Saving Seafood

NOAA’s FY 2025 budget request supports Biden-Harris Administration goals

March 13, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA’s fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request proposes $6.6 billion in discretionary appropriations, an increase of $187.9 million from the FY 2024 annualized continuing resolution level. The request prioritizes investments in the critical operational and infrastructure activities that support NOAA’s ability to carry out its mission. These substantial investments, along with other targeted increases, build on investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) designed to foster a climate-ready nation and support economic development through enhanced science, data and observational capacity.

“People count on NOAA every day for reliable and actionable climate and extreme weather information to help make informed decisions that help save lives and livelihoods,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This budget will allow NOAA to improve on our legacy systems while also providing significant improvements in diverse data and product services we provide the nation every day.”

NOAA will continue to integrate equity across the organization by improving capabilities, and honing product development and service delivery in tribal and underserved communities.

Invest in critical satellites

NOAA satellites are critical for NOAA’s mission, as well as the security, safety and prosperity of the nation. Data from these satellites provide essential support to all segments of the U.S. economy. NOAA will continue investing in observational infrastructure to ensure the next-generation satellite systems meet the ever-expanding needs of the nation. Concurrent investments in the current and next generation of environmental satellites, such as continuing the development of the GeoXO satellite program, will provide sustained observations from geostationary orbit to provide improved weather forecasting, real-time monitoring of air quality conditions and improved ocean forecasting and fisheries management.

Expand climate products and services to build climate resilience

As part of a whole of government approach, NOAA’s FY 2025 request will invest in delivering actionable environmental information to decision makers focused on the risk areas of wildfires, floods, drought, extreme heat, the coasts, marine resources and overall climate risk mitigation while NOAA also continues to implement Executive Order 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Highlights include:

  • Establishing an end-to-end value chain for climate and weather data and services by investing more in observational infrastructure, decision-support tools, service delivery and conservation across its diverse set of missions.
  • Optimizing the NWS Integrated Dissemination Program to ensure the reliable and timely provision of weather and climate predictions, forecasts and warnings to the public, emergency management partners and the U.S. weather enterprise.
  • Supporting more days at sea and hours in the air for research needed to support critical mission requirements and complete the acquisition of a second high-altitude Gulfstream G-550 research jet to study hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and other weather phenomena using FY 2025 funding and previously approved IRA funding.

Provide science and data to inform economic development

The FY 2025 budget will allow NOAA to continue to foster environmental stewardship while optimizing advances in science and technology to support value-added, data-driven sustainable economic development, with a particular focus on the New Blue Economy. Highlights include:

  • Continuing to support the Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, minimizing the effects of offshore energy projects on protected marine resources, fisheries and important habitats, and mitigating impacts to NOAA assets and fisheries surveys. These and other activities will protect biodiversity and promote ocean co-use while supporting renewable energy development.
  • Supporting the production of 42 million hatchery salmon and steelhead released in the Columbia River Basin, which will translate into the harvest of about 250,000 fish that add to commercial, recreational and tribal fisheries. These funds will augment the $60 million in IRA funds for Columbia River Basin hatchery-deferred maintenance and repairs.
  • Enhancing commercial space companies’ experience obtaining regulatory approvals and providing a simple method to disseminate information regarding U.S. space activity regulation, standards and best practices.

Bolster equity

NOAA will continue to support Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government and EO 14091 Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. NOAA will integrate equity across the organization by improving capabilities and knowledge sharing, and honing product development and service delivery in tribal and underserved communities.

Update and maintain crucial facilities

Safe and modern facilities are vital to support NOAA’s mission of science, service and stewardship. In FY 2025, NOAA will continue investments to reduce its deferred facilities maintenance backlog and perform planned leasehold improvements.

New Study Sheds Light on Detection Range of eDNA

March 13, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Scientists are increasingly using environmental DNA to detect species in the marine environment. However, in the ocean, physical variables including temperature, depth, salinity, currents, and tides can all affect eDNA dispersal. This makes it difficult to interpret eDNA results and determine the location of animals relative to eDNA detections. In a recent study, scientists examined the influence of distance and tides on the distribution and concentration of eDNA from chum salmon in net pens in southeast Alaska.

“There have been very few studies in the marine environment that track the distance that eDNA can disperse,” said Diana Baetscher, a research geneticist at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. “This study addresses one of the critical knowledge gaps in applying eDNA to marine fisheries management.”

Nearshore Salmon Net Pens Used to Test eDNA Dispersion and Tidal Influence

Scientists found a hatchery net pen, containing more than 46 million juvenile chum salmon in nearshore waters of southeast Alaska, was the perfect site for their experiment. Their goal was to learn how far eDNA traveled from the site and how much of a role tides played in dispersing the eDNA.

The study area in Amalga Harbor is about 24 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. It experiences large tidal swings (13.74 feet mean tidal range) and is characterized by strong currents and significant freshwater input. At this high latitude, water temperatures are cold ( less than 8° Celsius) and eDNA degradation was expected to be minimal. Previous studies have shown marine eDNA can persist in nearshore waters for up to 48 hours. Scientists expected this would be enough time for eDNA to disperse from the net pens throughout the study area.

Using a genetic analysis method known as quantitative PCR, the scientific team evaluated the effect that distance and tide had on chum salmon eDNA transport by measuring the concentration of eDNA.

“The real value of this type of eDNA analysis is that we can collect quantitative information about individual species,”said Baetscher. “Of the limited genetic studies to track eDNA in the marine environment, most have relied on DNA metabarcoding. Metabarcoding allows us to detect dozens of species at the same time, but it typically provides less precise species-specific quantitative information.”

In 2021 the scientists collected filtered surface water samples, 80 meters apart, along a 2 kilometer perpendicular line or transect that extended from the net pen into the channel. They collected samples at both outgoing and incoming tides on a single day (May 10).

The following year, Baetscher and the team sampled at three depths (0 meters, 5 meters, and 10 meters) every 500 meters along the same transect. They also sampled along a perpendicular transect, to understand dispersion by depth and in additional directions.

Environment DNA Study Findings

DNA concentrations decreased with increasing distance from the net pen and with increasing depth.

  • The majority of DNA detections were within 1.5 km of the pens
  • The majority of eDNA was found at the surface

Tide had a significant effect.

  • Higher concentrations of chum salmon DNA were observed throughout the transect during incoming tide
  • There was a steeper decline in eDNA over distance during outgoing tide

Study in the Context of Other eDNA Research

A study like this is important because it is a somewhat controlled experiment. The scientists used stationary net pens that contained thousands of chum salmon in an area where few to no other chum salmon were present because of the time of sampling (early May). They were able to focus on the role of surface distance from the pens and the tidal exchange of the ocean in dispersing eDNA.

“What we learn in controlled studies is invaluable for understanding eDNA transport, degradation and fate in complex marine environments. This includes both nearshore and offshore where many factors are at play and interacting with each other such as wind and ocean currents,” said Baetscher.

Importantly, the data from this study provide some bounds that may be useful for interpreting eDNA data for important fisheries species.

Many such species—especially in the northeast Pacific—form large schools that could represent biomass on the scale of the more than 46 million salmon in the net pen experiment. Large schools of fish will produce a strong eDNA signal. Scientists also expect that, as in this study, DNA concentration will decrease and detections will become more sporadic, and then absent, as distance increases. This will allow for comparisons between eDNA collected on fisheries surveys and collections from nets and acoustic data.

Current eDNA studies in the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Genetics Program are building off of this research. This includes:

  • Generating eDNA data for commercial species such as walleye pollock and Pacific cod
  • Studying prey species for marine mammals including northern fur seals
  • Exploring rocky habitats that are not possible to sample with standard survey gear to learn more about the composition of species that live there

Exail’s DriX USV Conducts First-of-its-Kind Survey in U.S Windfarm Areas

March 12, 2024 — Exail’s DriX Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) recently completed a first-of-its-kind fisheries research survey to assess the impact on biomass and fish stock before, during and after wind farm construction.

Equipped with a SeapiX-R 3D high resolution multibeam echosounder from Exail, two Kongsberg EK80 single beam echosounders and a Nortek ADCP, the DriX USV performed this survey off the coast of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York for NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Research Science Center (NEFSC), in close collaboration with NOAA USxOC, as well as Kongsberg and Nortek.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

NOAA talks new proposal for Papahanaumokuakea

March 12, 2024 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is proposing a national marine sanctuary in the marine portions of the existing Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which is a protected area to the northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands.

According to NOAA, Papahanaumokuakea is the “largest contiguous fully protected conservation area under the U.S. flag and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. It encompasses 582,578 square miles of the Pacific Ocean (1,508,870 square kilometers) – an area larger than all the country’s national parks combined.”

NOAA’s superintendent of Papahanaumokuakea, Eric Roberts, joined Take2 Friday morning to explain the importance of the proposal and what the benefits could be.

Read the full article at KHON

US federal appeals court orders NOAA to review Gulf of Mexico red grouper quota allocations

March 6, 2024 — A U.S. federal appeals court is requiring NOAA to review red grouper reallocations the group made under its Amendment 53 decision issued in May 2022.

U.S. Gulf of Mexico commercial fishermen sued NOAA’s NMFS the same month, alleging the reallocation of red grouper catch shares illegally favored the recreational-fishing sector via a flawed formula that did not comply with legal requirements.  Amendment 53 reduced the commercial allocation of red grouper caught in the Gulf of Mexico to 59.3 percent – down from 76 percent – while increasing the recreational-fishing sector’s allocation from 24 percent to 40.7 percent.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Women’s History Month: Talking with Gillian Phillips

March 6, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Gillian Phillips is a community ecology technician and deckhand for our science center’s Aquaculture Systems and Ecology Branch. She’s a member of the GoPro Aquaculture Project team that uses GoPro video cameras to study how fish use aquaculture gear like oyster cages as habitat. Gillian works with a field team to collect the underwater video and then counts fish and documents fish behaviors around the oyster cages and natural rock reef habitats. Her home base is at our Milford Laboratory in Milford, Connecticut.

Can you tell us a little about yourself—where you grew up, how you got interested in science, where you went to college?

I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. My interest in animals began at Zoo Atlanta. I started as a volunteer, became an intern, and eventually a seasonal zookeeper in the Wildlife Theater leading animal encounters and free-flighted bird shows. This department had a strong focus in animal training and behavior as well as animal husbandry and outreach. I studied animal science and pathobiology of veterinary sciences at the University of Connecticut. After graduating in 2013, I continued at Georgia State University where I earned a master’s degree in public health in 2015. I studied how environmental, human, and animal health all intersect. This work included studying interactions between invasive and native crustacean species in North and South America, impacts of sound/sonar on crustacean behavior, and parasitism of invasive crayfish species. My experience with animal behavior has helped me in my current role with the science center.

What do you love most about your job or your career?

The part I love most about my job is having the opportunity to be out on the water. While growing up, seeing the ocean or other large bodies of water was something that only happened on vacation. I have very fond memories of deep-sea fishing with my grandparents as a kid. Being able to record what happens underwater is like getting a view of what it is like to be a fish in Long Island Sound.

I really enjoy that our project is a large dynamic team. I’ve never been a part of a more productive team that works so well together. I remember being frustrated while doing group projects as a student, but this is nothing like that. We all have our pieces or expertise and we come together with a common goal. A helping hand is always available to forward the mission.

What advice do you have for the next generation of women scientists about a career in fisheries and/or marine science?

Don’t be afraid to try new or different things. I’ve had many opportunities to work on new things that weren’t exactly what I thought I would be doing—and that is okay! It’s great to find new passions and continue to grow as a person and a scientist. I never thought that I would work as a marine biologist, but it has been such a fulfilling endeavor. I’ve learned so much and have brought my unique perspective to the GoPro aquaculture project. I think all teams benefit from having diversity in their composition.

I also think it’s very important to have hobbies or activities that are outside of your science or work. I like to do a variety of crafts and am new to playing video games! I’m currently working on crocheting and quilting projects. I also try to stay active in music with my marching band community. I played the flute and piccolo from middle school through college. I love science but I find doing things creative helps me with my science and solving science problems!

Exclusive: World on brink of fourth mass coral reef bleaching event, NOAA says

March 5, 2024 — The world is on the verge of a fourth mass coral bleaching event which could see wide swathes of tropical reefs die, including parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

Marine biologists are on high alert following months of record-breaking ocean heat fuelled by climate change and the El Nino climate pattern.

“It’s looking like the entirety of the Southern Hemisphere is probably going to bleach this year,” said ecologist Derek Manzello, the coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch which serves as the global monitoring authority on coral bleaching risk.

Read the full article at Reuters

Governor questions designation of coral critical habitat

March 5, 2024 — GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios has expressed concern about the National Marine Fisheries Service’s designation of critical habitat for seven threatened corals in the waters surrounding the CNMI.

In his letter to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Janet Coit on Thursday, the governor thanked NMFS for addressing earlier concerns regarding public meetings and making them more accessible to the people of Saipan, Tinian and Rota.

He also commended the agency for adopting different approaches in designating coral critical habitat and giving affected communities the chance to submit comments for the revised critical habitat proposal.

Read the full article at Marinas Variety

First baby right whale of season dies from injuries caused by ship collision

March 5, 2024 —  The first confirmed baby right whale of the year has been found dead from a collision with a ship, a devastating blow for the vanishing species.

North Atlantic right whales number less than 360 and they are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Federal authorities were notified of a dead right whale stranded off Georgia on Sunday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Federal and state officials identified the whale as the injured calf of a right whale known as Juno by marine scientists. The calf had first been seen on Jan. 3 with injuries to its head from a vessel strike, NOAA said in a statement.

Right whales, which are in decline, are slow to reproduce and every baby is vitally important to the future of the species, marine scientists have said. Twenty newborns would be considered a relatively productive season, but the giant whales have been having babies at an even slower rate than normal in recent years, and they have not reached that figure since 2021, NOAA data state.

NOAA said it was able to identify the dead calf based on its injuries and markings that were documented when it was alive.

Read the full article at News Center Maine

Biden-Harris Administration announces new NOAA-NASA agreement to advance North Atlantic right whale conservation technologies as part of Investing in America agenda

March 4, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announced a new $500,000 agreement with NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI) to assist NOAA in identifying, advancing the development of and selecting technologies to support endangered North Atlantic right whale recovery efforts. Today’s investment is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act — the largest climate investment in history.

North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction, with approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females. Primary threats to the species are entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. Climate change is also affecting every aspect of their survival.

“The Inflation Reduction Act provides a historic investment to reduce threats to this imperiled species and increase monitoring through the application of new technologies that would otherwise not be possible without this funding,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Our team at NOAA Fisheries looks forward to working with NASA given its strong track record of bringing new technologies and approaches to pressing societal problems.”

Under this agreement, and in partnership with the private sector, NOAA Fisheries will seek to identify, advance and develop new technologies for satellite tags and improve whale detection to reduce the risk of vessel strikes ― one of the primary threats to the survival of North Atlantic right whales. By developing new technologies, NOAA Fisheries can improve the understanding of where whales are located to allow ocean users to respond when right whales are detected. 

“NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation works across NASA and other federal agencies to educate and facilitate the use of open innovation and crowdsourcing,” said Steve Rader, program manager for CoECI at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Open innovation provides a unique tool to further technology development and scientific discovery for the benefit of all, and we look forward to working with NOAA Fisheries on this important ecological endeavor.”

NOAA Fisheries and its partners are dedicated to recovering and conserving North Atlantic right whales. The new agreement will help NOAA Fisheries meet the objectives of the recently released North Atlantic Right Whale and Offshore Wind Strategy, and it directly supports the North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery — NOAA Fisheries’ comprehensive plan to address threats to the species and monitor recovery progress. NOAA Fisheries has previously worked with NASA to organize a global technology search for innovative solutions to detect on-demand (or “ropeless”) fishing gear. This new effort will further strengthen the agencies’ partnership. 

This agreement is part of NOAA Fisheries’ plans for North Atlantic right whale recovery, supported with $82 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and first announced in September 2023. These investments are part of the historic $3.3 billion in Inflation Reduction Act investments focused on ensuring America’s communities and economies are ready for and resilient to climate change.

Visit NOAA’s Inflation Reduction Act website to learn about current and future funding opportunities.