Sardine collected on the 2023 Coastal Pelagic Species Survey. Pacific and Japanese sardine look so similar that they can only be distinguished by genetics. Genomic analysis later revealed that the catch contained both species. Photo Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Kelsey James

Surprise! Japanese Sardines Astonish Scientists by Crossing the Pacific to the West Coast

11/18/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Next generation genomic sequencing of Pacific sardine reveals not one, but two species of sardine in the California Current in 2022 and 2023. When research scientist Gary Longo first saw the results of his genomic analysis of sardines, he thought he must have mixed up his samples. Besides… SEE MORE
Image Credits: fisheries.noaa.gov.

New Clues Reveal Genetic Diversity among Alaska’s Harbor Porpoises

11/14/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Powerful tools reveal hidden structure of harbor porpoise population. Harbor porpoises are shy, elusive creatures that live in Alaska's coastal waters and are vital parts of the marine ecosystem. But how these animals are distributed and connected across the vast Alaskan waters remains a mystery. A new study published in the… SEE MORE
Image Credits: PICRYL.

Weather Forecasting Is Deadly for Marine Wildlife

10/31/2024 - By Danielle Beurteaux. Latex balloons designed to collect high-altitude data become a threat to marine animals after they burst—though the scale of their impact remains unknown. On a fall day in 2023, a juvenile Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross was lying listless in southeastern Brazil’s Santos Basin. Beach monitors found the young bird in… SEE MORE
Image Credits: Freerange Stocks.

Migrating Seabirds Are Bringing Forever Chemicals into the Arctic

10/23/2024 - By William von Herff. New research shows how toxic chemicals hitch a ride with seabirds flying from southern latitudes to the Arctic. Between March and May each year, 15 million black-legged kittiwakes gather from across the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to nest and breed on rocky Arctic cliffs—some making the journey… SEE MORE
Image Credits: goodfon.com.

Offering a Dose of Healing, Curious Beluga Whales Frolic in a Warming Hudson Bay

10/17/2024 - By Seth Borenstein. Playful large white beluga whales bring joy and healing to Hudson Bay. Their happy chirps leap out in an environment and economy threatened by the warming water melting sea ice, starving polar bears and changing the entire food chain. Loud and curious belugas swarm boats here, clicking, nudging and frolicking.… SEE MORE
Image Credits: PxHere.

The Galapagos Islands and Many of Their Unique Creatures are at Risk from Warming Waters

10/15/2024 - By Alie Skowronski. GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador  — Warm morning light reflects from the remains of a natural rock arch near Darwin Island, one of the most remote islands in the Galapagos. In clear, deep blue water, thousands of creatures — fish, hammerhead sharks, marine iguanas — move in search of… SEE MORE
Pacific bluefin tuna swim underwater. Credit: Adobe Stock

More U.S.-Caught Pacific Bluefin Tuna to Hit U.S. Markets Next Year

10/9/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Increased catch limits culminate a decade-long international effort to rebuild the once-imperiled species. Commercial Pacific bluefin tuna vessels in the United States can harvest almost 80 percent more fish in 2025–2026. The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission increased catch limits during a meeting in Panama in early September. This decision comes 3… SEE MORE
Authorized responders from the Seacoast Science Center take measurements of a dead humpback whale that stranded in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Credit: Seacoast Science Center.

$4 Million Awarded for Marine Mammal Rescue Efforts through Prescott Grant Program

10/7/2024 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA Fisheries recommended awarding 37 grants, totaling more than $4 million, through the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Assistance Grant Program to our partners in 16 states. NOAA Fisheries recommended awarding 37 grants, totaling more than $4 million, through the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and… SEE MORE