NOAA Fisheries FishNews—November 30

November 30, 2023

Highlights Podcast: Oceanic Whitetip Sharks—A Plan for Recovery Oceanic whitetip sharks are now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hear about the forthcoming recovery plan for them in this new episode of Dive In with NOAA Fisheries. World Fisheries Day Alexa Cole, Director of the NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, shared a message on World Fisheries Day, November 21. NOAA Fisheries Shares Longtime Citizen Scientists’ Stories We’re thankful for our citizen science volunteers! To express our gratitude, we’re highlighting three long-term volunteers who shared why they got involved with NOAA Fisheries programs. From OceanEYEs to the Cooperative Shark Tagging Program, there’s a project for everyone to enjoy and get involved with. Commerce Secretary Announces Fishery Disaster Determinations for California Salmon Fisheries Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo has determined that a commercial fishery failure due to a fishery resource disaster occurred in two California ocean and inland salmon fisheries. Announcing Proposed Critical Habitat Designation for Five Threatened Indo-Pacific Corals NOAA Fisheries announced a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for five threatened reef-building coral species in the Pacific Islands region. It refines a previous proposal following the inclusion of new data and information about Endangered Species Act-listed Indo-Pacific coral species.

Alaska NOAA Fisheries Issues Final Rule for Abundance-Based Management of Halibut in the Bering Sea NOAA Fisheries is issuing a final rule to implement Amendment 123 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area. This amendment balances the interests of the two largest halibut user groups in this management area. Large Whale Entanglement Response a Success Thanks to Metlakatla Indian Community Team November is Native American Heritage Month and NOAA Fisheries is highlighting one of our tribal partners, the Metlakatla Indian Community. In July, they aided in the rescue of an entangled humpback whale in Blank Inlet on the south side of Gravina Island along with other regional partners.

West Coast Scientists Explore How Sardine Populations and Harvest Control Rules May Respond to Climate Change There is evidence that climate change may impact the productivity of sardines off the West Coast. Scientists at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center are evaluating whether sardine fishery management efforts will still be effective if species productivity changes.

Pacific Islands Coral Reef Fish Predictably Changes with Depth, Except When People Are Present Understanding reef fish community patterns is an important aspect of coral reef management. New research shows that human impacts change our understanding of the patterns in reef fish communities across ocean depths. This raises questions of long-held concepts about natural systems and how humans may affect them.

New England/Mid-Atlantic Seal Ecology and Assessment Research in the Northwest Atlantic New video shows how studying seals can provide insight into the state of a changing ecosystem. Scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and their Northwest Atlantic Seal Consortium partners are studying gray seals from Maine to Virginia to better understand their biology and ecology. They use tools and technology to collect information on population abundance, animal health, diet, and behaviors. Kicking Off The 60th Year Of The Fall Bottom Trawl Survey In September, scientists set off on the 60th fall bottom trawl survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Hear from crew member Dominique St. Amand about the trip and survey techniques used during their voyage. Science Blog: Highlighting 60 Species of Fish to Celebrate 60 Years of the Bottom Trawl Survey Katherine Bemis, NOAA’s National Systematics Lab research zoologist and curator of fishes, recently participated in a bottom trawl survey aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. Go behind the scenes with her to learn more about the process of identifying marine species in this science blog. Study Finds Offshore Wind Areas a Biologically Important Habitat for Whales and Dolphins Scientists used passive acoustic monitoring to create a baseline soundscape to evaluate the potential impacts of offshore wind development on species like whales, dolphins, and porpoises off the southern New England coast.

Upcoming Deadlines December 15: Pre-proposals due for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 2024 Funding Opportunity December 18: Public comments due for the 60-day request for information on Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska  December 18: Public comments due for proposed federal management of salmon fishing in Cook Inlet December 19: Applications due for Coastal Habitat Restoration Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities  December 20: Applications due for Fiscal Year 2024 Small Business Innovation Research Notice of Funding Opportunity February 5: Applications due for NOAA Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training Program February 13: Applications due for NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce Funding Opportunity February 13: Applications due for NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge Funding Opportunity February 16: Applications due for Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program February 20: Applications due for NOAA New England Bay Watershed Education and Training Program March 20: Full proposals due for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 2024 Funding Opportunity View more news and announcements

Upcoming Events December 4–8: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting  December 5: Black Sea Bass: 2023 Research Track Peer Review Meeting December 5–6: Caribbean Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting December 5–7: New England Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting December 7–12: North Pacific Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting December 11–14: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting December 12: Webinar on the application process for the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program December 12–13: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council December 2023 Meeting December 14: Webinar for Educators: Performance Assessments and MWEEs in Elementary School December 18: Webinar on the application process for the 2024 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training Program January 8: Workshop for Educators: Climate Resources for Supporting MWEEs February 5: Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Research Summit February 6: Workshop for Educators: Creating a District Environmental Literacy Plan  March 5–7: North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Risk Reduction Technology Workshop 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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