NOAA Fisheries FishNews — March 16th

MARCH 16, 2023 NOAA Celebrates Women's History Month Celebrate Women's History Month with us by meeting some of our colleagues across the country and getting a closer look at their many contributions. Meet Dr. Abigail Reft, National Systematics Laboratory In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re introducing you to Dr. Abigail Reft, a cnidarian expert and Museum Specialist with NOAA’s National Systematics Laboratory. Talking with Ann Petersen To celebrate Women’s History Month, we asked a few of our women scientists to talk about their science journey, what they love most about their job or career, what advice they have for the next generation of women scientists, and more. This week, we spoke with Ann Petersen, a fisheries biologist for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Fisheries Ecology Branch. Highlights Fishadelphia: Connecting Communities with Fresh Seafood On the newest episode of Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast, we talk to Dr. Talia Young, founder and executive director of Fishadelphia, a community-supported fishery that brings fresh, local seafood to economically and culturally diverse communities in Philadelphia. The program was the recipient of a Saltonstall-Kennedy grant, which funds projects around the country that lead to the promotion, development, and marketing of U.S. fisheries. Request for Comments: NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement Priorities NOAA Fisheries recently released the Office of Law Enforcement’s Draft Enforcement Priorities for 2023–2027. These priorities were developed through an extensive stakeholder engagement process. They will help our enforcement team accomplish its mission, guide its strategic planning, and focus the use of law enforcement assets where they are most needed. We invite additional public comments on the document through April 17. West Coast NOAA Fisheries Proposes Listing Sunflower Sea Star as Threatened Under Endangered Species Act One of the largest sea stars in the world, the sunflower sea star, was once common along the Pacific Coast of North America. An expert panel reviewed the best information on the species’ sharp decline and has prompted NOAA Fisheries to propose listing the species as threatened. Pacific Islands Reef Assessment and Mapping Mission to the Central Pacific A young gray seal took an unexpected turn south this winter, visiting Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and, finally, St. Augustine, Florida. Partners in NOAA Fisheries’ southeast marine mammal stranding network mobilized to bring the seal pup in for care at the National Aquarium for eventual release to the mid-Atlantic. Photos: American Samoa/Pacific Remote Islands 2023 Cruise Follow the NOAA RICHARD (Rainier Integrates Charting, Hydrography, And Reef Demographics) mission as we map the ocean floor and deploy scientists to conduct coral reef assessments around American Samoa and the Pacific Remote Island Areas. Check out this photo gallery for images and a story map of the Reef Assessment and Mapping Mission to the Central Pacific. New England/Mid-Atlantic Collaborating with Industry on Greater Atlantic Electronic Reporting The Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is now virtually paperless when it comes to reporting and permitting. Getting there took a lot of work—and collaboration—by NOAA and the fishing community. Read on to learn more about the new resources and technology and how it’s all being received. NOAA Workshops Deliver Teaching Tools to Educators Winter may mean a pause in outdoor learning experiences for students in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. But building the region’s capability to graduate environmentally literate students from high school doesn’t slow down. The NOAA Environmental Science Training Center has teamed up with experts to offer workshops training educators to use hands-on science in the classroom and in the field. Science Blog: Conch Fishing—An Observer's Perspective Marine snails may not be the first thing you think of when you think about commercial fishing in the Northeast. Fisheries observer Jessica Tyrrell provides an insider’s perspective on a little known yet important fishery. This is the latest from the Field Fresh Blog: Science in Motion series. Upcoming Deadlines March 16: Comments due for Draft National Seafood Strategy March 31: Comments due for National Nature Assessment 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 17: Comments due for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement Draft Enforcement Priorities 2023–2027 April 24: Entries due for 2023 Greater Atlantic Region’s Marine Endangered Species Art Contest April 28: Applications due for 2023 Port Infrastructure Development Program Funding Opportunity 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 March 21: CELC Aquaculture Webinar—Documenting the underwater world of shellfish farms for science and public outreach March 27–31: Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council 194th Council Meeting March 28–30: Protected Species Assessment Workshop III April 1–7: Pacific Fishery Management Council April 2023 Meeting April 3–6: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council April 2023 Meeting April 4–6: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council April 2023 Meeting 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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