Information and Resources to help you navigate Covid-19
We here at US Harbors are collecting all the information we can to help you through these strange times.
The situation around the country, and the world, is changing at a rapid rate. We endeavor to keep our information up to date and relevant. Please be aware that regulations do vary from state to state. You can find all our Covid-19 related news under this tag /covid-19
Is Boating a Safe Social Distancing Activity?
In most circumstances, boating is a safe activity in terms of limiting infection. Please be aware of the specific rules at the local marina or town boat ramp – getting into the water can be the most high risk part of the boating trip, depending on how busy the boat launch area is. Please also take into consideration who accompanies you on your boat. It is advised to limit boat passengers to those already in your household. Some states have a limit on the number of people allowed on a boat.
Once out on the water, maintain distance from other boats, and be extra vigilant of those in the water around you. Boaters, as a type, are generally very safety conscious, and that attitude is just as important now as it ever is. Every prevented accident is one less thing that our brave key workers have tackle – keeping the resources available to deal with the covid-19 pandemic.
More rules, tips and advice can be found here: Must-Know Rules for 2020 Summer Boating During COVID 19
Where Can I Go Boating?
What Boat Ramps are Open in My Area?
What events are still going on?
Many events have been cancelled to limit spread of the coronavirus. Some are able to transition to a virtual. online version of the event, and some are postponed till later in the year, or the following year altogether. We are still posting events on our site, however we encourage you to check directly with the organizer before attending. You can see all the events here: usharbors.com/event-listings/
Help for Coastal Businesses
We are posting updates from any and all coastal business, organization or local authority. If you want to get word out to boaters in your area, you can submit news for our weekly update here: usharbors.com/supporting-our-coastal-businesses/
Health & Safety Filter
Deep Diving and Innovation to Restore the Gulf's Mesophotic Corals
By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Deep in the Gulf of America lies a vital but little-known habitat. In the “mesophotic” (middle light) zone are coral ecosystems that are essential to the Gulf’s food web. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill injured extensive areas of this delicate environment. Today, scientists across federal agencies and… SEE MORE
Humpback Whale Successfully Freed from Entanglement in Endicott Arm
By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. The Tracy Arm-Fords Terror wilderness, located 50 miles south of Juneau, Alaska, features a pair of steep glacial fjords: Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. While remote, the waters in this area see steady vessel traffic, ranging from massive cruise ships and small charter boats to commercial fishing… SEE MORE
Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Story of Octopus Intelligence Set in the Pacific Northwest
By Janet Green Hammerman, best4boats.com. The Netflix adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel Remarkably Bright Creatures is drawing renewed attention to one of the ocean’s most fascinating inhabitants — the giant Pacific octopus. Set in a fictional Pacific Northwest coastal town, the story follows an aging widow, a drifting… SEE MORE
Eyes On The Deep: How Ocean Imaging Is Transforming Underwater Discovery
By Elise Hugus, whoi.edu. From ancient shipwrecks in the Black Sea to a lost WWI submarine off San Diego, the ability to see — and share — what lies on the ocean floor has never been more powerful. A new feature from WHOI’s Oceanus magazine profiles Dwight Coleman, the institution’s… SEE MORE
WHOI Develops Tool to Predict Coral Bleaching Months Before It Strikes
By whoi.edu, whoi.edu. A new forecasting tool from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution could give reef managers and coastal communities a five-to-six-month head start on one of the ocean’s most destructive events: coral bleaching. Called the Bleaching Event Early Predictor (BEEP), the system works by tracking three large-scale climate patterns in… SEE MORE
Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Story of Octopus Intelligence Set in the Pacific Northwest
By Janet Green Hammerman, best4boats.com. The Netflix adaptation of Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel Remarkably Bright Creatures is drawing renewed attention to one of the ocean’s most fascinating inhabitants — the giant Pacific octopus. Set in a fictional Pacific Northwest coastal town, the story follows an aging widow, a drifting… SEE MORE
A Year in the Life of Larry the Whale Shark
By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. One year ago today, researchers deployed a satellite tag on a whale shark off the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. They never could have anticipated the epic journey that would ensue. On May 28, 2025, researchers set out from Boca Ciega Bay, Florida, heading into the Gulf… SEE MORE
![Coral bleaching at Cheeca Rocks in the Florida Keys in 2023. [Credit: NOAA]](https://www.usharbors.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/NOAA_Cheeca-Rocks_07312023_7-e.jpg-660x660.webp)
World’s Fourth Mass Coral Bleaching Event Likely Ended in 2025
By nesdis.noaa.gov, nesdis.noaa.gov. After analyzing satellite data and bleaching observations, NOAA’s experts say the record-breaking fourth global coral bleaching event likely concluded in mid-2025. The fourth global coral bleaching event was confirmed by NOAA on April 15, 2024. From early-2023 to mid-2025, bleaching-level heat stress impacted 84% of the world’s coral… SEE MORE
