NOAA Fisheries introduces the Fisheries Integrated Modeling System, an evolution of our stock assessment models to provide better information for fishery managers to support sustainable fisheries management. When completed, the system will provide a versatile and easy-to-use national stock assessment model that serves all regions and international partners. FIMS will greatly improve links to other ecosystem, socioeconomic, and climate data and models.  

The U.S. fishing and seafood sector experienced broad declines in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis, according to a new NOAA Fisheries analysis released today. While losses vary by sector, region, and industry, information from this report may help businesses and communities assess losses and inform long-term recovery and resilience strategies.

NOAA released its Citizen Science Strategy making it the sixth and final Science and Technology Focus Area Strategy that NOAA has developed to achieve transformational advances in mission performance and efficiency. The strategy provides a path to better observe, predict, and understand the environment; and manage and conserve natural resources by harnessing the power of the crowd. It has five core goals that focus on: 1) Coordination; 2) Integration; 3) Data quality; 4) Strengthening and expanding partnerships; and 5) Training.

Pelagic or forage fish species are an important source of food for marine predators in the eastern Bering Sea. This is the first study to look at temperature-related changes in the distribution and biomass of pelagic fishes over multiple warm periods.

Harbor porpoises have rebounded in a big way off California. Their populations have recovered dramatically since the end of state set-gillnet fisheries that years ago entangled and killed them in the nearshore waters they frequent. New research indicates that the coastal set-gillnets had taken a greater toll on harbor porpoise than previously realized.

In 2020 we brought you science and conservation stories covering a wide range of topics important to the Pacific Islands region. Here are the 10 stories that resonated the most with our readers and have been shared and liked many times on social media.

In what has become an increasingly common occurrence, bottlenose dolphins have taken up seasonal residence in New Jersey’s Shrewsbury River. Dolphins were observed in the river throughout this past summer, owing to cleaner waters and carefully managed fisheries.