NOAA selects two areas in the North Atlantic for targeted habitat conservation efforts

NOAA has announced the selection of two sites in NOAA’s North Atlantic Region as the next Habitat Focus Areas under NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint. In the Mid-Atlantic, the agency will focus its habitat  conservation and restoration efforts on the Choptank River complex in Maryland and Delaware.

NOAA Fisheries: Final ESA Section 7 Consultation Biological Opinion Now Available

NOAA Fisheries announces that the Final biological opinion to assess the impact of seven Northeast fisheries on various species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as either threatened or endangered is now available.

NOAA Fisheries: Federal Funds Available for Habitat Restoration in Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland and Virginia

NOAA Fisheries Service has announced more than $6 million in funding for habitat restoration projects in Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia to restore more than 11,000 acres of habitat, and open more than 200 stream miles for fish passage.

Marine Species Distribution Shifts Reflect Local Climate Conditions

Climate change has resulted in shifts in where and at what depths many marine species are found. The leading explanation for these changes has been biological differences among species, but a new study suggests that the local climatic conditions are more likely causing these shifts.

Fleet Communication System Aims to Reduce Butterfish Bycatch

Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program has received funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for initiating a fleet communication system as a method to abate butterfish and river herring/shad bycatch.

CFRF Offers Mid-Atlantic Fishermen Bycatch Avoidance Gear Modification Vouchers

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is currently administering a voucher program for fishing vessel owners to obtain financial assistance to install one or both promising gear modifications onboard their vessels for use in small mesh fisheries (including squid, whiting, and scup) to avoid unwanted bycatch of winter flounder.  

ACCSP Seeks Fishing Industry's Input on Electronic Reporting

The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program (ACCSP) has brought together fishermen, dealers, and fisheries managers to evaluate electronic reporting on the Atlantic coast. The first part of this project is a survey to collect attitudes and opinions from Atlantic coast fishermen and dealers about the current state of electronic reporting.