Image Credits: fisheries.noaa.gov.

NOAA Fisheries Certifies Two State Recreational Fishing Surveys to Improve Catch Estimates

5/5/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA Fisheries has certified Alabama’s and Mississippi’s creel surveys as part of a move to advance federal-state partnerships for recreational fisheries management strategies. These surveys aim to produce more timely and precise estimates of state-specific recreational fishing catch and trip activity. This certification marks a significant milestone in the… SEE MORE
Stand-up paddle boarders explore marsh around Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Credit: Hank Carter.

Marsh Madness

4/1/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. While players duel it out on the court, we’re keeping score of all the ways marsh habitat plays an important role in the protection and restoration work we do for communities, fish, and wildlife. NOAA is taking a court-side look at how we protect and restore marsh… SEE MORE

Emergency Groundfish Rule Keeps Fleet Fishing as Species Prove More Abundant

2/7/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. New science prompts emergency changes giving fleet more flexibility. The West Coast groundfish fleet will benefit from a new emergency rule increasing catch limits for three key species that have proved more abundant than previously thought. West Coast groundfish make up the largest fishery by volume on the West… SEE MORE
North Atlantic right whale #2503 (Boomerang) and her fifth calf swimming approximately 9 miles east of the St. Mary’s River entrance in Florida. Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919. Aerial survey funded by NOAA Fisheries and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2026

1/10/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. The right whale calving season begins in mid-November and runs through mid-April. Researchers have identified 15 calves so far this calving season. Every single female North Atlantic right whale and calf are vital to this endangered species’ recovery. Since 2017, the whales have been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event, which… SEE MORE
A group photo of the U.S. delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) meeting in Seville, Spain (November 17-24, 2025). Included in the photo are NOAA’s Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries Service and acting assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere (front row, 3rd from right); and Drew Lawler, principal deputy assistant secretary for NOAA International Fisheries (front row, 2nd from left). (Image credit: NOAA)

U.S. secures major win for bluefin tuna fishery at 2025 ICCAT annual meeting

12/21/2025 - By noaa.gov, Published in noaa.gov. The United States delegation to the 2025 annual meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Seville, Spain, secured the largest single-year increase in U.S. bluefin tuna quota in the history of the fishery. U.S. negotiators, led by NOAA’s Principal Deputy Assistant… SEE MORE
Hollings scholar Lei Curtis selects a ghost shark specimen from an oversized specimen tank in the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Credit: Dr. Katherine Bemis/NOAA Fisheries

Diving Into Ghost Shark Systematics: My Summer as a NOAA Hollings Scholar

11/22/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Northeastern University student Lei Curtis reflects on their Hollings internship experience with the National Systematics Laboratory. My name is Lei Curtis, and I’m excited to share my experience as a 2025 NOAA Hollings scholar interning with the National Systematics Laboratory. I’m a senior at Northeastern University studying… SEE MORE
Image Credits: Flickr.com.

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Fishery Closes Through November 30

11/14/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov., Published in fisheries.noaa.gov. The commercial Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery has been temporarily suspended through the end of November, affecting fishing operations at harbors along the Eastern Seaboard from North Carolina to Maine. This closure represents another quota management action in what has proven to be a challenging year… SEE MORE
Thomas Piecuch flips floating oyster bags on his farm (Credit: Holy Ground Oyster Company).

Celebrating Aquaculture Week: Farming from Tide to Table

9/25/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Aquaculture Week 2025 offers a chance to learn how marine aquaculture—or farmed seafood—is vital for supporting our nation’s seafood production and jobs on the water, enhancing coastal resilience, and more. National Aquaculture Week celebrates increasing access to fresh seafood while protecting coastal resources. Seafood farming, if done responsibly… SEE MORE