HIGHLIGHTS

U.S. Leads in Global Fisheries Management
In his new message, John Henderschedt, Director of NOAA Fisheries’ Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, explains that as global leaders in fisheries management, the United States has the opportunity and the responsibility to advance sustainable conservation and management practices on the high seas. Read more about NOAA Fisheries’ international engagement.

Tomorrow: Join Chris Oliver at Pacific Marine Expo
Each year, NOAA Fisheries, Weather, Charting, and Enforcement hold a joint exhibition at the Pacific Marine Expo to engage with stakeholders and update them on the science and services they depend on. This year’s Expo features Assistant Administrator for Fisheries Chris Oliver as the keynote speaker. Please stop by the NOAA booth, #715, any time after 1 pm this Thursday, November 16, to visit with Chris. Catch his keynote remarks at 3:15 pm.

Federal Climate Science Report for U.S. Released
U.S. Global Climate Research Program’s Climate Science Special Report, which serves as Volume I of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, describes current trends in the climate globally and for the United States. It projects trends in temperature, precipitation, sea-level rise, and Arctic sea ice for the remainder of this century.

Advancing Progress in NOAA’s Habitat Focus Areas
NOAA’s network of Habitat Focus Areas tackle a wide range of habitat issues, including reducing sediment and nutrient runoff, improving coral health, restoring salmon habitat, and preventing the spread of invasive species. Look back at several completed and ongoing keystone projects in Habitat Focus Areas in 2017.

2018 NOAA Fisheries-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship
NOAA Fisheries and NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program are partnering again to support the NOAA Fisheries–Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program. Two federal funding opportunities are now open for graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in population and ecosystem dynamics or marine resource economics in 2018.

Alaska

NOAA Seeks Alaska Science and Research Director
NOAA seeks applications for the position of Science and Research Director, Alaska Region, to be based at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. The director is responsible for research programs located in four laboratories and facilities dispersed in Washington and Alaska. Applications are due January 22.

West Coast

NOAA Joins Aquarium of the Pacific for NOAA Day
Several NOAA offices will join the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California, for its annual “NOAA Day” event this Saturday, November 18. Aquarium visitors can learn more about NOAA Fisheries' roles regarding marine mammals, marine debris, protected species, habitat restoration, aquaculture, and sustainable seafood. NOAA’s National Ocean Service, NOAA Corps, National Weather Service, Sea Grant, and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary will also participate.

Removing Sea Lions to Protect Salmon – Open for Public Comment
By January 8, please submit your comments on an application from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove, by lethal means if necessary, California sea lions preying on endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead at Willamette Falls on the Willamette River. The approach would be similar to ongoing sea lion management at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. NOAA Fisheries also seeks nominations for a Pinniped-Fishery Interaction Task Force.

A San Francisco Bay Area Spill, 10 Years Later
Though a decade has passed since the M/V Cosco Busan oil spill, restoration efforts continue in the San Francisco Bay area. Nearly $20 million has been allocated for more than 50 projects to restore impacted habitats, wildlife, and public recreation opportunities. In this fifth story in a series, read about efforts to restore eelgrass and rockweed.

Pacific Islands

High Tech on the High Seas
The Hawaiian Islands Cetacean and Ecosystem Assessment Survey is a 6-month mission to survey whales, dolphins, and seabirds around the Hawaiian archipelago. The study area spans roughly 1.8 million square nautical miles. To find dolphins and whales in such a vast region, NOAA scientists use a range of new technologies.

Southeast

Assessing Hurricane Damage to Coral Reefs
NOAA scientists and partners joined together to conduct a rapid assessment of the Florida Coral Reef Tract—which includes areas in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary—following Hurricane Irma. Preliminary observations found heavy sediment accumulation, which can smother corals, as well as structural damage. This is the first step in a longer recovery process and will help NOAA plan future restoration activities.

Living in the Dark: A Deep-Sea Coral Expedition
In August, NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science led an 18-day expedition on board NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, titled Southeast Deep Coral Initiative: Exploring Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems off the Southeast United States. Learn more about the initiative in this video, featuring footage from the first leg of the mission.

Greater Atlantic

Understanding Atlantic Salmon Smolt Behavior
Improvements in acoustic telemetry—the use of transmitters and receivers to track animals—are helping scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Orono Lab answer questions about Atlantic salmon smolt behavior and survival. Sharing data across a growing network of receivers operated by partner institutions and agencies expands the areas where the smolt may be detected.

Passive Acoustics Track Right Whale Shifts
A new study used passive acoustic monitoring—bottom-mounted listening devices deployed along the coast—to gain new insight into North Atlantic right whale migrations. The study found that right whales inhabit nearly the entire eastern seaboard during the winter months, and they move around a lot more than researchers previously thought. The length of time they spend in certain areas has changed in recent years.

Blueline Tilefish Amendment for the Mid-Atlantic
Blueline tilefish have been managed for many years under the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan, which applies only south of the Virginia/North Carolina border. Now, a final amendment to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Tilefish Fishery Management Plan will establish measures for blueline tilefish north of this border.

Polluted River Now a Recreation Destination
The Rouge River has come a long way since its 1987 designation as an EPA Area of Concern. Formerly on the nation’s “Top 10” most-polluted rivers, today, the Rouge is a popular destination for river recreation. With the successful conclusion of a dam removal project in Wayne, Michigan, NOAA and partners have moved the river one step closer to shedding its Area of Concern designation.

Events

November 16
Free Atlantic Shark Identification workshop in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

November 16
Florida (Oil Spill) Trustee Implementation Group public meeting in Port St. Joe, Florida.

November 18
NOAA Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California.

November 28
(Rescheduled from September) Free Protected Species Safe Handling, Identification, and Release workshops in Panama City, Florida.

November 28–30
Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC) meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland.

November 30
(Rescheduled from September) Free Atlantic Shark Identification workshop in Panama City, Florida.

December 7
Public hearing in Honolulu on proposed critical habitat designation for main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whales.

Announcements

November 22
Nominations due for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel.

November 27
Nominations due for the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.

December 4
Application and required vessel information due for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species 2018 Shark Research Fishery.

December 21
Proposals due for the 2018/2019 Monkfish Research Set-Aside Program.

December 22
Nominations due for the 2018 National Wetlands Awards.

January 22
Applications due for position of Director of Science and Research, Alaska Region.

February 23
Applications due for the 2018 NOAA Fisheries-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program.

Federal Register Actions

Visit regulations.gov for a list of only those actions open for public comment. Scroll search for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For a list of all daily actions, check the Federal Register online.