NOAA Fisheries FishNews - March 5, 2020

MARCH 5, 2020 Highlights Secretary of Commerce Allocates $65 Million for Fishery Disasters Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the allocation of $65 million to communities in Alaska, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and the Yurok Tribe (California) that suffered fishery disasters between 2017 and 2019. Carrie Selberg Robinson Appointed New Director for NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation NOAA announced the appointment of Carrie Selberg Robinson as the new Director of NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation. In this role, she will oversee a national office responsible for restoring and protecting habitat for NOAA trust resources, including managed fisheries and threatened and endangered species. Alaska Sand Lance Growth Patterns Begin to Emerge in First Salish Sea Study Sand lance are an important food source for many iconic and valuable species in the Northeast Pacific. Yet despite their importance in the ecosystem, little is known about their basic biology. For the first time, scientists have described age and growth of Pacific sand lance in relation to environmental conditions in the Salish Sea. Pacific Islands NOAA's Drone Use Makes a Huge Splash at Recent Demo in Hawai‘i At an unmanned aerial system workshop held on December 11, 2019, NOAA demonstrastrated how it uses UAS technology in coral-related marine applications. The workshop brought together various agencies and NGOs who conduct geographical surveys for a technology show-and-tell. Hope for Coral Reef Recovery in American Samoa? Preliminary Observations from the Field For 3 weeks in January, coral reef surveys were conducted in Vatia Bay and Faga’alu Bay on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. A small team collected data on coral condition and benthic community composition at 60 sites. Southeast Reward Increases to More than $50,000 in Cases of Florida Dolphins Shot and Stabbed NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and agency partners are offering a reward of up to $54,000 for information on the recent deaths of two dolphins in Florida. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered a dead dolphin off Naples, Florida, late last week. Greater Atlantic Emaciated Adult Female North Atlantic Right Whale Spotted Entangled off Nantucket A 19-year-old female North Atlantic right whale was observed on February 24, 2020, by the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center aerial survey team. The whale, known as “Dragon”, was traveling slowly at the surface  within a group of right whales approximately 45 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Habitat Restoration Aids in Revitalization of Buffalo River New York’s Buffalo River was once considered one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. It has spent more than 30 years on the list of the most environmentally degraded areas in the Great Lakes region, known as Areas of Concern. Since 2013, NOAA has supported habitat restoration in and around the Buffalo River Area of Concern. Upcoming Deadlines March 1 Seasonal Closure of Mutton Snapper Spawning Aggregation Area in U.S. Caribbean Federal Waters off St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. March 25 Final Rule to Increase Gulf of Mexico Cobia Recreational and Commercial Minimum Size Limit in the Gulf Zone. April 10 NOAA Seeks Public Comment on Revised Management Plan for Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Upcoming Events March 4 Fred Hall Show, Long Beach, California March 10-11 ICCAT Advisory Committee Meeting March 21 NOAA Fisheries Pascagoula Mississippi Laboratories Offers Open House, Pascagoula, Mississippi 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. www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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