NOAA Fisheries FishNews — June 23

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Highlights Exploring Solutions for Sea Turtle Bycatch On last week's episode of Dive In with NOAA Fisheries, we talked with Barbara Schroeder, National Sea Turtle Coordinator, about bycatch innovations that are helping sea turtles thrive and how we work with fishermen to reduce bycatch.

Alaska Survey to Count Beluga Whales in Norton Sound NOAA Fisheries is working with partners to conduct an aerial survey to count beluga whales from June 20 to July 2. This aerial survey will help scientists estimate the abundance of beluga whales and learn more about their habitat and movement patterns. Innovation to Learn More About Alaska’s Deep-Sea Corals and the Species that Live There We are using new technologies and methods to learn more about deep-sea coral communities in the Gulf of Alaska. On June 14 the Alaska Coral and Sponge Initiative began the Gulf of Alaska Coral and Sponge Model Validation Survey in Homer, Alaska. This is the first post of this science blog series. EcoFOCI Spring Mooring Cruise EcoFOCI’s spring mooring cruise departed Dutch Harbor on May 10. This annual survey provides baseline fisheries and oceanographic data to support ongoing management of our nation's fisheries and marine life in the Bering Sea and rapidly changing U.S. Arctic. This is the fourth post in the ongoing EcoFOCI's Spring Mooring Cruise science blog series. Winter Observing on a Commercial Longline Vessel Join Fish Biologist Rory Morgan as she braves the Arctic winter on a commercial longline fishing vessel and collects valuable scientific information as part of the North Pacific Observer Program. This is the fourth post in the ongoing Winter Observing on a Long-Line Vessel science blog series.

Pacific Islands It’s Time to Act FAST for Turtles The Fishing Around Seals and Turtles, or FAST, program provides guidance on what to do if an accidental interaction occurs, including helpful tips to avoid snagging a sea turtle.

Southeast NOAA Releases 85 Florida Loggerhead Sea Turtles into the Wild NOAA Fisheries scientists and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released 85 loggerhead sea turtles into the ocean off Florida’s east coast last week. These juvenile sea turtles were raised in captivity as part of a study to reduce bycatch.

New England/Mid-Atlantic Ecomon Survey Dodges Storm, Keeps on Sampling Despite multiple weather issues, the scientists aboard the NOAA Ship Henry Bigelow are meeting sampling and research goals for the 2022 spring Ecosystem Monitoring Survey. This is the most current post in the Field Fresh Blog: Science in Motion blog series. Brandenburg Park Habitat Restoration Through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, NOAA worked with the Great Lakes Commission to restore the natural shoreline and improve community access to the waterfront along Lake St. Clair in Michigan.

Upcoming Deadlines July 8: Request for Nominations: U.S. Commissioners to Regional Fisheries Management Organizations July 20: Applications due for Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program grants July 21: America the Beautiful Challenge proposals due View more news and announcements.

Upcoming Events June 1–August 31: Summertime Tours at NOAA’s Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute (Wednesdays from 9am–10am AKT) June 24: Kaʻena Talk Story Series: Learn About Monk Seals! (6pm HST) June 27: Southern California Aquaculture Opportunity Area Scoping Meeting (12pm–2pm PST) June 28–30: New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Portland, Maine June 30: Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy Webinar (7pm EST) July 19: Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy Webinar (4pm EST) October 23–27, 2023: ICES PICES Science Conference 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.

http://live.oysterradio.com/