NOAA Fisheries FishNews — February 16th

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 Highlights NOAA Fisheries Releases Draft National Seafood Strategy, Requests Public Input NOAA Fisheries has released the draft National Seafood Strategy, which aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals for economic recovery, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. We encourage all interested members of the public to review and submit comments by March 16. Spotlight on Council Members It’s the annual season when state governors nominate new members to join the regional fishery management councils. Council members play an incredibly important role in managing our nation’s fisheries—recommending actions to achieve sustainable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Read on to meet some of the members and learn about their favorite parts of the job. Podcast: A Citizen's Guide to Fishery Management In this episode of Dive In with NOAA Fisheries, we talk about regional fishery management councils—the independent citizen councils that help NOAA Fisheries manage and regulate fish stocks and fisheries. We explore how these councils work, the important role they play in governance, and how you can and should get involved if you're impacted by these councils' decisions. 5 Lovely Reasons Why We “Heart Estuaries” Estuaries provide homes for fish and wildlife, support economies, fight climate change, and more. Celebrating #IHeartEstuaries is a popular way to show your love to these bodies of water where rivers meet the sea. NOAA Fisheries Responds to National Academies’ Recommendations on Recreational Fisheries Management NOAA Fisheries has published a report to Congress with our response to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s 2021 recommendations on recreational fishing data collection, data use, and alternative management strategies. In collaboration with our partners, several recommendations are already underway. New Report to Congress Highlights Exciting Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Discoveries The deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth, and the least well known. NOAA’s Deep-Sea Coral Research and Technology Program has significantly improved its understanding of deep-sea coral communities. This report highlights impressive discoveries, science-informed management decisions, benefits of collaborative partnerships, and more. Alaska Zooplankton Research Reveals a Glimpse of the Potential Future Northern Bering Sea Ecosystem From fish to whales, nearly every predator in the sea eats zooplankton, or eats something that does. Understanding how climate impacts zooplankton can help us predict ecosystem changes to build resilient, climate-ready fisheries and communities. In fact, climate change may mean less nutritious food available to Arctic fish, seabirds, and marine mammals, new research suggests. Uncrewed Surface Vehicles Complement NOAA Vessels for More Efficient Fisheries Surveys NOAA Fisheries is evaluating the use of cutting-edge technology that has the potential to improve acoustic-trawl surveys of walleye pollock, the largest U.S. fishery. The goal is to explore the use of uncrewed surface vehicles working in tandem with NOAA ships to improve the efficiency of collecting acoustic and biological data used for estimating pollock abundance. Initial testing was a success and planning is underway for sea trials during summer pollock survey in Alaska. Learn more about this research and watch a video of the drone in action. West Coast Sharper Picture of Salmon in the Ocean Resets Threshold for Fishing Limits New research examines how Chinook salmon from West Coast rivers travel through the ocean. It shows that endangered Southern Resident killer whales do not have access to as many salmon prey as previously thought. That does not mean the number dropped, but that it has always been lower than estimated. This is the latest post from the Southern Resident Connections series. Southeast Meet Read Hendon, Oceanic and Coastal Pelagics Branch Chief As part of the Faces of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center series, meet Read Hendon. As Chief for the Ocean and Coastal Pelagics Branch in the Population and Ecosystems Monitoring Division, Read Hendon works with scientists on the annual Bottom Longline Survey, managing the Cooperative Tagging Program for highly migratory species, and more. Science Blog: Life on a NOAA Vessel and the People that Bring it Together Learn more about what life is like on a NOAA ship and get a glimpse into the diverse people that make this survey happen. This is the latest post from the 27th Year of the Southeast Bottom Longline Survey series. New England/Mid-Atlantic Meet Darius Johnson, Academic Programs Office Coordinator Our new Academic Programs Office coordinator at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center is excited to make a difference in the lives of students underrepresented in the marine and environmental sciences. He shares what Black History Month means to him. Upcoming Deadlines February 20: Applications due for the Chesapeake Bay Summer Internship Program and the Chesapeake-Student Recruitment, Early Advisement and Mentoring Program February 22: Applications due for National Sea Grant Aquaculture Workforce Development Support Projects March 6: Applications due for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund March 13: Nominations due for Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee March 13: Comments due for Proposed Incidental Take Regulations for the Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm Project March 31: Applications due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service for the expansion of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program  April 24: Entries due for 2023 Greater Atlantic Region’s Marine Endangered Species Art Contest May 2: Applications due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Local Agriculture Market Program to Expand Local Food Systems View more news and announcements Upcoming Events February 22–23: Floating Offshore Wind Summit (virtual) March 2: Draft National Seafood Strategy Listening Sessions (virtual) March 4–10: Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2023 Meeting March 6–10: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council March 2023 Meeting March 7: Financial Assistance Workshop for Grant Applicants and Recipients—Silver Spring March 9: Draft National Seafood Strategy Listening Sessions (virtual) March 27–31: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 194th Council Meeting March 28–30: Protected Species Assessment Workshop III 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.  Questions? Visit our website for national and regional contact information

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