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

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

Image Credits: Noaa Fisheries.

Celebrate National Seafood Month

10/2/2026

By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. As we welcome autumn, we also celebrate National Seafood Month! Join us all month long to celebrate sustainable seafood with new feature stories, recipes, videos, and more. There’s a lot to celebrate because—aside from being scrumptious—seafood is good for you, good for the economy, and good for… 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

Fontaine (center) frequently demonstrated seafood recipes on television programs. (Image credit: NOAA Magazine, Volume 2 Number 3, July 1972)

Lights, Camera, Seafood! Bertha Fontaine and the Fisheries Test Kitchen

7/25/2026

By Noaa.gov, noaa.gov. The scene: Boxy television cameras point toward a brightly lit table. Plates of meticulously styled seafood ingredients sit between charming decorations. With her hair in a voluminous bouffant, an energetic woman in a neat dress and a long strand of pearls speaks to the camera in a… SEE MORE

Adelia Myrick harvesting kelp on her farm in Kodiak, Alaska.

Meet Alaska Sea Greens: Farmers, Fishers, and Homesteaders on Kodiak Island

7/24/2026

By Fisheries.Noaa.Gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. If you want to visit Kodiak Island in Alaska, you have two options. You can take a flight from Anchorage, about 250 miles away, or take the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry from Homer, which takes about 10 hours. Kodiak is stunningly beautiful and very remote. For the… 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: flickr.com.

Port of Everett Marina: A Complete Guide to the West Coast's Largest Public Marina

5/31/2026

By Dawn Anderson, best4boats. With 2,300 slips and over 3,000 acres of waterfront — more than half open to the public — the Port of Everett Marina in Washington State has quietly grown into one of the Pacific Northwest’s most complete boating destinations. A thorough new guide from Best4Boats covers… SEE MORE