Saving Seafood

The Endangered Population of False Killer Whales in the Main Hawaiian Islands is Declining

August 15, 2025 — Three false killer whale populations occur in the waters of Hawaiʻi. There are two island-associated populations—one around the main Hawaiian islands and another around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands—and a broadly ranging pelagic population. The small main Hawaiian Islands insular distinct population segment of false killer whales was listed as endangered in 2012 and faces multiple ongoing threats. Evidence suggests—based on high rates of dorsal fin and mouthline injuries—that fisheries interactions represent one of the most significant threats to this population. This threat may also act synergistically with other threats, such as exposure to pollutants and reduced genetic diversity, on the insular population. Scientists at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center led the development of a new method to more accurately estimate the size of the main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale population by incorporating animal movement.

We analyzed photos of dorsal fins of 202 main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whales encountered over 20 years (1999–2022) and movements from 53 satellite tags deployed from 2007–2022. We found that the population numbered 139 whales in 2022 and declined by 3.5 percent per year during the last 10 years of the study. Our findings provide the first reliable trend estimate for the population since it was listed as endangered and suggest the population will number fewer than 100 individuals within 10 years.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

2025 Coral Reef Survey Sets New Records in the Mariana Archipelago

August 7, 2025 — Scientists have returned from a 3-month expedition assessing coral reef health and ocean conditions in Wake Atoll, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The effort was part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. The mission, funded by the Coral Reef Conservation Program, broke previous records for the number of fish and benthic surveys completed in a single year for this region.

Each year, scientists from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center spend several months at sea gathering long-term data to monitor changes in coral reef ecosystems. These data help scientists, resource managers, and communities conserve reefs that protect our coastlines, sustain fisheries, and power local economies.

This year’s mission took scientists, aboard NOAA ship Oscar Elton Sette, to the coral reefs of the Mariana Archipelago and Wake Atoll. Since the early 2000s, NOAA Fisheries has surveyed this region regularly, and the data collected this year will further enhance the long-term dataset. Summarized results from recent years are available through NOAA’s Data Visualization Tool, and all data can be accessed via Data.gov by searching “National Coral Reef Monitoring Program.”

Survey Study Area

Scientists traveled more than 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) from Honolulu, Hawai‘i to Wake Atoll. That’s roughly the same distance as crossing the continental United States from coast to coast! During the 10-day journey aboard Oscar Elton Sette, they prepared gear and instruments for the upcoming coral reef surveys.

Following 6 days of surveys around Wake Atoll, the ship traveled another 6 days to reach Guam. Over the next 2 months, scientists completed surveys throughout the Mariana Archipelago. They collected data critical to understanding the health and resilience of coral reefs in the region.

Islands visited in the Mariana archipelago:

  • Uracas (also known as Farallon de Pájaros)
  • Maug
  • Agrihan
  • Pagan
  • Alamagan
  • Guguan
  • Sarigan
  • Saipan
  • Tinian
  • Aguijan
  • Rota
  • Guam

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Senate budget would shrink NOAA Fisheries’ budget slightly, despite Trump administration’s demand for steep cuts

July 21, 2025 — The Republican controlled U.S. Senate is set up to reject many of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to NOAA Fisheries, proposing a slight decrease for the agency instead.

NOAA has been one of the agencies targeted by the Trump administration for cuts; during the first several months of Trump’s second term, the government has laid off hundreds of NOAA employees and rescinded much of the agency’s climate-related funding. Trump is seeking even deeper cuts, however, to NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Maine Sea Grant helping state conserve Atlantic salmon

July 15, 2025 — Whether it’s through fish stocking, habitat restoration or research, the University of Maine-led Maine Sea Grant is helping the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) conserve Atlantic salmon in the Gulf of Maine — the last wild populations of the species in the U.S.

Through a program offered by Maine Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries that is now in its sixth year, paid summer interns have been working with the department on Atlantic salmon research and conservation for 13 weeks each summer — from Downeast Maine to the Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds. They conduct field and lab work to support this endangered species and other sea-run fishes.

“The Maine Sea Grant internship program not only supports the restoration of sea-run fish like Atlantic salmon but also fosters a two-way exchange of knowledge with the department,” said Sean Ledwin, the director of DMR’s Bureau of Sea-Run Fisheries and Habitat. “The interns learn firsthand from experienced professionals in the field, while bringing fresh energy, new ideas and capacity to vital restoration efforts. This collaboration strengthens conservation outcomes and builds the next generation of marine scientists and stewards.”

“This program emphasizes collaborations and partnerships that expose students to different career paths to help conserve vital species and support Maine ecosystems, economies and cultures,” said Julia Hiltonsmith, a UMaine Sea Grant graduate assistant who mentors sea-run fish interns. “Guiding these interns through their fieldwork has not only deepened my appreciation for the dedication they’ve brought to conservation but also reinforced the importance of fostering collaboration and professional growth in the next generation of marine scientists.”

Since the Sea-Run Fish Internship Program launched in 2020, 12 students from UMaine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, have participated and conducted research and conservation work statewide for DMR, the United States Geological Survey, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Penobscot Nation. Black Bear students, as well as participants from other universities, have gained hands-on learning experiences and professional development in science communication, which prepare them for in-demand careers in marine sciences and conservation.

Read the full article at University of Maine

NOAA Fisheries and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Announce Red Snapper Data Improvement Projects

July 11, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission announced six new partnerships and seven projects aimed at improving recreational fishing effort and discard data collection in the Gulf. This effort represents a key investment in enhancing data quality and reducing data uncertainty to support sustainable fisheries management across the region.

The projects will receive $7.5 million from the Commission. They will focus on advancing innovative methods to collect more accurate, timely, and regionally relevant data on recreational fishing activities and released catch, commonly known as discards. These projects will address known data gaps and challenges in current reporting systems. They will contribute directly to better-informed stock assessments, management decisions, and conservation strategies. We selected projects based on scientific merit, feasibility, and their potential to significantly enhance data quality across Gulf states.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Logging into Efficiency: Modernizing Atlantic Coastwide Permit and Vessel Logbooks

July 3, 2025 — For the first time in 30 years, NOAA Fisheries is modernizing our Atlantic Coast logbook reporting systems for both commercial and for-hire fishermen. We will increase our data sharing capabilities and simplify and speed up the reporting process for fishermen, which could reduce costs. In fact, our Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office benefited from $300,000 annual cost savings after moving to paperless reporting and permitting.

Previously, we collected similar information on vessels, effort, and catch in separate systems. This resulted in redundant data entries and data management systems doing similar tasks, duplicating processes and information. Now, we are modernizing our five science center logbook systems:

  • Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Vessel Trip Reporting
  • Southeast Regional Office For-Hire Integrated Electronic Reporting
  • Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Pelagic Fisheries Logbook
  • Southeast Commercial Fisheries Logbook
  • Southeast Headboat

The goal is to have all federal logbook data from Maine through Texas collected electronically and available in a centralized, standardized system. We will also improve the data quality, resilience, reliability, and accessibility of all five reporting systems. Our focus is on the data collected from fishing trips and the information systems used to gather and process those data. This initiative also aims to enhance support for critical monitoring requirements—such as quota monitoring and stock assessments—and provide timely, high-quality data for fishery managers.

Ultimately, we seek a more efficient process of storing and sharing data. This new integrated database system will source from data captured across multiple offices, allowing us to increase information sharing and prevent duplicative entries. It will also set the foundation for creating a logbook application framework for use by others.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Clues From the Catch: How Small Samples Lead to Big Fish Insights

June 27, 2025 — When fish biologist Eva Schemmel gets an early morning phone call from the Honolulu Fish Auction, it means something exciting has landed at Pier 38, the center of Hawai‘i’s commercial fishing village.

Recently, it was a record-sized gindai.

Weighing in at 4.95 pounds, the deepwater snapper may not look like a trophy fish to some (especially next to 100–200 pound tunas!). But it’s worth much more than its weight thanks to a collaboration between fishermen and NOAA life history scientists.

Understanding Fish Populations

Schemmel is part of a NOAA Fisheries team that studies the life history of fish species across the Pacific Islands—how they grow, reproduce, and die. These “fish detectives” collect clues from some of the region’s most valuable (and tasty!) commercial fish species to reveal the mystery of fish population structures. This information helps scientists maximize harvest opportunities for fishermen.

“It’s the key piece to understanding if your fishery is healthy,” Schemmel said. “With the best scientific information possible, you can maximize how much fishing you can do, while keeping fish populations reproducing at the same level.”

Healthy fish populations depend on reproductive adults, and it’s often the oldest, largest fish that play the biggest role in keeping their numbers going. By collecting enough samples from larger fish—like the recent gindai—scientists can determine the average and maximum lifespan of fish in a population. This data helps scientists create more accurate stock assessment models—the foundation for management measures.

Tick Tock: Fish With Hidden Clocks

The science of aging fish relies on a key piece of evidence: otoliths. Most fish have these tiny, jewel-like bones in their inner ears. They help fish hear and balance in their surroundings underwater. They also carry information about the fish’s growth, similar to growth rings in a tree. These lines provide a reliable estimate of the fish’s age.

Collecting otoliths is quick and doesn’t harm the catch. In return for this effort, NOAA Fisheries scientists gain a literal lifetime of data.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Anchovy Dominated Diets off the West Coast Pose New Dangers for Salmon

June 26, 2025 — A vitamin deficiency likely killed as many as half of newly hatched fry of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River in 2020 and 2021. These new findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The deficiency of thiamine, or Vitamin B1, is linked to large-scale shifts in the ocean ecosystem. These shifts changed the prey adult salmon consume before they return to West Coast rivers to spawn, scientists reported. They said the longtime loss of habitat and water has already weakened many California salmon populations. Further declines from thiamine deficiency or other impacts may lead to their extinction.

The deficiency syndrome can also affect salmon runs like the Central Valley’s fall-run that once supported valuable commercial fisheries across California. They have since dwindled to the point that commercial ocean salmon fishing in California has been closed for the last 3 years.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Lights, Camera, Ocean: Student-Built Device Takes the Plunge

June 12, 2025 — From the Classroom to the Coast

In September 2024, our Gear Research Team got an exciting email. It was from Robbie Munsey, a Computer Science Coordinator at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia. He asked if someone from our team could talk to his middle school robotics students about on-demand fishing gear and how underwater cameras could help in our research. I often handle outreach like this, and I was thrilled to connect with these future scientists.

After several calls and emails—and after the students won both state and regional robotics competitions—the team shipped their project to us. It was an acoustically triggered, 360-degree underwater camera. They were preparing for the 2025 FIRST Championship World Robotics Competition held April 29–May 2 in Houston, Texas. They wanted us to field test it ahead of the competition.

The Tech Behind the Camera

Let me tell you… they didn’t just send a basic prototype. What arrived was a well-packaged, acoustically triggered, 360-degree underwater camera system. It came with an easy-to-follow manual, spare parts, and everything we needed to power and deploy it. The setup was intuitive, and I only needed one quick video call with the team to confirm a few details.

The camera itself is housed in a waterproof casing rated for depths of up to 150 meters, or about 500 feet. Attached to it are two powerful lights and an acoustic release system—components we regularly use in our fieldwork. These students had cleverly modified the acoustic trigger with magnets to activate the camera and lights when they received a signal from the surface.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries