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interest in the science-based stewardship mission of NOAA Fisheries. –
Laurel Bryant
HIGHLIGHTS
Regional Fishery Management Council Appointments Today, Secretary of
Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the appointments of 22 new or returning members
to the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils. The Councils are key
partners with NOAA in the United States’ regional, science-based, and
transparent fishery management process. Learn more about the council appointments process here.
Review of
National Marine Sanctuaries – Open for Public Comment Pursuant to Executive Order 13795, Implementing an America-First Offshore
Energy Strategy, the Department of Commerce is conducting
a review of all designations and expansions of
National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments made since April 28,
2007. NOAA invites the public to comment on 11 sanctuaries that meet these
criteria. Comments are due July 26.
Petition to
List Giant Clams – Open for Comment NOAA Fisheries announced a 90-day finding on
a petition to list 10 species of giant clams under the Endangered Species Act.
We found that listing may be warranted for seven of the species and have
initiated status reviews for these. Please submit comments on the finding or
scientific and commercial information related to the seven clam species by August 25.
Proposed
Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin Listing – Open for Public Comment By August
25, please submit your comments on NOAA Fisheries’ determination that the
Taiwanese humpback dolphin has a high risk of extinction throughout its range
and warrants listing as an endangered species.
New
Population Estimate for Cook Inlet Belugas NOAA Fisheries released our biennial
population estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: between 279 and
386 animals. At such low numbers, the whales remain in danger of
extinction. Scientists from the
Alaska Fisheries Science Center have conducted aerial surveys of Cook Inlet for
more than two decades. Cook Inlet beluga whales are one of NOAA Fisheries’
eight Species in the Spotlight.
Field
Dispatch: Steller Sea Lion Aerial Survey What’s the best way to count Steller sea
lions that live in an area covering more than 2,500 miles of coastline? To find
out, meet the scientists who are conducting this survey, which extends from
southeast Alaska through the Aleutian Islands.
Field
Dispatch: Arctic Marine Mammal Survey Annual surveys of marine mammals in the
Beaufort and Chukchi seas, off the northern and western coasts of Alaska, have
been conducted since 1979. The summer 2017 survey kicks off next month, and we
invite you to follow the researchers’ progress at their blog.
West Coast
Final Restoration
Plan for Portland Harbor The Portland Harbor Superfund site is a
highly industrialized and polluted section of the Willamette River in Portland,
Oregon. NOAA, on behalf of the Trustee Council, has developed a restoration
plan and environmental impact statement, proposing an integrated habitat
restoration approach.
2017 West
Coast Groundfish Bottom Trawl Survey Researchers from the Northwest Fisheries
Science Center will be conducting groundfish surveys this summer on chartered
West Coast fishing vessels. Follow their blog as they use trawling and oceanographic
sampling to learn about the California Current ecosystem and the health of many
West Coast fish populations.
Southeast
Sea Turtles
Released Following Successful Turtle-Safe Gear Testing NOAA Fisheries scientists and the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released more than 200 loggerhead sea
turtles off the Atlantic coast of Florida last week. Raised in captivity at
NOAA Fisheries’ Sea Turtle Facility in Galveston, the sea turtles participated
in testing turtle-safe fishing gear before being released to the wild.
Greater Atlantic
Celebrating Atlantic
Salmon Restoration Efforts The Penobscot River Restoration Project has
orchestrated the removal of two dams on the river and improved passage around
two others, opening hundreds of miles of habitat to Atlantic salmon and other
sea-run fishes. This month, partners gathered to celebrate these efforts and
present awards to two individuals who have spent years working to restore
endangered Atlantic salmon, one of NOAA Fisheries’ eight Species in the Spotlight.
Atlantic
Salmon Status Review NOAA Fisheries is initiating a 5-year review
of the Gulf of Maine distinct population segment of Atlantic salmon, as
required by the Endangered Species Act. We are requesting any information on
the status, threats, and recovery of this population that has become available
since 2009. Submissions are due July 20.
Diving Deep in
Search of Juvenile Lobster Habitat Burton Shank is a research fishery biologist
on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Invertebrate Task Team. On June 20,
in honor of Massachusetts Lobster Day, he answered a few questions about the Science
Center’s lobster surveys.
Following
the Fish: Where New England’s Catch
Goes Social scientists at the Northeast Fisheries
Science Center have followed New England’s fishery supply chain from harvest to
final destination. Following the fish leads to a better understanding of the
sustainability of regional fisheries and their social, economic, and cultural
relationships.
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