Tag: NOAA

Coastally-trapped Kelvin waves, a signature of El Niño, traveled north along the West Coast during the 1997/1998 El Niño, as shown in a map of sea surface height anomalies. Darker reds show sea levels higher than normal, while darker blues show heights below normal. Scientists are now watching for similar waves to move up the West Coast this fall. Credit: Dillon Amaya/North Carolina State University

Ocean Indicators We’re Tracking for El Niño’s Arrival on the West Coast

9/5/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Has El Niño reached the West Coast? You might think it has. After all, the ocean off Southern and Central California is unusually warm. But that is from a recent marine heatwave predates the current El Niño. Much of the Pacific Coast is experiencing relatively normal conditions while still… SEE MORE

A group of melon-headed whales swimming together on February 1, 2026, seen during the Winter Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Mary Applegate, taken under NOAA permit

A Winter at Sea Reveals Seasonal Habits of Whales, Dolphins, and Seabirds in Hawaiʻi

Ocean Science

8/27/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. The Hawaiian archipelago is teeming with marine life, and winter brings some of the most exciting activity of the year. It’s a season when many whale and seabird species travel to the islands. Migratory baleen whales such as humpback and minke whales are only found in Hawai‘i in the winter, when… SEE MORE

NOAA Autonomous Surface Vehicle in Narragansett Bay during testing. Goat Island and the Newport Bridge in the background.

Beyond Ocean Mapping: Using Uncrewed Vehicles to Advance Ocean Research

Ocean Science

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

Measuring a 'dead zone': Scientists retrieve the CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) package of ocean sensors after profiling dissolved oxygen at a station during the Shelfwide Hypoxia Cruise in the Gulf of America. (Image credit: Courtesy of Cassandra Glaspie/LSU)

NOAA and Partners Find Smaller-than-Anticipated Hypoxic Zone in Gulf of America

Coastal News

8/25/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA-supported scientists announced today that this year’s Gulf of America hypoxic zone is approximately 1,332 square miles, making it the 2nd smallest zone on record in 40 years of measurement. Hypoxic areas, also called “dead zones,” are areas with little to no oxygen in the water, which… SEE MORE

New Satellite Tag Offers Longer Tracking of Baleen Whales

Ocean Science

8/24/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. How do you track a 40-ton ocean giant without leaving a mark? Monitoring large whales is a delicate balancing act between science and safety. Satellite tags allow researchers to follow the movements of whales beyond where they can be seen. This helps us understand how whales overlap with human… SEE MORE

Technology Week: Launching into the Future with Advanced Technologies

Ocean Science

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

NOAA's GOES West satellite captured this image of three tropical cyclones — Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve and Typhoon Dolphin — swirling simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean. The image was taken on Tuesday, July 27, at 3:30 PM PDT/ 22:30 UTC. None of the three tropical cyclones made landfall in the United States. Fausto contributed to high surf conditions in Hawaii, and Genevieve also brought high surf to southern California. Typhoon Dolphin continued its track west toward Asia. (Image credit: NOAA Satellites)

Pacific Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve actually had origins near Africa

8/13/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. It may be surprising, but two of the hurricanes that swirled in the Pacific last week began their journeys thousands of miles away off the western coast of Africa. Both Hurricanes Fausto and Genevieve developed from tropical waves, which are areas of disturbed weather that rolled off… 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

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