WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS
National – New Short Film Provides Behind the Scenes Glimpse of NOAA Fisheries
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| Watch a short film highlighting
how NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine
resources through science-based conservation and management, and the
promotion of healthy ecosystems. Through sound science, effective
policy, and tireless field work, NOAA Fisheries is developing and
applying smart solutions to sustain our diverse marine resources. See more |
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National - Obama Administration Releases Action Plan to Address Ocean Challenges; Seeks Public Comment through Feb. 27
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The
National Ocean Council recently released the draft National Ocean
Policy Implementation Plan for public comment. This action plan
addresses the most pressing challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great
Lakes resources. Marking an important step in implementing the Nation's
first comprehensive ocean policy, the draft Implementation Plan details
more than 50 actions the Federal Government will take to improve the
health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. These actions reflect
ideas and input received by the National Ocean Council through extensive
public and stakeholder engagement during two previous public comment
periods, numerous listening sessions, and face to face meetings around
the country.
An electronic copy of the draft Implementation Plan is available here, but you can also read the draft Implementation Plan and submit comments by visiting www.whitehouse.gov/oceans. The draft Implementation Plan will be available for public comments through February 27, 2012. |
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National
– Strategy Proposed to Respond to Climate Change's Impacts on Fish,
Wildlife, Plants; Public Comments Accepted through March 5
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In
partnership with state, tribal, and federal agency partners, the Obama
Administration has released the first draft national strategy to help
decision makers and resource managers prepare for and help reduce the
impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people and
economies that depend on them. The strategy represents a draft framework
for unified action to safeguard fish, wildlife and plants, as well as
the important benefits and services the natural world provides the
nation every day, including jobs, food, clean water, clean air, building
materials, storm protection, and recreation.
The draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
is available for public review and comment through March 5, 2012,
online at www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov.
The site provides information on submitting comments, and the
dates/locations of five public information sessions and two webinars
designed to provide details and encourage dialogue on the strategy and
its development. To register for these meetings and for more information
on the public comment process, visit www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/public-comments.php. |
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National – How Much Oil Spilled into the Gulf? New Study Confirms Initial Estimates
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| By
combining detailed chemical measurements in the deep ocean, in the oil
slick, and in the air, NOAA scientists and academic colleagues have
independently estimated how fast gases and oil were leaking during the
2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The new
chemistry-based spill rate estimate, an average of 11,130 tons of gas
and oil compounds per day, is close to the official average leak rate
estimate of about 11,350 tons of gas and oil per day (equal to about
59,200 barrels of liquid oil per day). The new study, Chemical data quantify Deepwater Horizon hydrocarbon flow rate and environmental distribution, was published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. Read more |
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Northeast
- NOAA Posts Results from Gulf of Maine Cod Meetings; Seeks Additional
Input from Fishermen and Other Stakeholders in Jan. and Feb.
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In
November 2011 the Gulf of Maine cod stock assessment underwent a peer
review by a team of independent scientists at the 53rd Stock Assessment
Workshop at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole,
Massachusetts. The final feedback from that peer review process is
expected in January. The preliminary results indicate that the stock is
overfished and overfishing is occurring and that it will not rebuild by
the 2014 deadline.
Given the preliminary results and the implications for groundfish
fishermen and communities across the region, after consultation with
industry leaders, NOAA Fisheries convened a working group consisting of
council members and NOAA staff to explore potential management options
for reducing disruption to the fishery while responding to the new
assessment. This working group met with members of the fishing
community, environmentalists, scientists and other interested parties
during an open meeting on December 9, 2011 to discuss the preliminary
findings and potential management responses. Click here for a summary of the meeting, meeting presentations, and other information.
There are a number of upcoming opportunities for fishermen and other stakeholders to provide additional input on Gulf of Maine cod management options including:
• The New England Fishery Management Council's Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC) will meet next Wednesday, January 25, in
Providence, RI, to review the cod assessment, identify information that
may influence the interpretation of the assessment results, and review a
range of catch levels for GOM cod.
• The Council will meet on January 31-February 2, in Portsmouth, NH.
On Wednesday February 1, it will discuss a course of action for GOM cod
and possibly request that NOAA Fisheries take emergency action for the
2012 fishing year.
• NOAA Fisheries and the Council also plan to hold another public
meeting in February. This meeting will be an opportunity for the public
to learn and comment on any action the Council has taken before agency
action. Further details about the meeting date and agenda will be
available shortly.
For additional information on these upcoming meetings, please visit the Council's website. |
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Northeast/Southeast – Three Vessels Charged with Violating Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule Pay Penalties
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Three
large commercial vessels who were assessed civil penalties this fall
for violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most
endangered whale species in the world have paid their penalties in full.
Cases against six other vessels for the same offense are still open.
The ship strike reduction rule, enacted in December 2008, restricts
vessels of 65 feet or greater to speeds of 10 knots or less in seasonal
management areas along the East Coast to reduce the chances of North
Atlantic right whales being injured or killed by ships. The NOAA Office
of General Counsel's enforcement section issued Notices of Violation and
Assessment (NOVAs) to owners and operators of vessels that allegedly
traveled multiple times through the seasonal management areas at speeds
well in excess of the 10 knots allowed under the regulations. Read more |
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Southeast
- NOAA Seeks Comments on a Proposed Rule to Revise Gag and Red Grouper
Recreational Accountability Measures in the Gulf of Mexico; Comments due
Jan. 27
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| NOAA
Fisheries seeks public comment on a proposed rule that would revise gag
and red grouper recreational accountability measures, outlined in
Amendment 32. A proposed rule for Amendment 32 published on November 2,
2011 with a provision to add an overage adjustment to the current gag
and red grouper accountability measures. Accountability measures help
keep the harvest within the annual catch limits, and an overage
adjustment reduces the annual catch limit if catches are too high.
Amendment 32 would reduce the annual catch limit equal to the full
amount of the overage, unless the best scientific information available
shows otherwise. However, no provision was made to reduce the annual
catch target (a targeted level of landings that provides additional
protection against exceeding the annual catch limit). Because of this,
if an overage adjustment is sufficiently large, it is possible the
annual catch limit could be less than the annual catch target , which
would be inconsistent with NOAA Fisheries guidance that the annual catch
target be less than or equal to the annual catch limit. To rectify this
potential inconsistency, NOAA Fisheries proposes to revise the overage
adjustment so that both the annual catch limit and the annual catch
target would be reduced by an equal amount if necessary. Comments on
this proposed rule are due January 27, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Southeast – NOAA Seeks Comment on Proposed Changes to Regulations for Southeastern Shrimp Fisheries; Comments due Feb. 8
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| NOAA
Fisheries is proposing to certify two new bycatch reduction devices
(BRDs) for use in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic region and to
relax a restriction regarding the level of allowable shrimp effort in
the Gulf of Mexico. The intended effect of this proposed rule is to
improve bycatch reduction in the shrimp fishery, provide greater
flexibility to the industry, and reduce social and economic impacts to
fishing communities. Comments on these proposed changes must be received
no later than 5 p.m., EST, February 8, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Southeast
– South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Submits Amendment 20A to
Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan for NOAA Fisheries Review,
Approval, and Implementation; Public Comments due March 12
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The
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 20A
to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the
South Atlantic Region for review, approval, and implementation by NOAA
Fisheries. Amendment 20A proposes actions for the wreckfish individual
transferable quota program, including:
• Defining and reverting inactive wreckfish quota shares,
• Redistributing reverted quota shares to remaining shareholders,
• Establishing a cap on the number of wreckfish quota shares a single entity may own, and
• Establishing an appeals process for redistribution of reverted wreckfish quota shares.
The actions contained in Amendment 20A are intended to help achieve the
optimum yield from the wreckfish commercial sector in accordance with
the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Written comments on the amendment must be
received on or before March 12, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Alaska – NOAA and Partners Complete Epic Southeast Alaska ShoreZone Coastal Mapping Project
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People
around the world can now get an eagle's-eye view of all of Southeast
Alaska's shoreline without leaving home, now that the award-winning
ShoreZone project has been completed for the entire coastline from Dixon
Entrance to Yakutat. About 19,000 miles of coastal habitat were mapped
during the project—a milestone equivalent to surveying the entire
Pacific coastline of Washington, Oregon, and California, twice. The
project also marks the first time Southeast Alaska's entire coast has
been mapped at the lowest tides of each year.
One of the most exciting aspects of the project is the wide range of
ways the images and information can be used. It's a great resource for
regulatory agencies, land owners, developers, oil spill responders, and
others to help identify important coastal habitat features and even
sensitive habitats such as salt marsh or eelgrass. Read more |
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Alaska - Survey Shows Dip in Cook Inlet Beluga Count
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| Scientists from NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center recently announced the 2011 abundance estimate
for the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population is 284 animals,
almost 20 percent lower than last year's estimate of 340. This year's
estimate is the second-lowest since NOAA's surveys began in 1993; the
lowest was in 2005, when the estimate was 278. Estimates can vary from
year to year based on more than simply the beluga population itself.
Different sighting or survey conditions, weather, or changes in beluga
behavior or distribution from year to year can affect the survey
results. Read more |
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Southwest - NOAA Provides Roadmap to Recovery for Steelhead Trout in Southern California
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| NOAA
Fisheries has 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. It is estimated this Southern California distinct
population segment of steelhead once numbered over 45,000 but has since
declined to less than 500 and was listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1997. The ESA requires a Recovery Plan
be developed when a species is listed under the statute as either
threatened or endangered. Recovery Plans identify recovery criteria and
actions, based upon the best scientific and commercial data available,
necessary for the protection and recovery of the listed species. Read more |
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Southwest – Annual Gray Whale Migration Underway
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| NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center gray whale expert Wayne Perryman was recently interviewed in an article in the San Diego Union Tribune to discuss the annual migration of gray whales. The eastern North Pacific gray whales
are currently swimming south on their annual migration from their
summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to their winter calving areas in
warmer waters off the coast of Baja California and in the Gulf of
California. The whales are ahead of schedule and are traveling close
enough to the coastline that they are currently visible from shore in
southern California. Learn more about eastern North Pacific gray whale research. |
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Southwest – Follow NOAA Scientists on an Expedition to Study Killer Whales in the Antarctic
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| NOAA
Southwest Fisheries Science Center scientists John Durban and Robert
Pitman are participating as invited scientists aboard the M/V National Geographic Explorer during four 10-day cruises to the Antarctic Peninsula to research Antarctic killer whales. Join them on their journey by following along via their Daily Blog. |
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EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOAA
Fisheries Announces Workshops on Protected Species Release,
Disentanglement, and Identification and Atlantic Shark Identification in
January, February, and March 2012
Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected
Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be
held in January, February, and March of 2012. Certain fishermen and
shark dealers are required to attend a workshop to meet regulatory
requirements and maintain valid permits. Specifically, the Atlantic
Shark Identification Workshop is mandatory for all federally permitted
Atlantic shark dealers. The Protected
Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshop is mandatory
for vessel owners and operators who use bottom longline, pelagic
longline, or gillnet gear, and who have also been issued shark or
swordfish limited access permits. Additional free workshops will be
conducted during 2012. Click here for dates, times, and locations.
Woods Hole Science Institutions Offer Undergraduate Summer Program on Cape Cod; Applications due Feb. 15
The Partnership Education Program (PEP), a project of a
consortium of six science institutions in Woods Hole, Mass., is seeking
applicants for a 10-week summer program that combines undergraduate
course work with research in marine and environmental science. Launched
in 2009, PEP is an ongoing diversity program designed to recruit talent
from minority groups that are under-represented in marine and
environmental sciences. The 2012 PEP program will run May 31 through
August 10. The 2012 program will cover the cost of tuition, travel,
room and board, and provide a stipend. Students who apply by February 15
will have priority for admissions and financial support. Application
information and reports on the 2009, 2010 and 2011 programs are
available on the Woods Hole PEP website. Read more
Woods Hole Science Aquarium Announces 2012 Summer Programs for High School Students; Applications due March 15
The Woods Hole Science Aquarium is offering two summer
programs for high school students in 2012, a five-week internship and a
two-week seminar devoted to careers in marine science. Both programs are
designed for students who are interested in marine science and marine
animals, aquarium operations, and marine education and conservation. To
participate in either the internship or the seminar, students must have
finished 10th, 11th or 12th grade and must be at least 16 years old by
July 2. Applicants must have U.S. citizenship. Application forms are
available in the aquarium and online.
Applicants must also provide a transcript and two references. E-mail
applications are welcome. All application materials must be postmarked
by March 15. The 2012 interns and seminar participants will be
announced by March 30. Read more
FEDERAL REGISTER ACTIONS
For a list of only those actions open for public comment, go to http://www.regulations.gov and scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal register online
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