Saving Seafood

FLORDIA: US lawmakers from Florida want to keep NOAA from shutting down Atlantic red snapper season

January 24, 2025 — Two Florida Congressmen — a Republican and a Democrat — and the state’s now-senior U.S. senator want to throw a bone to red snapper anglers off the Atlantic coast.

Rep. John Rutherford, R-Jacksonville, Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, and Republican Sen. Rick Scott have introduced the Red Snapper Act to stop the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from “unilaterally closing the red snapper fishery in the South Atlantic until reliable and accurate data” is gathered from an independent study entitled the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count.

According to a news release from Rutherford’s office, over the past decade, charter captains, anglers and businesses have successfully replaced the red snapper stock.

Rutherford described last summer’s one-day season of red snapper fishing as “a confounding, ridiculous, draconian measure that greatly affected local economies and livelihoods,” including in St. Augustine.

“Anglers are seeing more red snapper off the coast of Northeast Florida than ever before,” he said in the release. “Widespread bottom closures that threaten Northeast Florida’s fishing economy are not the answer. Accurate data that helps produce informed policy is.”

Read the full article at the St. Augustine Record

NOAA withdraws proposed rule intended to strengthen penalties on IUU fishing

January 23, 2025 — NOAA has withdrawn a proposed rule intended to further crack down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

The rule, first proposed in 2016, was intended to strengthen regulations that protect against IUU fishing by amending or bolstering other rules already in force, such as the Agreement on Port State Measures – a U.N. treaty intended to help port states cooperate in the fight against IUU fishing.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Federal fisheries study finds new climate-resilient genetic diversity in crab stocks

January 21, 2025 — Results of new genetic research on Alaska red king crab stocks – included in the depressed Gulf of Alaska fishery – suggest the species has previously undetermined genetic diversity, making these crab more resilient to climate change.

Researchers at the NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center collaborated with Cornell University, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on the study involving whole genome sequencing data on red king crab across Alaska.

The benefit of genome sequencing over previous methods is that it’s akin to reading the full story of an organism’s makeup rather than just a chapter or two, said the study report released on Jan. 2.

Red king crab inhabit diverse environments, from coastal bays in the north to open sea shelves in the Bering Sea, as well as small bays and fjords fed by glacial melt in the Gulf of Alaska and Southeast Alaska. This environment generally includes the Gulf of Alaska, Southeast Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, the Eastern Bering Sea, Norton Sound and the Chukchi Sea. Scientists previously hypothesized that king crab in these regions are divided into three genetic groups: Gulf of Alaska/East Bering Sea, Southeast Alaska, and Aleutian Islands/Norton Sound.

Read the full article at The Cordova Times

Five SoMAS Research Projects Receive Funding from New York Sea Grant

January 21, 2025 –New York Sea Grant (NYSG) has awarded approximately $2.15 million to support 10 research projects — five of which are based at Stony Brook University — that will directly address multiple high-priority community, economic and environmental objectives.

The two-year projects — administered by NYSG and funded through the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sea Grant’s federal parent agency, represent a range of stakeholder-driven topics to benefit residents across a number of New York’s coastal geographies.

Below are the five Stony Brook research projects that will receive funding.

Lead PIs: Michael Doall, Associate Director for Bivalve Restoration, and Christopher Gobler, Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation, Distinguished Professor, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)

To help ensure the future viability of shellfisheries in New York, researchers are conducting analyses to characterize the dynamics of past, present, and future temperature and dissolved oxygen in New York estuaries and identify ideal and inhibitory locations across New York for each species, allowing managers, fishers, and aquaculturists to prepare for future change.

Read the full article at Stony Brook University

US lawmakers move to block NOAA Fisheries from closing red snapper fishery

January 21, 2025 —  Federal lawmakers from the U.S. state of Florida have introduced legislation to block NOAA Fisheries from closing the recreational South Atlantic red snapper fishery for three months of the year.

“Florida’s fishing industry is a multi-billion dollar economic driver in our state, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and attracting visitors to communities along our coast,” U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-Florida) said in a statement. “We’ve made great strides in Florida to ensure our natural resources are preserved and protected for years to come, including rebuilding the Red Snapper population. I’m proud to work with [U.S. Representative John Rutherford (R-Florida)] on the Red Snapper Act to support our state’s commercial and recreational fishing industry and ensure their success isn’t limited by federal government’s outdated data and regulations.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA designate 18th national marine sanctuary

January 17, 2025 — NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world.

Located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will provide additional ways to manage and protect the area’s nationally significant biological, cultural and historical resources.

Sanctuary designation will not change the area’s status as a marine national monument. The sanctuary designation advances President Biden’s ocean conservation legacy and his America the Beautiful initiative, which supports locally-led, collaborative conservation efforts across the country.

“National marine sanctuary designation will bring a stronger framework for marine conservation and protection to the waters of Papahānaumokuākea,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “The Sanctuary will also facilitate scientific research, resource monitoring and coordinated efforts to ensure the long-term health of this natural, cultural and historically significant area.”

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will co-manage the sanctuary with the State of Hawaiʻi and in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consistent with the existing management of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

NOAA dumps controversial boat speed limit at heart of debate over protecting right whales

January 17, 2025 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has withdrawn its proposal to expand boat speed limits to protect North Atlantic right whales after more than two years of debate and over 90,000 public comments.

The decision brought some relief to boat builders and fishermen who saw it as the biggest maritime regulation ever proposed on the recreational boating industry.

“It would have made it tough very tough on us. We fish wrecks 60 to 70 miles offshore in the winter and you can’t get anywhere going 10 knots,” said Howard Bogan Jr. owner of the Jamaica party fishing boat at Bogan’s Basin in Brielle.

Bogan and his family, which has been running party boats out of Brielle since 1931, opposed the speed restrictions, which compounded with tightening fisheries regulations would have made it even harder for their business to provide food, entertainment and enjoyment to thousands who visit the Jersey Shore each year.

Read the full article at Asbury Park Press

NOAA Helps Students and Educators Dive into Environmental Education

January 16, 2025 — NOAA has awarded 16 new projects nearly $1.4 million in Fiscal Year 2024 funding as part of the Chesapeake Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program. These projects are located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.; some will touch the entire region.

Students and teachers around the Chesapeake Bay watershed will benefit from these outstanding programs. This year’s new grants support projects to help school districts deliver Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. MWEEs combine outdoor and classroom learning to help students investigate local environmental issues. They lead to students taking informed action, increase school districts’ capacity to deliver environmental education, and support statewide environmental literacy initiatives.

In addition, almost $1.3 million will support 15 continuing projects in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania, enabling nonprofit organizations and universities to partner with school districts to implement Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences that will reach more than 15,000 students and 300 teachers.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Optics Technology: At the Heart of Marine Research

January 15, 2025 — At NOAA Fisheries, optics technology plays a major role in gathering data to better understand our marine and coastal ecosystems. Optics uses tools such as advanced underwater cameras to generate video and images that scientists use to better understand biodiversity and track the behavior of species.

To collect data, many surveys have traditionally relied on securing time on a NOAA ship. Researchers typically sail to the area where the survey is taking place, but they are limited to collecting data in areas the ship can navigate. Ship time can be very costly, and researchers must plan their efforts around the time of year the ship is available.

Optics increases our capacity to help gather this same data by using video and image data instead of human observation. This is particularly helpful in the deepest parts of the ocean, which can be difficult to access due to a lack of light and extreme pressure. We are able to “see” the underwater ecosystems we protect while ensuring safer operations. Incorporating this information into our research provides a richer understanding of precious marine resources.

The findings have a direct impact on management decisions for habitat and species conservation. In warmer climates, we use optics to survey corals in the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. In science centers across the country, we use remote underwater video cameras to identify marine resources.

In colder climates such as remote locations of Alaska, we identify marine mammals with drone footage and infrared optics. And in Antarctica, we attach cameras to autonomous underwater vehicles such as gliders to gather information on krill and plankton.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

Technology Week: Launching into the Future with Advanced Technologies

January 14, 2025 — NOAA scientists use many technologies to collect and analyze the data needed to manage our ocean resources and habitats. These technologies help us explore remote ocean areas, study endangered species, and ensure we have the information needed to make informed decisions about management and conservation. This allows us to better manage fisheries and support our coastal communities.

Join us for Technology Week (January 13–17, 2025) as we examine some of these technologies, many of which operate with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.

How NOAA Fisheries Uses Technology

We are a leader in the use of advanced technologies, but what exactly do we use them for?

Some ocean creatures are difficult to study because they live in remote habitats or have complex life cycles. And to study unique creatures, sometimes scientists need to use unique  tools. Our scientists use a range of advanced technologies to gather and analyze data and better understand the science behind healthy ecosystems and marine life. Get familiar with the technology we use to support our mission by reading the features below.

Discover the technologies used by our scientists to study marine species and the environment

Uncrewed Systems

Uncrewed systems allow us to access remote or difficult to reach places. They can be deployed aerially, on the ocean’s surface, and below the waves—supplementing traditional data collection methods and expanding our ability to conduct important research.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries