NOAA Fisheries FishNews – March 31, 2022

Interview with the AA, Podcast on Alaska Pollock, and More

MARCH 31, 2022 Highlights Meet Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator To wrap up Women’s History Month, we sat down with Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator, to find out more about her career path, passions, and perspective on leading NOAA Fisheries. Alaska Podcast: Surveying Alaska's Waters Alaska’s seas are home to a vast diversity of marine life, and 60 percent of U.S. seafood comes from Alaska—thanks largely to walleye pollock, the largest fishery in the United States and second largest in the world. NOAA Fisheries Names Jon Kurland New Regional Administrator in Alaska NOAA Fisheries announced that Jon Kurland is the new Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region. He assumed his new duties on March 27. Jon has been with the agency since 1990, serving in two regional offices and headquarters, including three senior leadership roles in the Alaska Region. He succeeds retiring Regional Administrator Dr. Jim Balsiger, who had served in the position for 21 years. Pinniped Entanglement Group Brings Together a Worldwide Initiative To celebrate International Seal Day, we’re highlighting a dedicated team of scientists and volunteers working to “lose the loop” and help entangled pinnipeds. Pacific Islands Nesting, Threats, and Social Behaviors of Hawaiian Hawksbill Sea Turtles If you’ve ever gone swimming in Hawaiian waters, you’ve probably seen plenty of green sea turtles, or “Honu,” their Hawaiian name. However, you would be extremely lucky to see a hawksbill sea turtle, known locally as “Honuʻea,” or just “ʻEa.” Hawksbills are very rare in Hawaiʻi compared to green turtles, which outnumber hawksbills by about 100 to 1. Enter Our 2022 Share the Shore and Sea Art Contest! K–12 students are invited to showcase how we can all share the shore and sea with whales, dolphins, seals, sea turtles, and corals through art. Winners’ work will be featured during NOAA’s Share the Shore and Sea campaign in May 2022. Seafloor Mapping and Coral Reef Assessment in the Mariana Archipelago Scientists and managers depend on research surveys to monitor coral reef ecosystems across the Mariana Archipelago. Multiple threats including climate change, disease, and land-based sources of pollution impact coral reefs around the globe, including the Marianas. Upcoming Deadlines March 31: Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Industry Engagement Webinar #1: TED Design to Reduce Juvenile Sea Turtle Bycatch April 1: Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Industry Engagement Webinar #2: TED Design to Reduce Juvenile Sea Turtle Bycatch May 6: Deadline to comment on Draft Federal Survey Mitigation Implementation Strategy USDA DEADLINES April 18: Public comments due for Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program April 25: Value Added Producer Grants May 6: Seafood Eligible in USDA’s $400 Million Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program May 6: Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program May 16: Farmers Market Promotion Program grants May 16: Local Food Promotion Program grants May 16: Regional Food System Partnerships grants May 16: Public comments due for Competition in Food Retail and Distribution Markets and Access for Agricultural Producers and Small and Midsized Food Processors June 17: Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program View more news and announcements Upcoming Events March 31: Part 2 of the MRIP Data User Seminar on Custom Domain Analyses April 4–7: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting in Gulf Shores, Alabama (hybrid in-person/virtual event) April 4–11: North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Anchorage, Alaska (hybrid in-person/virtual event) April 5–7: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Galloway, New Jersey (hybrid in-person/virtual event) April 7–13: Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seattle. April 12–14: New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Mystic, Connecticut. April 13, 14: USDA Small Business 201 Workshop April 19–20: Tentative schedule for the Caribbean Fishery Management Council meeting to be held virtually. View more events. Federal Register Actions Visit NOAA Fisheries' Rules & Regulations web page to learn more about recently proposed and finalized regulations in your region.  Send corrections or technical questions to the FishNews Editor at editor.fishnews@noaa.gov. www.fisheries.noaa.gov

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