Image Credits: A male northern elephant seal. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Mark Lowry.

From Krill to Elephant Seals, Sentinel Species Detect Hidden Ocean Shifts that Forecast Change

3/18/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. New research identifies species that signal changes in ocean ecosystems. Northern elephant seals weigh in at several thousand pounds and quickly put on more weight when catching squid, fish, and other prey. They feed off the California coast in the so-called “twilight zone” of the ocean (200 to… SEE MORE
A diver uses a lift bag to transport loose rubble. Credit: NOAA

Innovative Coral Restoration Begins in Hawaiʻi After Ship Grounding

3/14/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. A promising and emerging coral restoration technique is being tested in the coastal waters of Hawai‘i for the first time. Scientists are testing rubble stabilization as a coral restoration technique in the coastal waters of Hawai‘i for the first time, with promising results. It involves securing loose, broken… 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
A Hawaiian monk seal entangled in a derelict fishing net. Credit: NOAA Fisheries (Permit #10137)

A Substantial Reduction in Seal Entanglement

10/4/2024 - By noaa.gov. New analysis confirms Hawaiian monk seals greatly benefit from marine debris cleanup efforts in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Since the early 1980s, field biologists working in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have found Hawaiian monk seals entangled in derelict fishing gear and other plastics. These entanglements can… SEE MORE