NOAA Fisheries FishNews — July 6

JULY 6, 2023

Celebrating Habitat Month: Growing Habitat Together Join us in celebrating Habitat Month 2023! Learn more about how NOAA Fisheries' Office of Habitat Conservation is working to restore habitat to support fisheries, protected species, and coastal communities. Interns Dive into Chesapeake Science, Policy, and Programs The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office is hosting students from around the country for 12-week summer internships. Our interns gain knowledge and experience, and we benefit from having additional talented staff members for the summer. Summer Expeditions Will Explore Widespread Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Communities in Alaska In 2023, a series of expeditions will help NOAA and partners to better understand the diversity and extent of ecologically important seafloor communities in the Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. Restoration Project Improves Access to Meadowdale Beach Park for Salmon—and People A NOAA-supported project in the Puget Sound region reconnected and restored historic habitat for migrating salmon, while improving public access for park visitors.

Highlights NOAA Fisheries Releases Climate Science Regional Action Plans NOAA Fisheries recently released updated Climate Science Regional Action Plans. They include goals and actions through 2024 to increase the production, delivery, and use of climate-related information as part of NOAA’s effort to build a Climate Ready Nation. The plans’ proposed actions will help track changes, assess risks, provide early warnings, and evaluate management strategies for changing conditions in each U.S. region. NOAA’s Climate-Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity Now Open! NOAA has opened a competitive funding opportunity for the Climate-Ready Workforce for Coastal States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative to connect people across the country with good-paying jobs—such as landscape technicians, heat health outreach specialists, and climate equity officers—that tackle the climate crisis and boost local resilience. NOAA will invest $60 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for the initiative—a $50 million competitive funding opportunity and $10 million for technical assistance to support applicants and grantees. Raising the Bar(codes): New Dataset Will Help Fight Seafood Fraud and Protect Consumer Safety A new publication is helping the United States build more complete genetic reference libraries and protect consumers from seafood fraud.

Alaska Call for Members to Serve on Yukon-Kuskokwim Region Salmon Research Work Group The Alaska Salmon Research Task Force is seeking interested individuals to serve on a work group to identify gaps and salmon research priorities for the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region. Pacific Cod Are Moving North—Will They Be Able to Spawn There? In the wake of recent ocean warming, Pacific cod expanded their summer range into the northern Bering Sea. But whether they can successfully reproduce there remains unknown. Public Benefits of Recovering Endangered Beluga Whale Outweigh Costs A new economic study, based on a public survey, provides insights on the potential value to society of endangered species protection. Meet Skylar Bayer: Celebrating Disability in STEM Through Story July is National Disability Pride Month, which commemorates the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. In honor of National Disability Pride Month, the Alaska Region is highlighting the diverse work of biologist Dr. Skylar Bayer and her upcoming book on disabilities and chronic medical conditions in STEM fields.

West Coast New Gray Whale Count Shows Further Decline, with Hints of a Turnaround A new count of gray whales that migrate along the West Coast each year found a continued decline of this population. However, new clues suggest that population numbers may soon start to rebound.

Southeast NOAA Scientists Collecting Information to Restore Marine Mammals and Seabirds in the Gulf of Mexico Scientists recently departed from Pascagoula, Mississippi, aboard the NOAA ship Gordon Gunter to collect data to help inform plans to restore marine mammal and seabird populations. The 2-month vessel survey will be conducted in three legs between June 22 and August 17. It will survey more than 3,400 miles of trackline covering the deep waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. NOAA Releases 79 Florida Loggerhead Sea Turtles into the Wild NOAA Fisheries scientists and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released 79 loggerhead sea turtles into the ocean off Florida’s east coast. The turtles were raised in captivity as part of a unique program to test devices used during commercial fishing operations to reduce sea turtle bycatch and mortality. Protecting Species While Planning for Offshore Wind Development in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico A new study proposes a scoring method for evaluating risk to protected species with offshore wind development projects. Celebrating Sea Turtle Conservation and Recovery Efforts As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, we are shining a spotlight on our recovery efforts to reduce bycatch to protect and conserve sea turtles.

New England/Mid-Atlantic Bottom Trawl Restrictor Rope Study A new study by NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and partners is evaluating the use of a restrictor rope on industry-based bottom trawl surveys to determine if and how it may impact catch. If the restrictor rope does not have a significant impact on catch, it could be a way to standardize surveys conducted by offshore wind companies. 2023 Northeast Atlantic Sea Scallop Survey Canceled The 2023 Northeast Fisheries Science Center sea scallop survey has been canceled owing to mechanical difficulties with the survey vessel, the R/V Hugh R. Sharp. Contingency planning is underway for future surveys.

Upcoming Deadlines July 10: Comments due for Incidental Take Authorization: Park City Wind, LLC Construction of the New England Wind Offshore Wind Project off of Massachusetts July 19: Applications due for USDA's Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program July 24: Pre-proposals due for FY 2024 Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Notice of Funding Opportunity August 18: Grant applications due for Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program August 21: Comments due for Proposed Rules to Revise Regulations Implementing the Endangered Species Act August 21: Letters of intent due for NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Funding Opportunity September 12: Comments due for Proposed Rulemaking to Revise the Guidelines for National Standards 4, 8, and 9 November 30: Letters of intent due for NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity February 13: Applications due for NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity February 13: Applications due for NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Funding Opportunity View more news and announcements

Upcoming Events July 11: Financial assistance workshop for grant applicants and recipients—Seattle July 11: Informational webinar on NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity July 12: Webinar on definition of “resilience” for NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity July 17: Council Coordination Committee Special Meeting July 17–21: Summer Institute for Climate Change Education Workshop (virtual) July 18: USDA public listening session on the domestic biomass supply chain system July 20: Informational webinar on NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity July 20: Jupiter, Florida, in-person public hearing on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 15: Spatial Fisheries Management and Electronic Monitoring Cost Allocation July 21: Webinar on leveraging partnerships for NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity July 25: Manteo, North Carolina, in-person public hearing on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 16: Shark Management July 25: Houma, Louisiana, in-person public hearing on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 15: Spatial Fisheries Management and Electronic Monitoring Cost Allocation August 2: Webinar on tips for first-time applicants of NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity August 7: Public webinar on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 16: Shark Management August 7–10: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council August 2023 Meeting August 14–17: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council August 2023 Meeting August 15–16: Caribbean Fishery Management Council August 2023 Meeting August 17: Public webinar on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 15: Spatial Fisheries Management and Electronic Monitoring Cost Allocation August 22: Manteo, North Carolina, in-person public hearing on Highly Migratory Species Amendment 15: Spatial Fisheries Management and Electronic Monitoring Cost Allocation 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/