Saving Seafood

Back to the Field: NOAA Biologists Return to Papahānaumokuākea to Study and Protect Hawaiʻi Wildlife

July 16, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

A team of biologists from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center is setting off for a field season in the remote islands of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The team departed Honolulu on the M/V Kahana II July 10, and the ship will return August 6. However, most of the biologists will stay behind for a season of hard work collecting data on some of the iconic threatened and endangered species of Hawaiʻi—Hawaiian green sea turtles and Hawaiian monk seals.

The Work of NOAA Field Biologists in the Monument

The primary goal of this research cruise is to set up biological field camps at five sites within the monument:

  1. Lalo (French Frigate Shoals)
  2. Kamole (Laysan Island)
  3. Kapou (Lisianski Island)
  4. Manawai (Pearl and Hermes Reef)
  5. Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll)

Setting up camp on these remote islands is a big undertaking—each camp needs tents and all of the food, fresh water, scientific equipment, and safety supplies that teams of three to seven biologists will need for their stay of over 2 months. The research cruise team will also conduct monk seal surveys at islands where they do not establish camps—Nihoa, Mokumanamana (Necker) and Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll).

Once camps are established, the real work begins. Hawaiian monk seal biologists at the five camps will survey the islands to get an accurate count of monk seals. They will also monitor moms and pups to track reproductive success and attach identification tags to seals’ flippers to help track individuals through their lives. At two of the sites (Lalo and Pearl and Hermes Reef), the team will use an underwater device (sound trap) to record monk seal vocalizations and understand the noises they hear.

Marine turtle biologists will join a team of two who have been at Lalo since early spring. The turtle team will count and tag male turtles and nesting female turtles, monitor nest success, and collect samples from hatchling turtles.

Read the full release here

Public–Private Partnership Remains Key to the Annual Bottomfish Survey in Hawaiʻi

July 12, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

There is light at the end of the tunnel as many of the restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic start to relax. However, restarting large-scale research and survey operations takes time. The 2020 Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Bottomfish Fishery-Independent Survey in Hawaiʻi (#BFISH) was highly successful. It showed that cooperative research fishers, working in partnership with NOAA, can achieve a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency. In 2021, NOAA will continue to rely on our 10-year cooperative research partnership with the local fishing community to conduct survey operations critical to fishery management in Hawaiʻi.

The annual survey  became operational in 2016. It continues to provide important local abundance estimates used in the Main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 Bottomfish Stock Assessment.

A key difference between #BFISH and many of our other research missions is its foundational partnership with the local fishing community. Traditionally, the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette conducts stereo-video camera deployments. Local fishers contracted through Lynker Technologies and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group conduct research fishing operations. They use traditional hook-and-line methods to collect samples within an experimental design developed in close partnership with Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center scientists. As in 2020, our Lynker/Pacific Islands Fisheries Group partners will conduct 100 percent of the sampling, including both fishing and camera operations.

Read the full release here

$210M federal award to fund UH research focused on how ecosystems are changing

June 10, 2021 — A small trap sits on the coral reef for four months, imprisoning tiny particles for environmental DNA analysis. These findings give researchers a snapshot in time of the microhabitats of our oceans, and in the long-term, a sense of how our ecosystems are changing.

This is just one of the many research projects developed by students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa through the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research — a partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Last week, NOAA set plans to continue their 44-year-old partnership, awarding $210 million to the University of Hawaii — more than double the amount of previous funding. The money will go toward the next five years of research for NOAA’s new institute: the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research.

According to deputy director of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center Tia Brown, CIMAR “will help NOAA achieve our mission to better understand the ocean and atmosphere, which depends on all the research that we do … as well as the data and information to make sound decisions for healthy ecosystems, communities and a strong blue economy.”

In fiscal year 2022, CIMAR will continue the work of JIMAR while expanding to eight new research themes: ecological forecasting, ecosystem monitoring, ecosystem-based management, protection and restoration of resources, oceanographic monitoring and forecasting, climate science and impacts, air-sea interactions, and tsunamis and other long-period ocean waves.

Read the full story at Hawaii News Now

Climate Change: NOAA Fisheries Supports Coastal Communities

June 8, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

By now we have all heard about climate change and some of us may have started to notice changes out on the water. Warmer ocean temperatures, more frequent algal blooms, your favorite species arriving earlier in the fishing season—these are all signs the environment is changing. Across the United States, changes in our climate and oceans are affecting our communities, businesses, and natural resources—including our fisheries and coastal habitats.

Climate change is already affecting the productivity, abundance, distribution, and composition of fish stocks that anglers enjoy. As waters warm, popular recreational species like black seabass and flounder are moving north along the Atlantic Coast to keep pace with rising temperatures. In the Gulf of Mexico, species are encountering more frequent algal blooms and expanding low-oxygen zones. Scientists from our Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center have found that Pacific tuna stocks will likely decrease because of climate change, regardless of how we change our management and harvest strategy.

As a result of these kinds of changes, coastal businesses, and the associated industries we cherish, face unprecedented challenges. U.S. recreational and commercial fishing and seafood industries drive $244 billion in annual economic activity and support 1.74 million jobs. These  could be disrupted by changes in climate and ocean conditions in the coming decades.

NOAA Fisheries and our partners are working across the country to understand climate challenges and do our part to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of U.S. fisheries. We are working with our partners to provide data and information needed by the fishing public, coastal businesses, local planners, and many others.

Much of this work is implemented through our Climate Science Strategy. The strategy was developed to enhance the production, delivery, and use of climate-related information in resource conservation and management. It is designed to provide decision-makers with answers to four key questions:

  • What is changing?
  • Why is it  changing?
  • How will it change?
  • How best can we respond

Read the full release here

Meet Réka Domokos, Research Oceanographer

June 3, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

What is your key responsibility?  

I am part of the Ecosystem Sciences Division at the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. I work in the Pelagic Research Program, tackling a lot of questions in the pelagic realm. Part of my work is with the Bigeye Initiative, which focuses on learning all we can about bigeye tuna so that we can predict how the environment affects bigeye tuna and how the fishery will do in the future with natural variability and climate change. This species is the most economically important commercial fish for the deep-set longline fishery here in Hawai‘i. There are five focus areas  in the initiative. I am the lead on the bigeye habitat module within the habitat and human dimensions focus. We look at what habitat they use, the ecosystem they are part of, how the environment is affecting tuna, and the oceanographic drivers of the movement and distribution of the fish. I am also the lead for a Center-wide sampling plan that incorporates everything we do in situ within the pelagic region. I am designing our in-situ sampling strategy for the next 5–15 years. I am also the active acoustician, investigating distribution, movement patterns, and abundance of organisms. In my personal research, I am currently looking at the effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation on the equatorial Pacific tuna fisheries. I am also doing research that uses active acoustics to understand how the environment affects micronketon, which is prey for most of the economically important top predators, including bigeye tuna, as well as protected species.

Where did you grow up?  

I grew up in Budapest, Hungary.

What is your educational background?  

I used to work as a professional photographer and videographer back in Hungary. When I came to the United States, I was already interested in ethology (the study of animal behavior) and the ocean and decided to go back to school. I earned my undergraduate degree in coral reef fish behavior at UC Berkeley. Then, I came to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa for my graduate work and received a master’s in marine biology, focusing on coral reef fish behavior. It was during this time that I realized I was really drawn to physics and math so I earned a second master’s degree in physical oceanography then a Ph.D.

Are you a member of a notable community organization, church, or volunteer/mentorship program?  

I was very involved in trying to get marriage equality in Hawai‘i many years ago. We had our own group, which was later joined by a national organization Human Rights Campaign. They sent members out to help with campaigning that really helped lay some groundwork. I am also a member of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Is there a book, quote, or person that influenced you to be the person that you are today?  

Konrad Lorens, a famous Austrian ethologist back in the early 1900s. I was still a kid when I read his book on imprinting in geese—he proved the concept of imprinting—and it really sparked my interest in animal behavior. I did short films on animal behavior as a photographer. I became fascinated and really interested in ethology and animals in general, which started my science career.

What does PRIDE Month mean to you? 

It’s nice to have the recognition. It is not that being gay is really about being proud of it but rather, that it is nothing to be ashamed of. I just am who I am. I believe the visibility PRIDE brings is good for the LGBTQ community. The more visible we are, the more understanding there will be, which leads to greater acceptance. Once people know we are just people, they realize that there is not much difference between us.

What does being a career civil servant mean to you?

The least we can do as humans is to increase our collective knowledge of our environment, because knowledge is power. If we know and understand our natural world, we can help preserve it longer for many of the generations to come.

What advice would you have for today’s youth interested in a federal government career?  

I think the best advice I can give is to go with your heart. Whatever you are interested in, just follow that. Don’t think about how much you are going to make or that you might get stuck in a particular field of work. Yyou can always change as you go along—the most crucial thing is to just start learning. I think it’s very important to do something you enjoy. I am sure all jobs have some negative parts, but if you are genuinely interested in the work you do, you will end up happier than having a job just to earn money.

More Information

HAWAII: UH selected to host NOAA’s new institute for marine and atmospheric research

June 2, 2021 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has selected the University of Hawai’i to host its new institute for marine and atmospheric research.

UH will receive up to $210 million over five years to conduct a wide range of environmental research, from studying the vog coming out of Kilauea to fishing activity to coral reefs.

“It’s almost all for the benefit of the local people, us, and those of us living on these islands, so we better know the environment, we can understand it, and we can prepare for changes that are coming and protect the environment,” said Doug Luther, Director of UH Manoa Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research.

Read the full story at KITV

2020 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Field Season Highlights: Celebrating Partners

December 3, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Typically, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center deploys field teams during the spring and summer to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. There, they conduct research and rescue activities for threatened green sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals at five key breeding sites: French Frigate Shoals, Laysan and Lisianski Islands, Pearl and Hermes Reef, and Kure Atoll. The teams also conduct surveys during short visits at the Nihoa and Mokumanamana (Necker) Islands and Midway Atoll. Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries decided to cancel this survey and field effort for 2020. Fortunately for the conservation of these species, our partners were able to step up and  salvage part of the 2020 field season. Data are also coming in from satellite tags on a handful of monk seals and a green turtle.

We have conducted field studies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for 47 years for sea turtles and 36 years for monk seals. These islands and atolls are nesting habitat for more than 90 percent of Hawaiian green sea turtles and 75 percent of the Hawaiian monk seal population (about 1,100 seals). These invaluable long-term datasets provide current population statuses and trends and insight on how climate change is affecting these animals and their habitat. Combined, this information guides management and recovery actions.

Read the full release here

2020 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Field Season Highlights: Celebrating Partners

November 20, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Typically, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center deploys field teams during the spring and summer to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. There, they conduct research and rescue activities for threatened green sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals at five key breeding sites: French Frigate Shoals, Laysan and Lisianski Islands, Pearl and Hermes Reef, and Kure Atoll. The teams also conduct surveys during short visits at the Nihoa and Mokumanamana (Necker) Islands and Midway Atoll. Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries decided to cancel this survey and field effort for 2020. Fortunately for the conservation of these species, our partners were able to step up and  salvage part of the 2020 field season. Data are also coming in from satellite tags on a handful of monk seals and a green turtle.

We have conducted field studies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands for 47 years for sea turtles and 36 years for monk seals. These islands and atolls are nesting habitat for more than 90 percent of Hawaiian green sea turtles and 75 percent of the Hawaiian monk seal population (about 1,100 seals). These invaluable long-term datasets provide current population statuses and trends and insight on how climate change is affecting these animals and their habitat. Combined, this information guides management and recovery actions.

Read the full release here

HAWAII: NOAA seeking volunteers for fish count

September 30, 2020 — The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center is launching a new citizen science project called OceanEYEs. We are seeking volunteers to help find Deep 7 bottomfish in underwater videos.

A student in the Young Scientist Opportunity program and our scientists have partnered with Zooniverse.org to develop a user-friendly web page called OceanEYEs. There, citizen scientists can help review images from our annual bottomfish survey, tagging and identifying all the fish that they see. Scientists can then use those data to train advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools, to look at different ways of counting fish in video. The data can also be used as information for stock assessments.

The images are collected every year during the Bottomfish Fishery-Independent Survey in Hawaii (#BFISH) using state of the art stereo-camera systems. The survey provides an estimate of the number of “Deep 7” bottomfish. That’s a group of seven species of fish that have both economic and cultural value to the islands. The data from this survey are used in the Deep 7 stock assessment to provide managers with the best information to make management decisions. That includes annual commercial fishery catch limits.

Read the full story at The Garden Island

Citizen Scientists Help Count Deep-7 Bottomfish in Hawaiʻi

September 16, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center is launching a new citizen science project called OceanEYEs. We are seeking volunteers to help find Deep 7 bottomfish in underwater videos.

A student in the Young Scientist Opportunity program and our scientists have partnered with Zooniverse.org to develop a user-friendly web page called OceanEYEs. There, citizen scientists can help review images from our annual bottomfish survey, tagging and identifying all the fish that they see. Scientists can then use those data to train advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools, to look at different ways of counting fish in video. The data can also be used as information for stock assessments.

The images are collected every year during the Bottomfish Fishery-Independent Survey in Hawaii (#BFISH) using state of the art stereo-camera systems. The survey provides an estimate of the number of “Deep 7” bottomfish. That’s a group of seven species of fish that have both economic and cultural value to the islands. The data from this survey are used in the Deep 7 stock assessment to provide managers with the best information to make management decisions. That includes annual commercial fishery catch limits.

The camera systems, which rest on the seafloor for 15 minutes at a time, record hundreds of thousands of images over the course of the survey. NOAA scientists currently analyze these images but, as you can imagine, the number of images collected during survey operations can quickly overwhelm them.

NOAA has been investing heavily in the development of AI solutions, allowing scientists to use machine learning and computer vision to analyze images. However, for the machine to learn, it requires large numbers of training images. Those are images of fish that a human has already tagged and identified.

Read the full release here