlantic albacore remained well above its biomass target and was not considered overfished or subject to overfishing. Atlantic yellowfin and western Atlantic skipjack were also classified as not overfished, with overfishing not occurring.

The picture is less straightforward for bluefin.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman