NOAA Fisheries and Sea Quester Farms partnered up to evaluate if kelp farms provide habitat for marine life in Alaska. Pictured here is one of Sea Quester’s farms in southeast Alaska near Juneau. Credit: Hatch Blue, Alaska Mariculture Cluster

Kelp Farms and Marine Life Co-Exist in Southeast Alaska

10/3/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Marine aquaculture, or mariculture, provides economic opportunities for coastal communities in Alaska through farming shellfish and seaweed. NOAA Fisheries continues to support Alaska’s growing aquaculture industry through policy and permitting—providing access to resources and research. A recent study highlights one of our newest aquaculture research collaborations. Through this… SEE MORE
Sablefish farmed in net pens at NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Credit: Megan Ewald for NOAA Fisheries.

Managing Genetic Risk in Offshore Aquaculture

9/19/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Aquaculture can sustainably produce seafood to complement wild-caught fisheries. However, like all food systems, aquaculture requires sound science to ensure farmed species don’t harm wild species. Scientists at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center are working to understand the genetic risks in offshore aquaculture. NOAA has identified 21,000… SEE MORE
Docked fishing boats at Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon. Credit: iStock

Agency Reforms Aim to Restore American Seafood Competitiveness

9/3/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. On July 2, 2026, NOAA Fisheries sent Regional Priorities guidance, providing the regional fishery management councils a clear roadmap of actions designed to reduce regulatory burdens and better support the health of the seafood industry, while maintaining the public trust duty to maintain stock and ocean ecosystem health.… SEE MORE
Brenden Doyle, the founder and owner of The Great Marsh Shellfish Company, grows oysters in the largest contiguous salt marsh in New England. Credit: The Great Marsh Shellfish Company

Meet The Great Marsh Shellfish Company, Oyster Growers in Massachusetts

6/14/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. When you farm shellfish on Massachusetts’ beautiful coastal marshes, the world is your oy-stah! At least according to Brenden Doyle, a Gloucester native with family roots in Massachusetts’ commercial and recreational fishing industry. He spent his childhood boating and fishing around Cape Ann and learning about the… SEE MORE
Image Credits: pexels.

Squid Jigging From Boats and Piers: A Boater’s Guide to Catching Your Own Calamari

3/25/2026 - By best4boats.com, Norris Comer. Squid jigging is one of the more accessible — and entertaining — pursuits available to boaters and pier anglers along the Pacific coast, yet it remains an underappreciated fishery for many recreational boaters. With research suggesting global squid populations are actually booming due to reduced competition… SEE MORE
Crew aboard a small boat operated by the Seagrove Kelp Company harvests farmed kelp from an inlet in southeast Alaska. Undated image. (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries)

New Atlas Identifies Potential Opportunities for Aquaculture in Gulf of Alaska

2/21/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. NOAA published today the Atlas for Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs)offsite link, identifying 77 locations that may be suitable for sustainable shellfish and seaweed aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Alaska. This effort is part of NOAA’s commitment to prioritize American seafood competitiveness while strengthening the nation’s seafood industry,… SEE MORE