NOAA Fisheries FishNews — December 22

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Highlights NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan for 2022–2025 NOAA Fisheries’ Strategic Plan includes goals and key strategies for the agency through 2025. Join the National Fish Habitat Board The National Fish Habitat Partnership unites a diverse group of partners and expertise to achieve a nationwide impact for fish habitat, aquatic communities, and recreational anglers. NOAA is a founding member and serves on the National Fish Habitat Board. The board is currently seeking applications for five board member positions by January 13, 2023. The current board will review applications and vote to install new members in early 2023. 2022 Status of U.S. Marine and Great Lakes Ecosystems Released NOAA has released its 2022 update of the National Marine Ecosystem Status website, which provides easy access to NOAA’s wide range of important coastal and marine ecosystem data. Repurposed Rope Wreaths from the Teacher at Sea Alumni Association Enjoy the holidays with some winter weaving! The NOAA Teacher at Sea Alumni Association got together “virtually” last week to create wreaths from old crabbing lines as part of Teacher at Sea Alumni Association NOAA Fellow Denise Harrington’s focus on marine debris. Follow Denise’s instructions to learn how to make your own holiday wreath!

Alaska Harbor Porpoises in Southeast Alaska Consist of at Least Two Populations New genetic information and other data suggest that in Southeast Alaska there are two populations of harbor porpoise in inland waters. Scientists produced first abundance estimates for the newly identified populations and assessed potential impacts from gillnet fishing. Scientists Release Annual Status Reports for Three Alaska Marine Ecosystems Ecosystem conditions in the Eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska are adjusting to a new normal in the aftermath of heatwave conditions, while the Aleutian Islands continue to feel the heat.

West Coast The Mystery of the Entangled Oregon Orca An Oregon fisherman spotted a dead, entangled killer whale on June 26. Over the next few weeks, the entangled orca became the focus of an intensive search with answers hidden in the whale’s DNA.

Southeast Scientists Analyze Dolphin Breaths to Better Understand Risks from Surface Oil When oil spills occur, time is of the essence for responding to marine mammals. A Deepwater Horizon restoration project is gathering information to plan for better response activities during, and restoration after, future disasters.

New England/Mid-Atlantic College Students: We’re Offering Five Paid Summer 2023 Internships in the Chesapeake Bay Apply by February 20, 2023, for these opportunities to learn from and work with NOAA scientists. Traveling Problem-Solver Lisa Milke Named Ecosystems and Aquaculture Chief Whether tackling a scallop production bottleneck, building a deck with her family, or leading a research division, Lisa Milke is ready to meet the challenge. Science Blog: Bottom Trawl Survey Creatures Great and Small Biological science technician Christine Kircun shows us some of the notable fish and sights from the fall 2022 bottom trawl survey. This is the latest post from the Field Fresh Blog: Science in Motion. 2022 Northeast Ship-Based Survey Review Scientific parties, the officers and crew of NOAA ships, and charter vessels logged more than 300 days at sea monitoring and sampling from ships on the U.S. Northeast shelf. Does Rebuilding an Island Rebuild Fish Habitat? Scientists from the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office are investigating whether fish are using restored areas at Maryland’s Poplar Island.

Upcoming Deadlines December 31: Comments due for Updates to the National Policy for Saltwater Recreational Fisheries January 17: Nominations due for Marine and Coastal Area-Based Management Advisory Committee January 20: Pre-proposals due for Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Funding January 23: Applications and nominations due for National Fish Partnership Habitat Board  January 27: Comments due for Draft 5th U.S. National Climate Assessment January 27: Applications due for Fiscal Year 2023 NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (Gulf B-WET) Program Funding Opportunity February 10: Applications due 2023 Woods Hole Partnership Education Program February 10: Applications due for Fiscal Year 2023 NOAA Chesapeake Bay B-WET Program School District Programming Funding Opportunity February 15: Applications due for Fiscal year 2023 NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program February 20: Applications due for the Chesapeake Bay Summer Internship Program and the Chesapeake-Student Recruitment, Early Advisement and Mentoring (C-StREAM) Program View more news and announcements

Upcoming Events January 10–16: FY 2023 New England B-WET Funding Opportunity Informational Sessions January 12: Financial Assistance Workshop for Grant Applicants and Recipients - Honolulu February 7: Financial Assistance Workshop for Grant Applicants and Recipients - St. Petersburg 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.

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