November 2, 2026 — Spanning more than 1.7 million square nautical miles of ocean—larger than the continental United States—the U.S. Pacific Islands region could be defined by its sheer scale.
NOAA Fisheries is seeking public input on a proposed cooperative research project that would study fish spawning aggregations throughout the Gulf of Mexico, including identifying key spawning locations and monitoring when and where commercially and recreationally important species gather to reproduce.
The agency is accepting comments through Nov. 12 on an application for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) that would allow participating commercial fishermen and recreational charter captains to conduct targeted sampling trips as part of the four-year research effort.
The project aims to verify, characterize, monitor and model multi-species fish spawning aggregations. Researchers hope the findings will help improve scientific understanding of spawning activity and provide information to support fisheries management decisions.
The proposed study would involve up to 120 sampling trips over four years, or approximately 30 trips annually. Trained professional captains would conduct the trips without scientists aboard, working as part of a designated study fleet.
The project also would establish advisory groups and work with fishermen to identify priority spawning locations for research. An initial group of potential sites was identified during a workshop funded through the Restore Science Program. Additional locations would be identified through meetings with small groups of fishermen in 2026 and 2027, as well as throughout the project using information from monitoring databases, bathymetric data, published and unpublished research, seasonal patterns and fishermen’s knowledge.