WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS
International – United States Leads on Whale Conservation
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NOAA, with staff from the State Department, U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, Department of the Interior, and private citizens, recently participated the 64th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Panama. The IWC is the premiere international organization for the conservation and management of whales. Eighty-nine countries, including the United States, make up the IWC. The countries split between those that support commercial whaling and countries opposed to commercial whaling. The IWC also holds responsibility for establishing a system of international regulation for commercial and subsistence whale hunts. Read more
Armed with years of experience and an unrelenting commitment to conserve our planet's whales, the U.S. delegation announced new whale conservation initiatives and provided leadership at this meeting for discussions about disentanglement, strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling, ship strike avoidance, and responsible whale watching. The U.S. delegation announced that they would continue working with Argentina and Brazil on capacity building and training in relation to disentanglement response. In addition, they hosted a premiere showing of the Emmy award-winning film, In the Wake of Giants, about NOAA's effort to disentangle whales caught in fishing gear in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale Sanctuary. Also at this week's IWC meeting in Panama, Greenpeace provided the U.S. delegation with almost 53,000 signatures and a letter to President Obama thanking the Administration for their conservation efforts. In the letter, Greenpeace also asks the President to continue efforts to strengthen the international moratorium on commercial whaling.Read more
Finally, one of the biggest issues driving the discussions this year was subsistence hunting for indigenous communities, including the U.S.'s Alaska Natives and the Makah Tribe. At the meeting on July 3, the IWC renewed aboriginal subsistence whaling catch limits through 2018 for bowhead and gray whales. The IWC last renewed these catch limits in 2007. They approved catch limits at the same annual levels as previous years. The United States had requested a renewal of the bowhead whale catch limits on behalf of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, and a renewal of the gray whale catch limits on behalf of the Makah Tribe of Washington State. Alaska Native coastal communities harvest bowhead whales for subsistence purposes. The Makah Tribe of Washington State has hunted gray whales in prior years, but currently seeks authorization from NOAA Fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to hunt gray whales for subsistence purposes. Read more |
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International – NOAA Helps Indonesian Team Protect Sea Turtles
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Despite gloomy predictions for the future of leatherback sea turtles in the Pacific Ocean, an ongoing, long-standing collaboration between a NOAA Fisheries expert and local scientists in Papua, Indonesia, might be the path forward to help researchers understand how to prevent a critical nesting population from going extinct.
Leatherback sea turtles are endangered, and their populations have declined dramatically in the Pacific Ocean. The most migratory of sea turtle species, leatherbacks are known to cross entire ocean basins in search of food. While they mate in water, females lay their eggs on tropical sandy beaches, making safe beaches critical to their survival. The last strongholds for leatherback nesting in the Pacific are two beaches—Jamursba-Medi and Wermon, located in Papua, Indonesia. These beaches have the highest number of leatherback nests in the Pacific, averaging about 1,500 annually. They also attract the highest number of egg-laying females across the Pacific Ocean, averaging around 200 every year.
This summer, researchers from the State University of Papua are teaming up with NOAA Fisheries scientist, Dr. Manjula Tiwari, to count the female leatherbacks that come to Jamursba-Medi and Wermon to nest. They are counting the number of leatherback nests and characterizing the nests and hatchlings, including how many eggs are laid, how many hatchling turtles go to full term, how many are eaten, and how many did not hatch. Based on this detailed research, scientists identify the specific threats facing the leatherbacks hatchlings, including predation by wild pigs and dogs. The researchers then use their data and observations to develop specific strategies to protect the turtles, nests, eggs, and hatchlings with a goal of boosting the number that hatch and reach the ocean. Read more |
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International – NOAA Working to Conserve Sharks in our Global Ocean
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| Silently patrolling the ocean depths for the last 400 million years, sharks are some of the oldest creatures on the planet…and some of the most elusive. However, that's changing a bit now that NOAA scientists are working collaboratively with Uruguay's fisheries agency to research blue sharks in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean using state-of-the-art tagging techniques and satellite monitoring. In this project, which is partially funded by NOAA Fisheries, scientists from Uruguay and the United States have been working together to tag blue and other pelagic sharks since 2007 to determine their movement patterns and interactions with Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries. Like the global positioning systems (GPS) we have in cars and smart phones, the satellite tags used in the study supply invaluable data on the sharks' long-distance migratory routes, areas of abundance, and mating or pupping areas. Experts believe that this research could lead to better conservation of sharks, by informing sustainable fishing practices and reducing unnecessary bycatch. Read more |
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National – U.S. Commerce Department Announces 2012 Regional Fishery Council Appointments
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| On June 25, 2012, the Commerce Department announced the appointment of 30 new and returning members to the eight regional fishery management councils that partner with NOAA Fisheries to manage ocean fish stocks. Council members represent diverse groups, including commercial and recreational fishing industries, environmental interests and academia, and carry out the act's requirements to end overfishing, rebuild fish stocks, and manage them sustainably. Each year, approximately one-third of the total 72 appointed members to the eight regional councils are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. NOAA Fisheries selects members from nominations submitted by the governors of fishing states, territories and tribal governments and oversees the annual appointment process. The new and reappointed council members begin their three-year terms on August 11. Read more |
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National – Eagle Lives Thanks to NOAA Law Enforcement Officer
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| It was a matter of life and death for one bald eagle caught in a fast-rising tide in Alaska recently. But his story has a happy ending thanks to NOAA enforcement officer Noah Meisenheimer, who stepped in quickly to save the bird from drowning, pull it to safety, and warm it back up using his own jacket. On June 22, Meisenheimer was in Ninilchik, Alaska, about 150 miles from Anchorage, conducting charter halibut patrols when a beachcomber alerted him that a bald eagle was stranded in the incoming tide. Because NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement does not manage bald eagles, the officer quickly called U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for guidance on how to handle the animal to minimize harm. Read more |
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National – Teacher at Sea Helps Scientists Study Right Whales
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| This year, 25 teachers from across the country will set out to sea to work and live alongside NOAA scientists through the NOAA Teacher At Sea program—a program that bridges science with education. One of those teachers is Ellen O'Donnell, a middle school science teacher at Deerfield Community School in Deerfield, New Hampshire, who just returned from her at-sea experience studying right whales in the North Atlantic off the coast of New England. She sailed on NOAA Ship Delaware II, a research vessel that conducts fisheries and marine mammal surveys. Read more about some highlights from Ellen's trip. |
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National – NOAA Extends Due Date for Public Comments on Potential Adjustments to National Standard 1 Guidelines; Comments Now Due Sept. 15
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| NOAA Fisheries is extending the date by which public comments are due in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on May 3, 2012, on potential adjustments to the National Standard 1 Guidelines, one of 10 national standards for fishery conservation and management contained in Section 301 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. NOAA Fisheries has received a request to extend the comment period for the notice beyond its current 90-day comment period, originally scheduled to end on August 1, 2012. NOAA Fisheries is extending the comment period to September 15, 2012, to ensure there is adequate time for stakeholders and members of the public to comment on the notice. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Northeast – Dr. Bill Karp Named as New Science and Research Director for Northeast Fisheries Science Center
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| William (Bill) Karp, Ph.D., has been named the new Science and Research Director for NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Dr. Karp will plan, develop, and manage a multidisciplinary program of basic and applied research on the living marine resources of the Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, NC. He will lead NOAA Fisheries' six northeastern labs and field stations located from Maine to Washington, D.C. Dr. Karp's scientific expertise includes fisheries acoustics, survey design and innovation, bycatch assessment and management, and fishery-dependent data collection and interpretation. This broad background in research and management will help him guide the Northeast Science Center staff as they work to maintain the rigorous scientific approaches in place now and to develop innovative new approaches and technologies we will need in the future. Read more |
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Northeast – John K. Bullard Named Northeast Regional Administrator
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| John K. Bullard, immediate past president of Sea Education Association, former mayor of New Bedford, Mass., and former director of NOAA's Office of Sustainable Development, has been named the Northeast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. Mr. Bullard will head the agency's regional office in Gloucester, Mass., which works with coastal states from North Carolina to Maine, two fishery management councils, the fishing industry and other stakeholders to manage federal commercial and recreational fisheries, marine mammals, habitat, and much more. He will also oversee critical aspects of international fisheries conservation and management in the region. His appointment will bring a renewed spirit and forward momentum to the Northeast Regional Office as he strives to balance NOAA's multiple missions in a historically-significant and dynamic region. Mr. Bullard has the right leadership skills and experience for the job. His long history of bringing people with diverse perspectives together to reach common goals will serve him well in his new position. His efforts will continue to strengthen NOAA's partnerships with fishing communities as we work together to build an economically vibrant and sustainable future. Bullard will assume his new duties on August 6. Read more |
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Northeast/Southeast – NOAA Proposes to Prohibit Retaining, Transshipping, Landing, Storing, Selling and Purchasing of Silky Sharks Caught in the Pelagic Longline fishery for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the Atlantic; Comments Due Jul. 23
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| NOAA Fisheries is proposing a rule to implement the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) recommendation 11-08, which prohibits retaining, transshipping, or landing of silky sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) caught in association with ICCAT fisheries. In order to improve domestic enforcement capabilities, NOAA Fisheries is also proposing to prohibit the storing, selling and purchasing of the species. This rule would affect the commercial highly migratory species pelagic longline fishery for tuna and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. This rule would not affect commercial fishermen fishing for sharks with bottom longline, gillnet, or handgear; nor would the rule affect recreational fishermen as harvesting silky sharks is already prohibited in the recreational fishery. Comments on the proposed rule are due July 23, 2012.Read more or submit a comment. |
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Northeast/Southeast – NOAA Proposes to Adjust Regulations Governing Trade of Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North and South Atlantic; Comments Due Jul. 26
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| NOAA Fisheries is proposing to adjust the regulations governing the trade of tuna and tuna-like species in the North and South Atlantic Ocean to implement recommendations adopted at the 2011 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (Commission). The proposed rule would lift the trade restrictions on importing bigeye tuna from Bolivia and Georgia. Additionally, the proposed rule would make administrative changes to the section containing species-specific harmonized tariff codes in support of the International Trade Program. Comments on the proposed rule are due July 26, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Mid-Atlantic – NOAA Proposes a Change in the Mid-Atlantic Council's Risk Policy Regarding Stocks Without an Overfishing Limit; Comments Due Jul. 30
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| NOAA Fisheries proposes a change in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's risk policy regarding stocks without an overfishing limit. The current risk policy does not allow increases of the acceptable biological catch for stocks that do not have an overfishing limit derived from the stock assessment. The modification will allow increases of the acceptable biological catch for stocks that have stable or increasing trends in abundance, and for which there is robust scientific information to suggest that an increased acceptable biological catch will not lead to overfishing. Public comments must be received no later than 5 p.m., EST, on July 30, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Southeast – NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Modifications to the Gulf of Mexico Greater Amberjack Rebuilding Plan Amendment; Comments Due Sept. 4
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| Greater amberjack is overfished (population abundance is too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high). The Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that overfished stocks be rebuilt and that overfishing be halted. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council developed Amendment 35 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico to end overfishing of greater amberjack and allow the stock to rebuild to healthy levels. The Council has submitted Amendment 35 to NOAA Fisheries for review, approval, and implementation. NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on this amendment. Comments are due September 4, 2012. Read more or submit a comment. |
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Southeast – NOAA Predicts Above-Average Season for Commercial Harvest of Brown Shrimp in Western Gulf of Mexico
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| The harvest of brown shrimp in the western Gulf of Mexico is expected to be 59.2 million pounds, which is above the historical 50-year average of 56.5 million pounds, according to NOAA's annual forecast. The prediction covers the period from July 2012 through June 2013 for state and federal waters off Louisiana and federal waters off Texas. NOAA scientists make the annual prediction of brown shrimp catches based on monitoring of juvenile brown shrimp abundance, growth estimates, and environmental indicators. They predict shrimp catches for state and federal waters off Louisiana from west of the Mississippi River to the Texas-Louisiana border to be approximately 31.8 million pounds this season. The Texas portion of the catch is predicted to be 27.4 million pounds. Most of the shrimp harvested in the U.S. - 68 percent - comes from the Gulf of Mexico, especially Texas and Louisiana. Total domestic shrimp harvest brought in $414 million in 2010, the latest figures available. Read more |
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Southeast – Gulf of Mexico 'Dead Zone' Predictions Feature Uncertainty
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| A team of NOAA-supported scientists is predicting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone could range from a low of approximately 1,197 square miles to as much as 6,213 square miles. The wide range is the result of using two different forecast models. The forecast is based on Mississippi River nutrient inputs compiled annually by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The actual size of the 2012 hypoxic zone will be released following a NOAA-supported monitoring survey led by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium between July 27 and August 3. The hypoxic zone, that forms each spring and summer off the coast of Louisiana and Texas, threatens valuable commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries. This year's forecast is just one example of NOAA's growing ecological forecasting capabilities, supported by both NOAA and USGS science, which allow for the protection of valuable resources using scientific, ecosystem-based approaches. Read more |
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Caribbean – Council to Hold Public Hearings in July to Obtain Input on Amendments Regarding Seagrasses and Parrotfish and Options for Island-Specific Fishery Management Plans
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| The Caribbean Fishery Management Council will hold two public hearings to obtain input from fishers, the general public, and the local agencies representatives on the Draft Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan for Corals and Reef Associated Plants and Invertebrates of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (dealing with seagrasses) and Draft Amendment 4 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Fishery of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (dealing with size limits for parrotfish); and one Scoping Meeting on Options for Island-Specific Fishery Management Plans in the U.S. Caribbean. The public hearings and scoping meeting will be held in July in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Read more for specific dates, times, and locations. |
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Alaska – NOAA to Hold Public Workshop on Jul. 20 in Seattle, WA to Review Draft Revisions to Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Economic Data Reports
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| NOAA Fisheries and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center will hold a public workshop in Seattle, WA, to review draft revisions to the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Crab Economic Data Reports currently required from catcher vessels, catcher/processors, shoreside processors, and stationary floating crab processors participating in the BSAI Crab Rationalization Program. The workshop will be held on Friday, July 20, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time in the Nordby Conference Room, Fisherman's Terminal, 3919 18th Avenue West, Seattle, WA 98119-1679. Read more |
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Alaska – NOAA Scientists Complete First Phase of Alaska Marine Debris Survey
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| NOAA scientists have completed the first phase of several planned surveys of Alaska's Pacific Gulf coast for marine debris, including any possible debris from Japan's March 2011 tsunami. Alaska marine debris surveys, which have been regularly conducted and funded by NOAA for the past four decades, are a small part of NOAA's larger efforts in working with the Pacific coast states to set up monitoring stations and prepare and plan for the arrival of tsunami debris. This NOAA-led survey of marine debris focused on Southeast Alaska. The science team departed from Ketchikan, AK, June 15 aboard a 75-foot charter vessel. Over the next ten days, they recorded debris at 36 sites on 9 different islands. The most prevalent debris found was Styrofoam fragments larger than softball size (smaller size pieces are essentially innumerable) and plastic, single use water bottles. Read more |
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Northwest – Bringing Real World Science to Seattle's K-8 Environmental School
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| Over the past year, NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center has been working to bring our real-world science into the hands of students at the Jane Addams K-8 School, the only environmental science-based elementary and middle school in Seattle. Science specialist Christine Benita, together with science center staff Kathi Lefebvre, Preston Kendrick, Elizabeth Frame, and Casey Ralston, collaborated on a series of lesson plans and videos for an interactive educational kit. The science kit will help students learn about plankton, understand how some species of phytoplankton release harmful toxins that move through the marine food web, and identify the impacts of harmful toxins on seafood safety and wildlife/human health. Read more |
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Northwest – Launch of New Biosensor Picks Up Fish-Killing Algae in Puget Sound
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Until now, predictive tools to forecast dangerous algal blooms or pathogens that can contaminate shellfish in Puget Sound weren't available. With the first launch of a novel biosensor in the Pacific Northwest in June 2012, NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center scientists are able to provide advanced warning of potentially dangerous outbreaks. The biosensor, called the ESP (Environmental Sample Processor), is part of an integrated system that combines weather forecasts and an existing citizen monitoring network called SoundToxins. Advanced warning of toxic algal blooms or pathogens can help shellfish growers and public health officials better prepare for beach closures and mitigate economic impacts.
Within a short time after launching the ESP, scientists got a hit for Heterosigma, a fish-killing algae in Puget Sound and one of the target organisms for this deployment. Scientists also detectedAlexandrium and Pseudo-nitzschia pseudodelicatissima, other toxic algal species, but more information is needed to calculate their concentrations in Puget Sound. Scientists have programmed the ESP to sample waters each day at 10 am until July 22. Stay tuned on this project and more on ourFacebook page, NOAA Fisheries in the Northwest. Read more |
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Northwest/Southwest – Partnership Installs New Ocean Observation Sensor to Benefit Abalone Industry
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| A new network of water sensors in Monterey Bay is now aiding the abalone industry by monitoring water quality for harmful algal blooms and other potential hazards, helping to keep the valuable shellfish safe to eat while increasing knowledge of the bay's environment. The sensors monitor dissolved oxygen, ocean acidification levels, and oceanographic conditions that can lead to harmful algal blooms, among other hazards. The measurements will also create long, continuous records of the oceanographic environment in Monterey, feeding into the larger U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®). This will also benefit other fisheries in the area and informs human health decisions.Read more |
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Southwest – International Efforts to Assess the Status of Pacific Sardine Stocks
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| Scientists from the U.S. and Canada are working together to strengthen Pacific sardine stock assessments. NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center scientists conduct regular Pacific sardine stock assessments to determine harvest guidelines for this economically important species. In May, Canadian and NOAA Fisheries scientists, together with independent experts, considered how to integrate data from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's West Coast Vancouver Island swept-area trawl survey (WCVI) into the Pacific sardine stock assessment. Preliminary results of the review suggest that including the Canadian survey data could strengthen and enhance the U.S. stock assessment in the future, especially as the survey evolves. Inclusion of the Canadian survey into the assessment may provide valuable insights into the northern most extension of the Pacific sardine population, the largest size classes, and the timing and extent of migration during different years. The Pacific Fishery Management Council will consider whether to incorporate the Canadian data into the U.S. stock assessment based on the independent review results. The earliest the data could be incorporated would be for the 2014 fishing season. Read more |
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Southwest – 2012 Brings Record Number of Gray Whale Calves
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| A record number of gray whale calves have made their first seasonal journey up the West Coast. Traveling from their nursery lagoons in Mexico to their summer feeding grounds in the Arctic, the number of gray whales from the Eastern North Pacific population is nearly double the number born in previous years. Scientists from NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center conduct annual counts of northbound gray whale calves as they move into U.S. waters and pass the Piedras Blancas Light Station, near San Simeon, California. This year's final counts documented 330 newborns making their way past the counting station with their mothers. The newborns will soon grow up to 15 meters in length and weigh up to 36 tons. Over the course of their 50 to 70 year life span, the whales will travel 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers annually. This year's births contribute to a recovered gray whale population, thanks in large part to protections under the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. NOAA scientists will continue to monitor the calves from this year's record crop as they head toward Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Read more |
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Pacific Islands – NOAA Extends Deadline for Determination on Proposed Rule to Revise Critical Habitat for the Hawaiian Monk Seal
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| NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on June 2, 2011, proposing to revise critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and requesting information related to the proposed action. NOAA Fisheries is now extending the deadline for a final determination on the proposed rule by 6 months. Based on comments received during the public comment period, NOAA Fisheries finds that substantial disagreement exists regarding the sufficiency and accuracy of the data and analyses used to support the scope of the proposed critical habitat designation in the Main Hawaiian Islands. Accordingly, the agency is extending the deadline for the final revision to critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal an additional 6 months to further analyze data and consider concerns raised by State, Federal, and other entities, and better inform determinations for the final revision of Hawaiian monk seal critical habitat under the ESA. Read more |
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NOAA Fisheries Announces Workshops on Protected Species Release, Disentanglement, and Identification and Atlantic Shark Identification in July, August, and September 2012
Free Atlantic Shark Identification Workshops and Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops will be held in July, August, and September 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 and will be announced in a future notice. Click here for dates, times, and locations. Note: The date of the Atlantic Shark Identification workshop originally scheduled for August 9, 2012, in Rosenberg, TX, has been changed to August 16, 2012. The August 16, 2012, workshop will be held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at LaQuinta Inn & Suites, 28332 SW Freeway 59, Rosenberg, TX 77471.
NOAA Fisheries Announces Electronic Dealer Reporting System Workshops to be Held from July through September 2012
On June 28, 2011, NOAA Fisheries published a proposed rule that considered requiring, among other things, Federal Atlantic swordfish, shark, and tunas dealers (except for dealers reporting Atlantic bluefin tuna) to report commercially-harvested Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and bigeye, albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack (tunas through one centralized electronic reporting system. This electronic reporting system will allow dealers to submit Atlantic sharks, swordfish, and BAYS tuna data on a more real-time basis and more efficiently, which will reduce duplicative data submissions from different regions. NOAA Fisheries proposed to delay the effective date of the electronic reporting requirements until 2013 in order to give sufficient time for dealers to adjust to implementation of the new system and the additional requirements. On December 14, 2011, NOAA Fisheries conducted an initial training workshop in the Caribbean area in order to introduce the new reporting system to HMS dealers. NOAA Fisheries is now announcing the date and location for additional training workshops in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic regions in order to continue introducing HMS dealers to the new electronic system. Training workshops for the new electronic dealer system will be held from July through September 2012. Read more for specific dates, times, and locations.
Deadline Aug. 9: NOAA Fisheries Seeks Proposals for Research and Development Projects that Optimize the Use of Fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and off the South Atlantic States
NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region, is seeking proposals under the Marine Fisheries Initiative Program (MARFIN) for research and development projects that optimize the use of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and off the South Atlantic states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida involving the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial), including fishery biology, resource assessment, socioeconomic assessment, management and conservation, selected harvesting methods, and fish handling and processing. Approximately $2.0 million may be available in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for projects. This amount includes possible in-house projects. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon Fiscal Year 2013 Congressional appropriations. NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office anticipates awarding approximately ten projects that will range from $25,000 to $175,000 per year for each project (not to exceed $175,000 per year). The total federal amount that may be requested shall not exceed $175,000 for a one-year project, $350,000 for a two-year project, and $525,000 for a three-year project. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time on August 9, 2012 to be considered for funding. Read more or submit an application.
Up to $600,000 Available to Support Research on Northern Bluefin Tuna; Applications Due Aug. 20
The Bluefin Tuna Research Program provides opportunity to compete for financial assistance for projects which seek to increase and improve the working relationship between fisheries researchers from NOAA Fisheries, state fishery agencies, universities, other research institutions and U.S. fishery interests (recreational and commercial) focusing on northern bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. The program is a means of advancing research objectives to address the information needs to improve the science-based fisheries management for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Approximately $600,000 may be available in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for projects. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2013 Congressional appropriations. The NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center estimates awarding approximately 5 projects that will range from $25,000 to $300,000. The expected average award is $125,000. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 20, 2012 to be considered for funding. Read more or submit an application.
Deadline Aug. 24: NOAA Fisheries Seeking Proposals for Cooperative Research in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and Caribbean; $2 Million in Funding Available
The Cooperative Research Program provides opportunity to compete for financial assistance for projects which seek to increase and improve the working relationship between fisheries researchers from NOAA Fisheries, state fishery agencies, universities, and the U.S. fishing (recreational and commercial) in the Gulf of Mexico (FL, AL, MS, LA, TX), South Atlantic (FL, NC, SC, GA) and Caribbean (USVI and Puerto Rico). The program is a means of involving commercial and recreational fishermen in the collection of fundamental fisheries information in support of management and regulatory options. Proposals must address one of the priority areas. Approximately $2.0 million may be available in fiscal year (FY) 2013 for projects. Actual funding availability for this program is contingent upon FY 2013 Congressional appropriations. The NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center estimates awarding approximately eight projects that will range from $25,000 to $300,000. The average award is $150,000. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 24, 2012 to be considered for funding. Read more or submit an application.
Crimes Against Marine Mammals—NOAA-Sponsored Exhibit in D.C. Open through Sept. 3
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act through an eye-opening exhibitthat showcases different violations of the Act, how law enforcement agents investigate those violations, and how you can help protect marine mammals. Created by NOAA Fisheries and the Crime Museum in D.C., the exhibit runs through September 3, 2012. Read more
Through Sept. 28: NOAA Fisheries Brings Back Summertime Tours of Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute
Discover the science behind the success of Alaska's fisheries, with a tour of one of NOAA's leading science facilities—the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute—located in Juneau. NOAA Fisheries is once again offering free daily tours of the 60,000 square foot facility, located north of Juneau at Lena Point. Juneau residents are invited to share this local secret with their out-of-town guests. Free behind-the-scenes lab tours will be offered once daily at 1 p.m. each weekday throughout the summer beginning Monday, June 4 and continuing through September 28, except for holidays. Read more
Due Oct. 3: FY13 Prescott Grant Funding Opportunity for Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance
The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, or Prescott Grant Program, provides grants or cooperative agreements to eligible stranding network participants for:
• recovery and treatment (i.e., rehabilitation) of stranded marine mammals,
• data collection from living or dead stranded marine mammals, and
• facility upgrades, operation costs, and staffing needs directly related to the recovery and treatment of stranded marine mammals and collection of data from living or dead stranded marine mammals
Eligible applicants are currently active, authorized participants or researchers in the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. An applicant cannot be a current full- or part-time DOC or DOI employee. Eligible applicants must be:
1. Stranding Agreement (SA) holders or their designee organizations
2. holders of researcher authorization letters issued by a NMFS Regional Administrator; or
3. an eligible Federal, state, or local government personnel or tribal personnel (pursuant to MMPA Section 109(h) (16 U.S.C. 1379(h))
Proposals should be submitted through Grants.gov, the online portal to all Federal grant opportunities. Only submit your proposal by mail if you have extenuating circumstances and are unable to submit online. Electronic submissions through Grants.gov must have been received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on October 3, 2012; proposals submitted by mail must have been postmarked by October 3, 2012.
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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