Chance Maritime Technologies MC40 Uncrewed Surface Vehicle in Narragansett Bay during pre-mission testing. Credit: Courtesy of Chance Maritime Technologies.

Beyond Ocean Mapping: Using Uncrewed Vehicles to Advance Ocean Research

8/26/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. It’s January off of Nantucket Shoals. An uncrewed surface vehicle begins a series of carefully planned transects through Southern New England, collecting data day and night. There are no scientists onboard, but the 30-foot vessel is constantly measuring ocean currents, water temperature, salinity, weather and other ocean… SEE MORE
Image Credits: fisheries.noaa.gov.

Technology Week: Launching into the Future with Advanced Technologies

8/21/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA scientists rely on cutting-edge technology to collect and analyze the data needed to manage our ocean resources and habitats. Because some ocean creatures live in remote areas and have complex life cycles, better understanding them requires unique tools. By leveraging advanced technologies, we gather critical data to… SEE MORE
A researcher in a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter first spotted the entangled humpback anchored to the bottom about 20 miles off the Oregon Coast. The whale’s white pectoral flipper extends underwater to the lower left, while white baleen outlines its open lower jaw at bottom right. The entanglement left the whale’s mouth stretched permanently open, making it unable to feed. Photo collected in partnership with Oregon Coast Aquarium, Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute and Cascadia Research Collective.

Fishing Vessel Joins Trained Team to Free Injured Humpback Whale 20 Miles off Oregon Coast

8/16/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. An Oregon team joined by experts from Washington and a local fisherman freed a severely entangled humpback whale about 20 miles off the Oregon Coast on July 26. While the team removed all of the gear from the whale, the entanglement left the young whale’s jaw permanently… SEE MORE
Pacific capelin with unknown maturity. Scientists make microscopic observations to determine if capelin spawn only once or if they are capable of spawning over multiple years. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Scientists Discover Repeat Spawning in Pacific Capelin

8/12/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. For certain fish species, like Pacific salmon, reproduction is a once-in-a-lifetime event, known as semelparity. Many other fish are iteroparous—meaning they can spawn repeatedly throughout their lives. New research by NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center reveals the first evidence that Pacific capelin can be repeat spawners. Over the past decade,… SEE MORE
Enforcement officer inventories shark fins. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries Enforcement Officers Deploy for High Seas Patrols Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

8/9/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Enforcement officers from NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement have successfully wrapped up deployments for Operation North Pacific Guard, an annual international mission targeting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas. The officers, who used their specialized experience to support the operation, patrolled over 8,000 nautical miles aboard… SEE MORE
Atlantic bumpers, one of the marine finfish species being raised from larvae as part of the collaboration. Image credit: NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher

U.S. Aquariums and Universities Collaborate on Transformative Aquaculture of Marine Fish

8/6/2026 - By Seagrant.noaa.gov, Seagrant.noaa.gov. A nationwide collaboration among public aquariums and research institutions has developed new methods to breed more than 20 marine fish species in human care, reducing reliance on wild-caught animals while launching new public resources to help advance sustainable aquaculture. Through a multi-year initiative titled “Catalyzing Marine Finfish Aquaculture… SEE MORE