NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries is taking ocean monitoring to the next level in Hawai'i! 🌊 We're testing autonomous underwater gliders equipped with passive acoustic sensors to find a cost-effective, high-coverage solution to study marine mammals and their ecosystems. This technology will fill critical data gaps that infrequent ship-based surveys can't reach and could eventually help track fish spawning and predict algal blooms. See how NOAA scientists are examining next-generation ocean gliders and what possibilities/potential they offer our ocean in the future: https://lnkd.in/eN_irBZc   #OceanTech #GliderChallenge #MarineConservation

As the runners cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon today, we’re thinking about the marathon migrations that salmon take. 🏃 Snake River Chinook and steelhead are the ultramarathon runners of the salmon family. They undertake the longest and highest migration in the lower 48 states, traveling about 900 miles and reaching elevations up to 7,000 feet to return to their spawning grounds in the Idaho mountains. Blocked by dams and other barriers, wild salmon runs that once numbered in the millions have declined by more than 90 percent in the last 60 years. That’s why we’re funding habitat restoration projects in the Snake River basin, along with the Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation, Trout Unlimited, and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. We’re removing four failing culverts, which will help lower water temperatures and restore access to nearly 25 miles of high-quality habitat. https://lnkd.in/ezxqxmKR Top Photo: The Salmon River, which is part of the Snake River Basin in Idaho. Credit: Adobe Stock Bottom Left: Steelhead. Credit: John McMillan/NOAA Bottom Middle: Mike Edmondson uses a measuring stick to demonstrate the height difference between the Salmon River and the culvert that leads to Poison Creek. It is too high for fish to enter the creek. Credit: Idaho Office of Species Conservation Bottom Right: A new replacement culvert allows the stream to flow naturally. Credit: Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Commission #HabitatRestoration #EarthDay #BostonMarathon

Earth Day isn't just one day—it's every day at NOAA Fisheries! 🌍From studying how next-generation ocean gliders can transform the way we study the ocean to restoring what was once one of the Great Lakes region’s most degraded areas, our scientists are working year-round to conserve marine life, restore habitat, and support sustainable U.S. fisheries and coastal communities.   This week, we’re sharing stories on how we’re employing science and partnerships to ensure a healthy, sustainable planet. Follow along: https://lnkd.in/eaHMKjrG #EarthDayNOAA #EarthDay2026 #EarthDay

What’s in that hidden compartment? 🤔 Just some of the thousands of pounds of scallops that were illegally harvested as part of a conspiracy to cover up overfishing—which we busted. Our Office of Law Enforcement uncovered this lucrative scheme, devised by a New Jersey captain and seafood dealer to illegally harvest and sell excess scallops. Clam vessels are authorized to take a limited quantity of scallops as bycatch. For years, this fisherman exceeded these limits. Then, he and the buyer falsified their trip reports to cover up the overfishing so they could sell the scallops at a substantial profit.  After a 4-year investigation, both the captain and dealer pleaded guilty. They were sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States. The captain was sentenced to a $10,000 fine, 6-month home confinement, and 2-year term of probation. He has been prohibited from holding a NOAA Fisheries Operator Permit or commercial fishing permit and from completing any Fishing Vessel Trip Reports. The dealer was sentenced to a $4,000 fine and a 2-year term of probation. Learn more about the case: https://lnkd.in/e2i2HcVu

Every summer, salmon and steelhead swim hundreds of miles from the Pacific Ocean toward their spawning grounds. But fish swimming toward the Yakima River in Central Washington often hit a wall of heat they can’t penetrate. The cause? … A causeway. Built in 1939 to allow cattle to cross the river, it slowed the river's flow around Bateman Island, allowing the water to reach deadly levels for both adult and juvenile salmon and steelhead. In summer 2024, high temperatures killed at least 75 sockeye salmon. This February, construction crews finally removed it, allowing the river to follow its natural course for the first time in nearly a century. The removal took about 6 weeks (well, 6 weeks plus  almost 20 years of planning and coordination). It was the top priority for a coalition of tribes, agencies, and nonprofits working to address water, fisheries, and habitat challenges across the basin. It will improve access to more than 1,500 miles of tributary spawning and rearing habitat and 214 miles of mainstem spawning habitat in the Yakima River. https://lnkd.in/eJgf2wZh Top Photo: An excavator breaches the Bateman Island causeway, allowing water to flow freely through the river channel for the first time in 85 years. Credit: Michael-David A. Bushman/Yakama Nation Fisheries Bottom Left: Dead sockeye salmon killed by high temperatures in the Yakima River delta in 2024. Credit: Toby Kock/ U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Bottom Middle: Before the causeway removal, surface water temperature conditions resulted in a thermal barrier that impaired fish passage during summer conditions. Credit: Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Bottom Right: Modeled water temperature conditions after causeway removal are expected to enable Columbia River flows to find a route around the Island, cooling temperatures across the delta. Credit: Northwest Hydraulic Consultants #NOAA #HabitatRestoration

Recent Grads! We are hiring six Fish Biologist-Survey positions across multiple duty stations. As a Fish Biologist-Survey you will perform the following duties: 🐟  Help conduct and process fishery-independent studies, including research on species distribution, abundance, ecosystem processes, and protected species. Collect and manage sample collections, protected species observations, and fishery data. 🐟  Support fishery-independent resource operations through survey preparation and mobilization, data collection, demobilization, quantitative analysis, and research. 🐟 Contribute to aspects of survey preparation and post-cruise efforts, including supply procurement, administrative tasks, and preparation of cruise instructions and cruise reports. This job is open to recent graduates—individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last two years or six years for Veterans. Applications are due by April 20, 2026. For more detailed information on responsibilities and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/e3MTN6Gd #WorkAtNOAAFisheries; #Careers; #NOAA

History buffs, ocean lovers, and fisheries nerds—this one is for you 🐟 📣 Today marks 50 years since the Magnuson-Stevens Act was signed into law! As the cornerstone of U.S. marine fisheries management, the Act positions the United States as a global leader in sustainable fisheries. Since 1976, this landmark law has prevented overfishing, rebuilt 52 stocks, protected essential habitats, and supported sustainable seafood and coastal economies. Its work and impact remain just as important today as the day it was signed. One of the biggest reasons it works? Eight regional fishery management councils 🥳 These councils bring together fishermen, scientists, and local leaders to make sure management decisions are rooted in science and real-world experience. Join us in celebrating the Magnuson-Stevens Act today and every day. And hear from NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler about its legacy and future impact: https://lnkd.in/ge8zbTBV Here’s to the next 50 years! 🐟 #MSA50; #SustainableFisheries; #NOAA

It’s National Siblings Day, and we’re celebrating with the Bacon brothers … but not the six degrees of separation ones🎣   Brothers Brian Bacon and Peter Bacon seasoned tuna charter captains out of Rhode Island. For them, the thrill of bluefin tuna fishing isn’t just about a rewarding catch—it’s also about creating meaningful experiences for the clients of their family business. They turn a day on the water into a science expedition by tagging difficult-to-study fish right from their boat—as many as 10 per day! Through NOAA’s Cooperative Tagging Center, recreational fishermen like the Bacon brothers are providing important data that helps scientists understand the health and movements of bluefin tuna populations. Even when harvest seasons are closed, tagging provides a rewarding way for charter businesses to continue providing a rewarding experience for customers. Read more about their work: https://lnkd.in/erJ6-4jK #NationalSiblingsDay; #CooperativeResearch; #SustainableSeafood Photo courtesy of Brian and Peter Bacon

We are hiring two fish biologists to support fishery-independent stock assessment and ecosystem monitoring surveys throughout Alaska. They will serve as part of the at-sea survey leadership team as a Field Party Chief, Deck Lead, or Watch Lead on bottom trawl, longline, acoustic-trawl, and ecosystem surveys aboard NOAA research vessels and chartered commercial fishing vessels. These surveys involve at-sea deployments for up to 60 days per year with individual trips spanning up to 30 days each. Duty stations include Juneau, Kodiak, or Anchorage, Alaska, or Seattle, Washington. Applications are due April 16, 2026. For more detailed information on responsibilities and how to apply: https://lnkd.in/g-ax-56a

Scientists estimate that 91 percent of ocean species have yet to be classified…and we just discovered one while doing some Spring cleaning! Researchers from NOAA Fisheries recently identified a new species from specimens that had been sitting in the Smithsonian Institution collections since 1957. The new species, Stemonosudis dianea, is in the family barracudina—which means “little barracuda.” Barracudina are a diverse but understudied group with a misleading name: The two families are not actually related and live in very different habitats. Although barracudina are much smaller than barracuda, their sharp teeth are large relative to their size. Barracudina are small deep-sea species that play big roles as both predators and prey in their ecosystems. They feed on other fish (even their own kind!) while supporting larger species like tuna and whales. The discovery of this new barracudina species advances our understanding of this little-known but important group, which is a key source of prey for commercially and recreationally important fish species like tuna and billfish in U.S. waters. 🐟 🙌 https://lnkd.in/eqtkMpN6 Photo 1 (left): Diane Pitassy (left), collections manager of the Smithsonian Institution National Fish Collection and Dr. Katherine Bemis (right), NOAA Fisheries research zoologist and co-author of the new study. Pitassy holds a new species of barracudina, Stemonosudis dianea, named by Bemis and Dr. Hans Ho to recognize Pitassy’s contributions to the collection. Bemis holds the species of barracudina it was distinguished from, Stemonosudis intermedia. Credit: Dr. Matthew Girard/Smithsonian Institution Photo 2 (right): These X-rays of a juvenile specimen (top) and adult specimen (bottom) of new species Stemonosudis dianea show that this species consumes other barracudina. In the top X-ray, you can see the head and vertebral column of a barracudina in the specimen’s stomach. In the bottom X-ray, look closely and you will notice two vertebral columns, that of the predator and the prey! Credit: Dr. Hans Ho/National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology and Dr. Katherine Bemis/NOAA Fisheries