NOAA Fisheries FishNews—February 29

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Highlights Climate Change Efforts Forge Ahead Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act NOAA Fisheries prioritized Inflation Reduction Act funding to support America’s marine resources, coastal communities, and economies in preparing for climate change in 2023–2024. Podcast: Why You Should Try Monkfish Have you tried monkfish? It’s a great-tasting, sustainable seafood choice that is often compared to lobster. Despite it being caught from Maine to North Carolina, U.S. demand for monkfish is surprisingly low. In our new podcast episode, we'll hear about efforts to increase domestic demand and consumption of the humble monkfish. Prescott Grants Supporting Whale Conservation Partners Our marine mammal network partners are leveraging the Prescott Grant Program's competitive funding to improve their stranding response and investigation capabilities for whale conservation. Artificial Intelligence Sorts Public Photos to Show Recovering Pacific Humpback Whales Hit Climate Ceiling Scientists have found that recovering humpback whales in the North Pacific are now responding to shifts in food availability affected by climate change. They drew the conclusion from thousands of whale photographs submitted by researchers and the public over 20 years to a citizen science website. It uses AI to match the individual shapes and patterns on humpback whale tails—similar to human facial recognition.

Alaska NOAA Fisheries Releases New State of Alaska Aquaculture Report The report is a first-of-its-kind overview of the aquaculture industry in Alaska, revealing the state’s opportunities and challenges to date. Do Alaska Kelp Farms Provide Habitat for Native Species? A new video shows the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s research into whether seaweed farms provide habitat for native Alaska marine species.

West Coast Gray Whale Stranded on La Jolla Shores Beach On February 22, NOAA Fisheries was alerted to a live stranded gray whale on the beach at La Jolla Shores, San Diego. The whale died that evening. A necropsy confirmed the whale was a male and in poor body condition. There were no obvious signs of human impact.

Southeast Endangered Sawfish Found Dead and Missing its Rostrum in the Florida Keys NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation involving the death of an endangered smalltooth sawfish found with its rostrum removed near Key West, Florida. NOAA is asking for any information about who injured  the sawfish or removed the rostrum. Necropsy Offers Rare Opportunity to Study White Shark Biology On Friday, February 23, 2024, NOAA Fisheries received a report of a 15-foot female white shark that washed up on the shores of Navarre Beach, Florida. Local partners responded and we transported it to a NOAA  Fisheries facility in Panama City, Florida. There, our scientists conducted a necropsy, which provided scientists the rare opportunity to collect valuable scientific data. Improving Fisheries and Ecosystem Data Collection in the Caribbean through Partnership and Collaboration NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center hosted a strategic planning workshop focused on coordinating and cooperating with partners to improve fisheries management in the Caribbean.

Upcoming Deadlines March 4: Applications due for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund funding opportunity March 11: Comments due for proposed issuance of Incidental Take Statement and funding to the State of Alaska for Southeast Alaska salmon fisheries March 15: Proposals due for the eeBLUE Aquaculture Literacy Mini-grants Program March 20: Full proposals due for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program 2024 Funding Opportunity March 31: Applications due for the Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement funding opportunity April 1: Applications due for the Fiscal Year 2024 Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Projects April 5: Deadline for Public Comment on National Aquaculture Development Plan April 12: Applications due for established Regional Ocean Partnerships funding opportunity April 15: Applications due for United States Department of Agriculture Special Research Grants Program Aquaculture Research April 26: Applications due for the Alaska Indigenous Engagement Program Grants April 30: Applications due for the Department of Transportation’s Port Infrastructure Development Program funding opportunity View more news and announcements

Upcoming Events March 1: Public Listening Sessions for the Future of Aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries (West Coast) March 4: Public webinar on Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants funding opportunity March 4–8: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council March 2024 Meeting March 5: Workshop for Educators—Connecting Students to Climate Solutions March 5–7: North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Risk Reduction Technology Workshop March 7: Public Listening Sessions for the Future of Aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries (Alaska) March 8: Public Listening Sessions for the Future of Aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries (National) March 5–11: Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2024 Meeting March 18–22: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council March 2024 Meeting  March 20: Public Listening Sessions for the Future of Aquaculture at NOAA Fisheries (National) 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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