NOAA Fisheries FishNews – July 10, 2019

Habitat Month, Oysters, and More

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. JULY 10, 2019 Highlights Habitat Working for You: Habitat Month 2019 Join us as we celebrate Habitat Month and see how NOAA works to support healthy habitat, which provides numerous benefits to our communities and our economy. Infographic: Habitat Conservation NOAA works to protect and restore marine and coastal habitat to sustain fisheries, recover protected species, and maintain resilient coastal ecosystems and communities. Oysters: Good for the Chesapeake, Good for People Restoring oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay supports not only the bay ecosystem but also the economy. Oysters filter excess nutrients from the water and build reefs that provide important habitat for other species—including rockfish, supporting a popular recreational fishery, and blue crabs, boosting an important commercial fishery. Interview with a Habitat: Oyster Reef Oysters are terrific multitaskers. We recently sat down with an oyster on a restored reef in the Chesapeake Bay to learn about its many roles. ;) NOAA Rejects Petition to Ban Certain New Zealand Imports NOAA Fisheries rejected a petition to ban import of seafood from New Zealand caught using set nets or trawls that result in the injury or mortality of Māui dolphins in excess of U.S. limits. NOAA Fisheries notes that the government of New Zealand is implementing their own regulatory program, comparable to that of the United States, in order to reduce Māui dolphin bycatch. West Coast Pulling Microscopic Details from Killer Whale Samples The Northwest Fisheries Science Center is adopting special methods to make the most of the often tiny biological samples that researchers are able to collect from wild animals swimming in the ocean—like Southern Resident killer whales. Molecular genetic techniques allow scientists to identify individual whales by their DNA and search for potential causes of disease. California Vintner Steps Up to Protect Salmon A vintner in Northern California is upgrading a concrete fish barrier to return native salmon and steelhead to valuable spawning habitat that has been blocked for nearly a century. A Safe Harbor agreement negotiated with NOAA Fisheries provides regulatory assurance to the landowner should endangered species return to the property. Southeast Science Blog: Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s Whales During this summer’s survey of Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whales, scientists are turning to new technologies to study the rare animals in the wild.  With the proper permits, NOAA-certified pilots deployed unmanned aerial systems (or drones) to gather high-resolution overhead images of the whales. These images can provide vital clues about the whales’ condition. Draft Supplemental Plan for Mississippi’s Grand Bay The Mississippi Trustees of the Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment released a draft supplemental restoration plan for Grand Bay Land Acquisition and Habitat Management. Please submit your comments on this plan by July 31. Greater Atlantic Final Rule for Northeast Groundfish Recreational Fisheries NOAA Fisheries announced a final rule for recreational Gulf of Maine/Georges Bank cod and haddock in fishing year 2019. The new rule will open the Gulf of Maine cod season, increase the Gulf of Maine haddock possession limits, and reduce the Georges Bank cod minimum size. Reminder: Northeast Groundfish Fishermen Survey The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold four public hearings in August and September to gather public input on the Draft Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment. Written comments will be accepted through September 14. Mid-Atlantic Council Considers Surfclam and Quahog Amendment The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold four public hearings in August and September to gather public input on the Draft Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment. Written comments will be accepted through September 14. Upcoming Deadlines July 15: Full proposals due for 2019 Electronic Monitoring and Reporting grants. July 30: Pre-proposals due for 2020 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants. August 31: Applications due for open seats on New England Fishery Management Council advisory panels. Upcoming Events July 11–September 30: Free tours every weekday at NOAA Fisheries’ Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute in Juneau, Alaska. July 25 and 30: Public scoping meetings for three Atlantic Highly Migratory Species actions. July 18: Public meeting on the Florida Draft Phase V.3 Restoration Plan in Navarre, Florida. July 25: Free Atlantic Shark Identification workshop in Rosenberg, Texas. August 1–September 10: Four public hearings on the proposed Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment, hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. August 6 and 14: Two free Protected Species Safe Handling, Release, and Identification workshopsin North Carolina and Florida. August 12–15: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in New Orleans. August 13–15: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Philadelphia. August 22: Free Atlantic Shark Identification workshop in Bohemia, New York. Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.  Corrections or technical questions should be sent to the FishNews Editor at editor.fishnews@noaa.gov.

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