Saving Seafood

Where have all the old, female black rockfish gone?

August 6, 2026 — The Marine Fisheries Research Project team from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headed out to sea on Aug. 1.

Their destination: Cobb Seamount, about 300 miles west of the Washington coast.

Their goal: to find older female black, canary, or yellowtail rockfish.

Since the early 1990s, fisheries scientists on the West Coast have noticed a peculiar trend in black, yellowtail, and canary rockfish populations: the older females get, the fewer of them there are.

Marine Fisheries Research Project leader Leif Rasmuson and other members of his team boarded Oregon State University’s research vessel Pacific Storm for a 47-hour steam to the research site. The trip is part of OSU’s Oceangoing Research Vessel Program.

It took the crew two days to reach Cobb Seamount, where they’ll spend about 11 days searching for older female rockfish. Additionally, they’ll also collect genetic samples, attach satellite tags to fish, and document other marine life, including sunflower sea stars.

Read the full article at KLCC

Search for old female rockfish sends Oregon scientists to inactive underwater volcano

August 3, 2026 — Oregon scientists have headed to an inactive underwater volcano in search of rare fish.

The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Marine Fisheries Research Team left Newport on Saturday to begin their journey 322 miles left of the state’s north coast, the agency recently announced. Officials said Cobb Seamount is their destination, where they hope to locate old female rockfish.

ODFW reported the team is specifically looking for black, canary and yellowtail fish.

Those particular species are mostly comprised of male fish as they age, according to the department. Researchers also noted older fish have only been found in commercial or recreational fisheries on few occasions.

Read the full article at KOIN