How Do I?
- Register with the National Saltwater Angler Registry?
- Find recreational fishing regulations?
- Report a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding?
- Apply for a fishing permit?
- Import/export fishery products?
- Find a Volunteer coastal restoration effort near me?
- Find a catch and landing information for commercial and recreational fisheries?
Releasing mako sharks: "there's an app for that"
Release Mako App


Before you hit the water this holiday weekend, check out these useful SmartPhone apps.
NOAA Fisheries' Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division recently released a new app for Andriod phones that allows anglers to share information about catching and releasing shortfin mako sharks. The "Release Mako" application was designed using Google App Inventor, and it is the very first federal government tool of its kind.
Using the Release Mako app, anglers can now report live releases of shortfin mako sharks in real-time simply by using their Android mobile devices. The app uses GPS to fill in location coordinates on shortfin mako live releases and submits information via email by
fishermen, quite literally putting their mako on the Map.
Overfishing is occurring on the North Atlanitc shortfin mako shark population. By releasing shortfin mako sharks that are unintentionally caught or caught for sport, fishermen can lead the way for conserving this shark species.
To download the application, visit the Android Market
or visit the NOAA Fisheries Release Mako website.
If you're particularly smartphone savy, you can use the QR Code
(to the right) by holding your smartphone to the screen and choosing QR code reader.
Smart Buoys On Your Smartphone
Although the first federal application to use Google App Inventor, Release Mako is the second time NOAA developed an Andriod application. Those looking for real-time observations of weather, water conditions, and water quality from up and down the Chesapeake Bay can now get data from NOAA's Interpretive Buoys. iPhone and Droid owners can now get buoy data in a flash by using the Smart Buoys app available in the iTunes and Android Market stores.