Saving Seafood

Underwater data centers may be coming to the U.S.—smack in the middle of endangered whale habitat

October 27, 2026 — The battle over where to put data centers is heading below the waves: the Trump administration is considering proposals to build two massive underwater data centers off the country’s coast. The sites selected for the projects—one in Cook Inlet, Alaska, and one in the Gulf of Maine—are smack in the middle of two endangered whale populations’ habitats.

Whales are “skittish animals,” says Arial Brewer, a beluga researcher at the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “A massive-scale project like this could really stress them out in a lot of different ways.”

Data centers, with their thousands of servers, generate considerable heat that can damage equipment if not offset in some way. Land-based facilities use massive amounts of fresh water to cool down. By putting a data center underwater, the ocean can easily dispel that heat. “Cooling is a large part of what a data center costs to run, and seawater is a free sink,” says Vishal Misra, a computer scientist and professor at Columbia University.

Read the full article at the Scientific American

UNH leading effort to strengthen U.S. seafood supply through aquaculture

October 27, 2026 — Do you know where your seafood comes from? According to NOAA, roughly 80% of the seafood Americans eat is imported.

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire are leading a major new effort aimed at growing more seafood domestically through sustainable aquaculture.

Just a quarter mile off the coast of New Castle, UNH researchers are raising steelhead trout in a floating sea farm known as an Aquafort. It’s become a model for studying ways to make seafood production more sustainable.

“We are growing fish at a very small community scale for the purpose of supplementing the seafood markets within the local area. So, the difference between wild-caught fish and aquaculture fish are hatched from eggs Our fish are actually hatched at a local New Hampshire hatchery up in Ossipee,” said David Fredriksson, director of UNH’s Center for Sustainable Seafood Systems.

About 4,000 steelhead trout are taken to the floating pen, where they’re raised for several months before harvest. The fish share the pen with sugar kelp and mussels. Researchers say those species act as natural biofilters, helping recycle nutrients and maintain balance within the ecosystem. The approach, known as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, is designed to make seafood farming more environmentally sustainable by raising multiple species together.

Read the full article at NBC Boston

Menhaden Fisheries Coalition statement on the America First Seafood Strategy

October 27, 2026 — The following was released by the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition:

“The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition is delighted to see the America First Seafood Strategy. This approach is long overdue and has the potential to spur greater investment, job creation and economic growth in fishing communities along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of America.

“For too long, excessive and unnecessary regulation has been one of the greatest threats to America’s commercial fisheries. We strongly agree with the strategy that federal policy should focus on ‘maximizing sustainable harvest opportunities’ and ‘ensuring catch limits reflect the best available and most current science.’ Just as importantly, the strategy recognizes that ‘commercial fishermen are not the enemy of conservation’ and that federal policy must support sustainable production while allowing American fishermen to remain economically viable.

“Replacing overregulation with proper regulation—based on sound science and grounded in the National Standards of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act—will strengthen not only the menhaden fishery, but American fisheries and fishing communities across the country.

“The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition represents Lund’s Fisheries, Ocean Harvesters, Omega Protein, Daybrook Fisheries and Westbank Fishing.”

Saving Seafood statement on the America First Seafood Strategy

October 27, 2026 — “Saving Seafood, our national coalition, and our many supporters and colleagues throughout the commercial fishing and seafood industry welcome the America First Seafood Strategy and, in particular, its commitment to bringing the federal government together behind a stronger American seafood industry.

“For too long, seafood policy has too often been treated as only the responsibility of NOAA. This strategy recognizes that rebuilding American seafood production requires a much broader effort. We are especially pleased to see USDA working closely with NOAA, alongside the Department of Health and Human Services, FDA, the Coast Guard, the U.S. Trade Representative, MARAD and other federal agencies.

“American seafood is simultaneously a food product, an agricultural and nutritional priority, a major source of employment, an international trade commodity and an essential part of the economy of our coastal communities. The strategy reflects that reality by bringing together the agencies responsible for fisheries, food and nutrition, trade, infrastructure, financing and enforcement.

“That kind of coordinated federal attention to American seafood is long overdue, and it creates an opportunity to strengthen fishermen, processors, working waterfronts and seafood businesses throughout the country.”

 

Connecting the next generation of fishermen

October 19, 2026 — Breaking into the commercial fishing industry can be tough for those not from a fishing town or family. To address this, the National Future Fishermen Coalition is working to bring the next generation of deckhands and captains to the fleets from Alaska to the Gulf Coast and up to New England. The coalition is comprised of regional fishing organizations from around the United States, most of whom had already initiated deckhand training programs, but saw the necessity of joining forces, sharing knowledge, and collaborating for a unified national effort.

“The idea came together in an email chain in 2023 where people from around the U.S. realized they were all working independently to address the same problem — the greying of the fleet,” says Maité Duquela Sánchez, coordinator of the National Future Fishermen Coalition. “We officially launched in 2025 as a platform for fishermen of the next generation.”

These efforts will be presented at the first National Future Fishermen Summit on Nov. 20 at Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. The daylong event will feature a variety of panel discussions, talks, and a chance for young fishermen from around the country to network with each other and build connections for the future.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MARYLAND: Talbot County environmental consulting firm plans to recruit watermen to help clean up ‘ghost pots’

October 13, 2026 — An Easton-based environmental consulting firm has won federal money to pull abandoned crab pots, known as “ghost pots,” out of the Chesapeake Bay, and local watermen will be paid to do the retrieval.

According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, Rauch Inc. received $126,000 to recruit commercial watermen to recover derelict crab traps in Talbot County waters, including around Tilghman Island. The money comes through a NOAA subaward through the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Those areas were chosen based on a 2016 assessment by NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the institute.The assessment predicts high levels of derelict pots off of Tilghman Island.

Read the full article at WBOC

NOAA invests $45.7 million to improve ocean observing systems

October 9, 2026 — NOAA’s U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) Office announced today 11 new five-year cooperative agreements to support regional and national ocean observing. These agreements will enable U.S. IOOS regional associations to operate regional coastal observing systems (RCOSs) throughout U.S. waters, and will provide $45.7 million in funding for the first year.

Data collected from ocean observations:

  • Supports anglers, aquaculturists, shipping and logistics managers, and coastal communities in making sound economic and safety decisions;
  • Supports management and mitigation of coastal hazards, such as flooding and harmful algal blooms; and
  • Provides essential information for weather forecasting and national defense.

The regional associations are a fundamental part of the national observing system, and help ensure that the system is both effective and efficient. They are federally certified to collect and manage high-quality observing data, forming robust partnerships with local stakeholders and coastal communities. As the regional component of the nationwide U.S. IOOS network, regional associations meet local needs by using stakeholder feedback to guide the development of RCOSs while also integrating national priorities and requirements.

These cooperative agreements are awarded every five years through a competitive process and support the continued operation and modernization of our nation’s coastal, ocean and Great Lakes observing capabilities. Total awards include additional funding from other NOAA offices in the National Ocean Service, National Weather Service, NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Satellites and NOAA Research.

Read the full article at NOAA Ocean Services

ALASKA: New Alaska sea sponge species fuel debate over fishery practices

October 9, 2026 — The vast and largely unexplored seafloor off Alaska’s coastline produces occasional startling discoveries.

The latest concerns the sponges that line the bottom of the ocean and contribute to an ecosystem that supports some of the nation’s biggest seafood harvests.

Scientists have now identified nine previously unknown species of sea sponges that dwell there, including one that represents an entire genus that was previously unknown.

The discoveries are the product of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program to better understand Alaska’s sponge and coral gardens, underwater zones about which knowledge is in only the early stages.

Read the full article at Alaska Beacon

How Will El Niño Affect Your Local Fisheries?

October 8, 2026 — What does El Niño mean for U.S. fisheries and marine life? What can fishermen and coastal communities expect to observe and experience as this event continues and potentially intensifies? And what are scientists at NOAA Fisheries doing to track this natural phenomenon?

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a powerful atmospheric cycle that occurs in the Pacific Ocean along the Equator and weakens trade winds that blow from east to west. This allows warm surface water in the Pacific to slosh back east towards the Americas. It reduces the amount of cold water upwelling that usually occurs off the coast of South America. This natural phenomenon can have intense atmospheric and oceanographic effects, such as increased precipitation, flooding, and warmer ocean temperatures. These impacts vary by geographic location but are typically felt most directly by regions within the Pacific Basin.

In June 2026, NOAA forecasters announced that El Niño had formed in the tropical Pacific. As of October, they have predicted a greater than 83 percent chance of a “very strong event” during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter 2026–27. Experts expect this event will persist through early spring 2027, with the potential for observable impacts in marine ecosystems for months or even years afterwards.

Scientists still can’t predict exactly what will occur during this period. But NOAA Fisheries can draw upon historic observations and an abundance of data collected throughout previous El Niño events to suggest likely impacts across our ecosystems. Additionally, we are actively deploying tools and strategies to monitor and predict El Niño’s impact on the marine environment across the United States, including:

Learn more about what you can expect from this El Niño event and what NOAA Fisheries is doing to forecast and document its impacts.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

ALASKA: Southeast economy heats up: NOAA ship arrives in Ketchikan as federal contracts fuel shipyard growth

October 5, 2026 — The NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson has arrived at the Ketchikan Shipyard for a major modernization project, bringing a $95.4 million federal contract with it. Employment at the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority-owned facility is expected to approach 200 workers by the end of the year.

Operated by JAG Ketchikan LLC, the shipyard is building a growing portfolio of federal vessel work. The Oscar Dyson project, awarded to JAG Alaska Inc. in June 2025, follows a separate $99.6 million NOAA contract for modernization of the research vessel Henry B. Bigelow, announced by AIDEA in June.

The two contracts represent approximately $195 million in federal vessel modernization work, supporting demand for skilled trades, engineering, electrical, mechanical and fabrication expertise in Southeast Alaska.

According to AIDEA, the Oscar Dyson arrived the day before JAG hosted a shipyard tour for attendees of the 2026 Southeast Conference. Regional civic, business and economic development leaders were able to see the vessel and the facilities supporting the shipyard’s expanding workload.

“The arrival of NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson is another visible sign that the Ketchikan Shipyard is building momentum and competing for important federal maritime work,” said AIDEA Executive Director Randy Ruaro.

“The partnership between AIDEA and JAG at the Ketchikan Shipyard has been incredibly successful in a very short time since JAG took over operations,’ he said. “This is exactly the kind of activity AIDEA has worked to support — more vessels, more skilled jobs and more long-term opportunity for Southeast Alaska.”

The Oscar Dyson contract runs through Dec. 5, 2027. NOAA expects the vessel to return for the 2028 field season after a yearlong maintenance period following its 2026 research season.

Commissioned in 2005, the ship collects data used to manage Alaska pollock, one of the world’s largest commercial fisheries.

The overhaul includes replacing the propulsion system with variable-speed Tier 4 generators, installing quieter air-conditioning motors, and replacing pumps, fans, cranes, fire detection equipment and radars. The project will also increase the number of single-person staterooms. NOAA says the improvements will strengthen fuel efficiency, operational safety and the vessel’s ability to support research in Alaskan and Arctic waters.

Read the full article at The Alaska Story