Category: Coastal News

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Designate 18th National Marine Sanctuary

1/23/2025 - By noaa.gov. Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary status to bring strengthened conservation, management to area. NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one… SEE MORE

Image Credits: A gorgonian coral (Muricea pendula). (Image credit: UNC National Undersea Research Center)

From Threat to Threatened: A Brief History of Coral Reef Research

1/21/2025 - By noaa.gov. Alexander Dallas Bache was the second Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey. He was dedicated to charting our coastlines and improving the safety and effectiveness of marine navigation. In 1851, seeing coral reefs as a threat to the safety of ships traveling our coasts, he commissioned controversial American… SEE MORE

Cleaning scallops at a commercial fishing dock

Fishermen Brace for Challenges as Scallop Framework is Reviewed

1/19/2025 - By Adam Goldstein. New England scallopers are looking at another tough year in 2025, as they prepare for a set of federal regulations to protect both their livelihoods and the Atlantic Ocean’s scallop populations. If approved by NOAA Fisheries, the new rules, called Scallop Framework 39, will reduce the number… SEE MORE

The Rise and Fall of Genetically Engineered Salmon

1/18/2025 - By Paul Molyneaux. After 35 years, the genetically engineered salmon saga has ended. AquaBounty has closed its genetically modified salmon production facilities after losing millions of dollars trying to market a product for which there is no demand. The AquAdvantage fast-growing salmon was initially developed in 1989 at Memorial University in Newfoundland,… SEE MORE

Endangered Species: One Man’s Fight for the Sea

1/17/2025 - By Carli Stewart. David Goethel has lived a life that many only read about in adventure novels. As a small boat fisherman, he has faced the harshest conditions the ocean can dish out, while navigating a world that grows increasingly indifferent to the struggles of those who work the sea.… SEE MORE

North Atlantic Right Whale off the coast of Massachusetts

NOAA Withdraws Proposed Speed Restrictions on Boats 35-65ft.

1/16/2025 - The proposed rule, intended to protect North Atlantic Right Whales, would have extended current restrictions to recreational boats ranging from 35 to 65 feet to a speed of 10 knots along much of the Eastern Seaboard for up to seven months of the year. In a significant development for the… SEE MORE

The Sea Level Calculator: A Comprehensive Data Resource for Coastal Communities

1/14/2025 - By coast.noaa.gov. With changing sea levels and more frequent and intense storms, tens of millions of people in the U.S. are at risk from coastal hazards. Communities need to understand how sea level and flooding are changing in their location so they can adapt to these risks. NOAA combined existing… SEE MORE

Image Credits: SEPTEMBER 29, 2024. Gentoo penguins and seals make their return to Palmer Station in Antarctica. Antarctic sea ice coverage in 2024 was the second lowest on record. (Image credit: Evan Quinter/ U.S. National Science Foundation/Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

2024 was the World’s Warmest Year on Record

1/13/2025 - By noaa.gov. Antarctic sea ice coverage is the second lowest on record, behind 2023. It’s official: 2024 was the planet’s warmest year on record, according to an analysis by scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Along with historic heat, Antarctic sea ice coverage dropped to its second-lowest… SEE MORE

Gulf Coast Wintertime Fishing

1/12/2025 - By Todd Masson. In south Louisiana, December fishing is great and horrible. One of the most iconic opening lines from all of world literature comes from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The British author was comparing and… SEE MORE

Image Credits: Red king crab on the deck of a research vessel. Credit: NOAA Fisheries / Erin Fedewa

Genetic Diversity in Alaska Red King Crab May Provide Resilience to Climate Change

1/10/2025 - By noaa.gov. New genetic research on the Alaska red king crab reveals previously undiscovered diversity among different regions, suggesting the species is more resilient to climate change and changing ocean conditions. Maintaining genetic diversity within and among populations is vital to ensure species are resilient to challenging conditions. Without it,… SEE MORE