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  • A New Structure for Observer Programs in Alaska - Mar 27: New regulations governing how observers are deployed into the fisheries of Alaska will increase the statistical reliability of data collected by the program, address cost inequality among fishery participants, and expand observer coverage.
  • Integrated Pelagic Survey Completed in Northeast - Mar 26: Researchers have completed the first comprehensive survey of the upper waters of the continental shelf off of the Northeast U.S. from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to the Nova Scotia Shelf, including Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine.
  • License to Krill: A Story About an Ecosystem - Mar 25: Antarctic krill are considered the greatest under-tapped biological resource in the ocean today. As humans increasingly turn to the oceans for food, we must be careful to not undermine the marine food chain.
  • Scientists Use Acoustic Technology to Study Cod - Mar 25: For the first time, NOAA researchers and colleagues report using acoustic monitoring technology to record spawning cod in the wild.
  • Improving Fish Passage on the Hudson River - Mar 20: Fisheries have long been an important resource on the Hudson River. Learn how NOAA Fisheries and partners are working to improve fish passage on the Hudson River.
  • Building a Better Fish Trap - Mar 19: A modern Minto Fish trap on the North Santiam River will protect listed steelhead and spring Chinook salmon as well as provide a safer environment for the biologists.
  • Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Efforts Begin - Mar 14: First passed in 1976, the Magnuson-Stevens Act was amended in 1996, and most recently reauthorized in 2006. It is set to expire at the end of September 2013.
  • What Do Fish and Federal Highways Have in Common? - Mar 13: Find out how NOAA is working with the Federal Highway Administration to protect aquatic life. Photo courtesy of John McMillan.
  • NOAA Scientists Focus Research on Skate Nurseries - Mar 11: NOAA scientists will be keeping a closer eye on six skate nursery sites in the Bering Sea, following final action by members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council at the February meeting in Portland, Oregon.
  • Farmed Seafood Profiles Now Available on FishWatch - Mar 11: FishWatch.gov now includes detailed information on farmed fish and shellfish. To learn more about farmed fisheries and how they are managed, explore the new farmed species profiles.
  • Catching Up With Catch Shares - Mar 4: A new fishery management program on the west coast gives fishermen greater flexibility and gives overfished species a break.
  • When One Endangered Species Eats Another - Jan 22: When one endangered species eats another, ecosystem-based management may be the only way to save them both: killer whales and chinook salmon.
  • Reintroducing Steelhead in Deschutes River Basin - Jan 16: Steelhead will once again be able to call Oregon's Deschutes River Basin home. NOAA will be proceeding with steelhead reintroduction efforts by designating a population as "experimental" under the Endangered Species Act.
  • Mark Twinam Fishes for Sharks Off Florida Coast - Jan 15: Mark Twinam fishes for large coastal sharks like hammerhead, lemon, and bull sharks in the Gulf of Mexico. Twinam is one of several fishermen helping NOAA research sharks in exchange for landing and selling a small quota of sandbar sharks.  
  • NOAA Identifies Nations for IUU Fishing - Jan 11: To ensure the U.S. fishing industry isn’t undermined by unsustainable, illegal activities, NOAA submitted a report identifying 10 nations whose fishing vessels engaged in illegal unreported, and unregulated fishing in 2011 or 2012.
  • Scientists Link Climate Change and Gray Snapper - Jan 8: NOAA scientists recently developed projections of gray snapper distribution under several climate change scenarios as they work to understand the effect of climate change on marine fisheries along the U.S. east coast.
  • New Opportunities to Improve Fish Passage - Jan 2: Find out how NOAA Fisheries will work with partners and stakeholders to improve upstream and downstream passage conditions for endangered and migratory fish on the Connecticut River.
  • Our Top 12 Stories From 2012 - Dec. 20: It has been an exciting year at NOAA Fisheries. As we look forward to 2013, take a look back at our twelve most popular stories from 2012.
  • Bob Dooley Fishes for Whiting off the West Coast - Dec 3: Bob Dooley fishes for Bering Sea pollock, Pacific cod, West Coast whiting, and dungeness crabs. In this photo, a fisherman hauls pollock onto the Pacific Prince, one of Dooley's vessels.
  • New Research to Reduce Rockfish Barotrauma Injury - Nov 28: See how our research on barotrauma—an injury that occurs when a hooked fish is brought too rapidly to the surface—is helping put rockfish back where they belong.
  • Fishery Data, On the Double - Nov 26: Collaboration between NOAA and the fishing industry allows for more efficient and accurate data collection in two valuable Pacific fisheries—hake and sardine.
  • Advancing Designs for Innovative Fish Passage - Nov 27: To facilitate fish passage in Washington's Baker River, NOAA Fisheries engineers worked closely with Puget Sound Energy to design an innovative fish passage system.
  • Tackling Seafood Fraud - Nov 15: Find out how NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement helps tackle seafood fraud.
  • United States and Morocco Shake Hands - Nov 13: The U.S. signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Morocco that sets the stage for collaboration on ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and sustainable marine aquaculture.
  • ICCAT Meeting to Conserve and Manage Key Species - Nov 13: The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) starts its annual meeting in Agadir, Morocco to consider conservation measures for a variety of Atlantic marine species.
  • Meet a Fourth Generation Fisherman from Maine - Nov 7: Meet Terry Alexander, a fourth generation fisherman from Harpswell, Maine, who is collaborating with other fishermen, scientists, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to help revive redfish fishing.
  • Taking a Closer Look at Redfish - Nov 7: Check out our new redfish seafood profile on FishWatch.
  • Putting Local Fish Back On Our Plates - Nov 7: The Gulf Maine Research Institute has a new project called "Out of the Blue" which helps introduce lesser-known seafood to stagnant palates, while getting the market to demand this seafood.
  • Working Together to End IUU Fishing - Nov 2: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens the sustainability of our ocean ecosystems and fisheries. Combating IUU fishing is one of NOAA Fisheries’ top priorities.
  • Making Sense of Fish Stock Assessment Models - Oct 10: How do we make sure our nation's fisheries are sustainable and productive? It starts with fish stock assessment modeling—combining data to evaluate fish stock health necessary to inform fisheries management decisions.
  • The Surprising Sources of Your Favorite Seafoods - Oct 10: Our top ten favorite seafoods in the United States haven't changed much in the past several years, but you might be surprised at where they come from.
  • New Proposal to Protect Oceanic Whitetip Sharks - Oct 9: The United States co-sponsors a proposal to add oceanic whitetip sharks to Appendix II of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
  • New Research: Climate Impacts on Marine Predators - Sept 24: What happens when marine animals at the top of the food chain start to feel the impacts of climate change? This week Nature Climate Change features the results of research led by NOAA Fisheries scientist Elliott Hazen.
  • Scientists Develop Alternative Aquaculture Feeds - Sept 20: Researchers from NOAA and the US Department of Agriculture have been working on sustainable ingredients for fish feed. A report released this month, The Future of Aquafeeds, details their progress.
  • Statistical Report Card for U.S. Fisheries Posted - Sept 19: Wondering about the state of U.S. fisheries? NOAA Fisheries' annual report gives you the breakdown.
  • Leadership Highlights U.S. Fisheries Statistics - Sept 19: NOAA Fisheries posts a statistical yearbook, Fisheries of the U.S., 2011, filled with facts and figures about our domestic fisheries from 2011.
  • NOAA Finds Record Highs in Sea Surface Temperature - Sept 18: NOAA reports sea surface temperatures along the Northeast Continental Shelf were the highest ever recorded during the first six months of 2012.
  • The Science Behind What Sharks Eat - Sept 14: Scientists examine the stomach contents of shortfin mako, blue, and common thresher sharks to identify differences in foraging preferences across species and better understand impacts of environmental conditions based on these differences.
  • Teacher at Sea Studies the Science Behind Sharks - Sept 11: Teacher at Sea Steven Frantz shares highlights of his scientific cruise studying sharks and snappers on the 300th research mission of NOAA Ship Oregon II.
  • Funding Innovative Research to Reduce Bycatch - Aug 29: Through the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, NOAA Fisheries provides funds critical to key researchers and fishermen for the research and development of innovative approaches and strategies for reducing bycatch.
  • Bering Sea Skates Are Key To Alaska's Ecosystems - Aug 28: NOAA scientists propose six areas in the eastern Bering Sea as habitat areas of particular concern (HAPCs) for skates. Skates are important indicators of the health of Alaska's ecosystems.
  • Aquaculture Techniques Help Conserve White Abalone - Aug 27: A captive breeding program for endangered white abalone uses aquaculture techniques to establish a self-sustaining white abalone population in the wild.
  • New Survey Tool Shows Juvenile Scallop Abundance - Aug 24: NOAA researchers have seen high numbers of young sea scallops in Mid-Atlantic using the newest version of the HabCam, dubbed "the Seahorse" for its spiny profile. The tool gives a comprehensive view of the ocean floor.
  • Marine Aquaculture Critical to Seafood Supply - Aug 21: Fostering the development of marine aquaculture helps to supply safe seafood for people, support domestic wild fisheries, preserve and rebuild threatened and endangered species, and restore marine habitat.
  • Twitter #SharkChat @NOAALive with Shark Scientist - Aug 16: NOAA shark scientist Trey Driggers will answer questions live on Twitter this Thursday, August 16, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Trey conducts research on all kinds of sharks.
  • Circle Hooks: The Preferred Thresher Catcher? - Aug 15: NOAA scientists, anglers, and other institutions observe how thresher sharks are caught and released in Southern California—the key to long term conservation of the common thresher shark.
  • Sawfish—Cousins of the Shark - Aug 15: Sawfish have skeletons made of cartilage and shark-like bodies and gills. But during the past decade, these creatures have faced dramatic decline due to habitat loss and capture in fisheries.
  • Shark Conservation in Our Global Oceans - Aug 14: Through international cooperation and state-of-the art technology, NOAA Fisheries is conducting joint research with Uruguay’s fisheries agency that is critical to inform international conservation and management decisions for pelagic sharks.
  • Shark Mythbusters - Aug 13: Can you tell shark myth from fact? Better check this list out.
  • Dive into the Deep End of Shark Conservation - Aug 13: A closer look at how NOAA Fisheries works to conserve and manage shark populations domestically and internationally.
  • Shark Feature Stories - Aug 13: Can you tell shark myth from fact? Better check this list out.
  • Shark Tales—Adventures With A Shark Scientist - Aug 9: Ever wonder what it's like to study sharks for a living? NOAA Fisheries shark scientist Trey Driggers gives us details about his work.
  • Successful Tag Recovery from Huge Bluefin Tuna - Aug 8: NOAA scientists tagged an 8-foot, 400-pound bluefin tuna off the coast of Florida and retrieved the drifting tag at sea south of New York three months later. The data on this tag will provide rich details from the high seas adventures of one big tuna.
  • New Technology Helps Predict Harmful Algal Blooms - Aug 8: NOAA scientists use advanced technology to predict harmful algal blooms and provide warnings to aquaculture and other businesses.
  • Gloucester Mussel Farming Project Underway - Aug 6: NOAA Fisheries provided a grant earlier this year to support a mussel farm in federal waters off the coast of Massachusetts to engage local fishermen in aquaculture.
  • Captain Brings Fishermen to Striped Bass and More - July 31: Capt. Kalil Boghdan of Hamilton, Massachusetts, brings small groups of anglers on his shallow-draft outboard vessel to fish for striped bass and bluefish off the North Shore of Massachusetts.
  • Teacher at Sea Studies Marine Protected Areas - July 30: NOAA Fisheries' Teacher at Sea Marsha Skoczek shares highlights of her research cruise studying Marine Protected Areas off the Southeast Atlantic Coast.
  • Trawl Gear Modification—Preserving Fish Habitat - July 26: NOAA Fisheries scientists work with the Alaska Seafood Cooperative and flatfish fishing industry members to modify trawl gear, maintaining catch rates while protecting bottom habitat in the Bering Sea. Photo Credit: Diana Evans.
  • Five Fish Desperate for Healthy Habitat - July 24: Healthy habitat is the foundation for abundant fisheries and marine life. What five fish are desperate for healthy habitat? Find out which ones are on the list.
  • The Science Behind Restoring the Elwha - July 20: What is NOAA Fisheries role in restoring the Elwha River? What type of science goes into restoring a river? Watch this video to see first-hand the science involved.
  • Economic and Conservation Benefits of Catch Shares - July 19: The results from the first year of the West Coast Catch Share Program are in. Revenues are up, bycatch is down, and fishing is extended later in the season.
  • Healthy Habitat Foundation of Abundant Fisheries - July 16: At NOAA Fisheries, we are charged with taking care of our nation’s fish and living marine resources. But healthy marine life depends on healthy habitat—the places where these animals feed, grow, reproduce, and raise their young.
  • Last Annual Catch Limit Put in Place - July 2: On June 29, 2012, a significant milestone was achieved when NOAA Fisheries approved the last Fishery Management Plan amendment putting annual catch limits and accountability measures into place.
  • Building a Community Supported Fisheries Network - June 4: Commercial fishermen, fishing communities, and other organizations met in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to broaden the success of community supported fishery programs.
  • Making Sense of Fish Stock Assessments - May 23: NOAA Fisheries’ scientific stock assessments are key to fisheries management. They provide high-quality information to fisheries managers on the current status of fish stocks and future trends in fisheries productivity.
  • NOAA Fisheries Leadership Message - May 2012 - May 14: NOAA Fisheries Acting Assistant Administrator, Sam Rauch, shares some good news on 2011 Status of the Stocks report to Congress.
  • Ever Wonder What a Fisheries Observer Does? - April 30: NOAA Fisheries observers are a key part to smart fisheries management. Take a look at what they do and how we use data they collect on the water.
  • Fishermen and Scientists Work Toward Common Goal - April 22: NOAA Scientists and San Diego fishermen combine expertise and innovative tools to better understand depleted groundfish in the Southern California Bight.
  • Today's Fresh Catch—Invasive Snakehead - April 22: Local seafood company and restaurant are battling invasive snakehead populations in a unique way—by creating a market for these fish and eating them.
  • NOAA Fisheries Leadership Message - April 2012 - April 19: NOAA Fisheries Acting Assistant Administrator, Sam Rauch, highlights Earth Week at NOAA Fisheries.
  • FishSmart Workshops Help Solve Fishing Challenges - April 11: FishSmart Workshops—a proactive approach to developing techniques that reduce the mortality of fish stocks while enhancing the fishing experience.
  • Meet a Megamouth Shark Specialist - April 4: Meet Dr. Jose Castro, a NOAA scientist recently invited to help dissect a rare megamouth shark currently on display at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan. Megamouths are one of the most elusive shark species on the planet.
  • Making Angler Catch Count - April 2: The Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) is changing the way we count and report what saltwater recreational fishermen are catching and how many trips they’re taking. Take a look at what improvements have been made thus far.
  • Meet Phil Harris, Black Cod Fisherman - Mar 9: This month, as part of NOAA’s Voices from the Waterfront series, we feature Phil Harris in Southern California Bight. Take a look at how this commercial fisherman delivers fresh sustainable fish to the public.
  • Restaurant Owner Dishes on Sustainability - Mar 9: Meet Laura Anderson, owner of Local Ocean Seafoods—a popular seafood restaurant on the waterfront in scenic Newport, Oregon—who shares her strong commitment to fresh, local seafood with her community and beyond.
  • Good News for West Coast Groundfish Catch Shares - Feb 22: West Coast commercial groundfish fishermen saw their revenues and efficiency increase substantially during the last year under a new fishery management system known as catch shares.
  • Study: Seafood Safe After Deepwater Horizon - Feb. 8: It’s been nearly two years since the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill back in 2010. Now, a new NOAA science report released this week show that Gulf seafood is safe.
  • New Protections in Place for Atlantic Sturgeon - Jan. 31: NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced a final decision to list five distinct population segments of Atlantic sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act.
  • New Method Improves Recreational Catch Estimates - Jan 25: NOAA today announced it has begun to use an improved method to estimate the amount of fish caught by saltwater anglers, which will allow rules that fishermen follow to be based on more accurate information.
  • Public Invited to Review Climate Change Strategy - Jan. 19: Together with state, tribal, and federal agency partners, the Obama Administration today released a draft national strategy to help prepare for and help reduce the impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people that depend on them.
  • Final Recovery Plan Issued for Steelhead Trout - Jan. 12: NOAA Fisheries Service issued a final Recovery Plan designed to stabilize and eventually restore steelhead trout numbers in coastal streams from the Santa Maria River in Santa Barbara County south to the United States and Mexico border.
  • Schwaab: Catch Limit Milestone Now within Reach - Jan. 9: This statement from Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, highlights how NOAA Fisheries will have all Annual Catch Limits in place for federally managed fisheries before the start of the 2012 fishing season.
  • Scientists: 2007 Oil Spill Lethal to Fish Embryos - Jan. 5: NOAA scientists and partners recently reported that Pacific herring embryos in shallow waters died in unexpectedly high numbers following the 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay.
  • Year-end Interview with Eric Schwaab - Dec. 30: To end 2011, NOAA's Assistant Administrator for Fisheries pauses to reflect on his love of fishing, and to answer some of the year's most frequently asked NOAA Fisheries questions.
  • Dead Zones Lead to Shrinking Billfish Habitat - Dec 9: The science behind counting fish in the ocean has never been simple. Now, a new scientific paper authored by eight scientists, including a NOAA biologist, illustrate how ocean dead zones and climate change make counting fish even more complex.
  • Scientists, Anglers Work to Stop Thresher Tailspin - Dec 6: The Southern California coast is hot spot for the thresher shark, a recreational fishing favorite. Now, anglers and scientists are working to save this species using better methods to reel them in.
  • Reminder: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Regulations - Nov. 22: Recently, a New England groundfish vessel incidentally caught an 881-pound bluefin tuna in a trawl net. Find out more about how the situation was handled by NOAA and what happens when bluefin tuna is caught by accident.
  • NOAA: Significant Progress Made at ICCAT - Nov. 21: In a statement released today by Russell F. Smith III, NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries, talks about the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas made significant progress on key U.S. priorities last week.
  • Fishermen ‘Get Smart’ about Reducing Bycatch - Nov 17: NOAA presented the grand prize at World Wildlife Fund’s 2011 International Smart Gear Competition today in Seattle. The competition recognized three fishing devices that save lives of seabirds, fish, turtles, and other marine life.
  • 'Top Chef' Contestant Cooks Up Sustainable Seafood - Oct. 21: More than 200,000 visitors travelled to Morehead City, North Carolina this month to celebrate seafood. Among the chefs at this year's festival, was Keith Rhodes, one of the contestants from the popular BRAVO reality TV show, "Top Chef."
  • Scientists Track the Gulf Sturgeon Stampede - Oct. 20: Cool fall temperatures signal to Gulf sturgeon that it’s time to migrate. That means NOAA Fisheries scientists are on their trail, determined to better understand these mysterious fish.