NOAA Fisheries FishNews—April 30, 2026

APRIL 30, 2026 NOAA Celebrates Earth Day 2026 Celebrating Earth Day with NOAA Fisheries April 22 is Earth Day nationwide, but every day is Earth Day at NOAA Fisheries. Check out this collection of feature stories to learn how we work every day to conserve and recover our planet’s marine life and ecosystems.  National Western Atlantic Provides Refuge for Bluefin Tuna For 30 years, a team of international scientists deployed electronic tags on Atlantic bluefin tuna to track their movements across the ocean. A new study analyzing the results found that, while the western stock tends to stay on the western side of the Atlantic, many individuals from the eastern stock migrate west to feed and grow before returning east to spawn.  Is It a Dolphin or a Porpoise? Dolphins and porpoises are both cetaceans, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Learn how to tell them apart. Nominate an Outstanding Steward in Marine, Coastal, or Riverine Habitat Conservation By June 1, submit your nominations for the 2026 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award. NOAA established the award in 1997 to recognize and honor individuals for their valuable work in conserving marine, coastal, and riverine environments.    New England/Mid-Atlantic Putting the Fishing Industry First at the Cooperative Research Summit On April 1 and 2, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center held its fourth annual Northeast Cooperative Research Summit on Long Island. The Summit is an annual event focused on building partnerships between the fishing and science communities to address science and management needs. Science Blog: Groundfish Gut Check: Partnering with the Fishing Industry to Update Groundfish Data Field scientist Hannah Ciarametaro sails on commercial groundfish vessels all over the Northeast region. Working with fishermen, she collects data that represent the landings of the commercial groundfish fleet from different ports, gear types, and gutting methods. This data will inform the “conversion factors” scientists use to convert gutted weight of groundfish species to whole weight for population models. Pacific Islands Researchers Are Bringing the 2026 Pacific Coral Survey to You NOAA researchers are headed to American Samoa and the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument for coral reef surveys this year, and you’re invited behind the scenes! Follow their mission through an interactive StoryMap. Regular surveys of these reefs enable us to track reef health and impacts over time. It’s Monk Seal Pupping Season. Here’s What You Need to Know March–August is the peak pupping season for Hawaiian monk seals. Learn what to look out for along the shorelines and simple steps you can take to give moms and pups a healthy start together. Southeast By the Numbers: 2026 North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season The 2026 North Atlantic right whale calving season has come to a close in the southeast United States. Scientists are cautiously optimistic for the species, as they saw the highest number of right whale calves born in nearly two decades.  NOAA Fisheries Certifies Two State Recreational Fishing Surveys to Improve Catch Estimates NOAA Fisheries has certified Alabama’s and Mississippi’s creel surveys as part of a move to advance federal-state partnerships for recreational fisheries management strategies. These surveys aim to produce more timely and precise estimates of state-specific recreational fishing catch and trip activity. Restoration of Florida’s Robinson Preserve Benefits Fish, Visitors, and Local Economy Investments in the restoration of Florida’s Robinson Preserve, near the southern end of Tampa Bay, are paying off. Fisheries monitoring and a recent economic study found that the 700-acre coastal preserve—once degraded farmland—now supports a healthy sportfish population, attracts about 240,000 visitors each year, and generates millions of dollars in economic activity. West Coast Restoring Cold-Water Pathways for Idaho’s Salmon and Steelhead Traveling 900 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of Idaho, Snake River Chinook and steelhead undertake the longest and highest migration in the lower 48 states. Multiple NOAA-funded habitat restoration projects, undertaken in collaboration with local landowners, aim to open up additional fish spawning habitat in the Snake River basin.  Upcoming Deadlines May 1: Comments due on potential market name change for certain rockfish species May 4: Comments due on Proposed Amendment 58B to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan: Modifications to Gulf of America Deep-Water Grouper Management Measures May 8: Applications due for South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s fishery advisory panels, Scientific and Statistical Committee, and Social and Economic Panel  May 11: Applications due for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s Small Shipyard Grants May 28: Comments due on the preparation of the Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Areas Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement June 1: Applications due for the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program Discretionary Grant Opportunity June 1: Comments due on Amendment 62: Modifications to Gulf of America Red Grouper Management Measures June 1: Nominations due for the 2026 Dr. Nancy Foster Habitat Conservation Award June 2: Deadline to provide feedback to support improvements to vessel speed regulations June 15: Comments due on proposed listings and 12-month determinations for tope sharks under the Endangered Species Act View more news and announcements Upcoming Events May 6: Gulf Restoration Live! Technical Diving for Restoration webinar via livestream May 12: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting in Silver Spring, MD May 17: Ocean Fun Days 2026 in Sandy Hook, NJ June 1–3: Gulf Fishery Management Council meeting in Tampa, FL June 1–9: North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Vancouver, WA June 8–12: South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in St. Augustine, FL June 9–11: Western Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Utulei, American Samoa June 10–15: Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Spokane, WA June 16–18: Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council meeting in Alexandria, VA June 23–25: New England Fishery Management Council meeting in Mystic, CT 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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