Tag: NOAA

Credit: Howard Stanbury (left); NOAA Library/NOAA Fisheries circa 1939 (right); NOAA (background)

New England Fishery Management: Backed by Science, Shaped by People

5/19/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. One of New England’s most iconic sights: Rain or shine, fishing boats slipping out of the harbor at dawn, just as they have for generations. The centuries-old scene feels timeless. But the industry behind it isn’t sustained by tradition alone; it endures because of science-based management. At… SEE MORE

South Beach on Miami Beach was inundated by Sargassum seaweed on June 21, 2018. Credit: Michael Montero/University of Miami

NOAA Sargassum Tool Now Provides Daily Update of Risk of Seaweed Washing up on Beaches

5/18/2026 - By research.noaa.gov, research.noaa.gov. Upgrade will help communities anticipate impacts, risks, and supports planning and response. NOAA’s Sargassum Inundation Risk tool (SIR) has been upgraded to offer daily reports on the location and risk that brown floating algae could wash ashore along coastal areas in the Caribbean, Florida, Gulf of America, and northern… SEE MORE

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson mapping off the coast of Cleveland, Ohio, in 2022, along with a NOAA plane collecting lidar data. (LCDR Michelle Levano/NOAA)

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson Returns to the Great Lakes

Coastal News

5/17/2026 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov, oceanservice.noaa.gov. Survey work will map areas for the first time since the 1940s. For the first time since 2022, the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson is underway in the Great Lakes. The vessel and its crew of NOAA Corps officers and professional mariners are working with NOAA scientists to map the… SEE MORE

Fishing with dip nets in the 1940s and 2018. Credit: NOAA Fisheries Archives/G.T. Tooker (left); Shutterstock (right)

Magnuson-Stevens Act at 50: Charting a Course to Sustainable Fisheries

5/14/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. This landmark legislation set the United States on track to become a world leader in sustainable fisheries management. In April, we celebrated the 50 years since the United States signed the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This landmark law set the United States on a course toward sustainably and cooperatively managed marine… SEE MORE

View of Ford Cove where shoreline restoration is underway. Credit: InSite Design Studios, Inc.

Restoring Habitat for Great Lakes Fish at the Historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford Estate

5/14/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. With $7 million in funding from NOAA Fisheries, the Ford House estate on Lake St. Clair in Michigan is rebuilding shoreline habitat for fish and other wildlife while expanding access and educational opportunities for visitors. NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Habitat Conservation has established a unique partnership with Ford House, the… SEE MORE

Vessels docked in Newport, Oregon. Credit: Erin Steiner, NOAA Fisheries

New System Maps and Charts West Coast Fisheries Data to Inform Decisions on Ocean Uses

5/13/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. A new system combines decades of fisheries data and statistics to visualize West Coast fisheries and how they have changed over time. The Pacific Fishing Effort Mapping Project was led by researchers at NOAA, state wildlife departments, and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. It consolidates location… SEE MORE

United States Pushes for Stronger Action to Fight Illegal Fishing and Sustainably Manage Fisheries in the North Pacific

5/12/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. The United States advanced its goals to combat harmful fishing practices at the North Pacific Fisheries Commission’s 10th annual meeting in Osaka, Japan, in April. The Commission is a regional fisheries management organization. It manages pelagic and deep-sea fisheries in the high seas of the North Pacific, other than… SEE MORE

Dr. Holmes led a hack2week workshop as part of a NOAA International Fellowship in India in September 2023. Credit: International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography

Breaking Barriers to “Big Earth Data”

5/12/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Dr. Elizabeth "Eli" Holmes received the prestigious Earth Science Information Partners Martha Maiden 2026 Award in January. Dr. Holmes’ 25-year career at NOAA Fisheries demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing open science, fostering collaboration across agencies, and inspiring the next generation of scientists. At NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Dr.… SEE MORE

At first glance, dolphins and porpoises look similar. Taking a closer look, there are some general differences that distinguish these animals. See the common bottlenose dolphin (left) and harbor porpoise (right) pictured above.

Is It a Dolphin or a Porpoise?

5/9/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. Dolphins and porpoises are both cetaceans, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Learn how to recognize a dolphin vs. a porpoise. Dolphins and porpoises, along with whales, belong to a group of marine mammals called “cetaceans.” Cetacean comes from the Latin word for “large… SEE MORE

Recreational anglers enjoy a day on the water in the Florida Keys. NOAA/Matt McIntosh

Future of the Catch: The Modernization of Recreational Red Snapper Data Collection

5/8/2026 - By fisheries.noaa.gov, fisheries.noaa.gov. NOAA Fisheries and partners are using innovative methods to modernize Gulf of America recreational red snapper data collection. These projects are working to deliver faster, more efficient science. Red snapper is a cultural and economic cornerstone for coastal communities in the Gulf of America. The species is… SEE MORE