We recently signed a 5-year cooperative research and development agreement to exchange data and expertise with Community Offshore Wind—a joint venture between RWE and National Grid Ventures. The agreement focuses on informing the development of an environmental monitoring program for Community Offshore Wind’s project off New York and New Jersey. This partnership will support NOAA’s ongoing environmental monitoring across the region with needed data while new offshore wind projects are constructed. It will also help to inform best practices for establishing environmental observation systems on offshore wind infrastructure.

Our science center hosted more than 50 students this year! Most are undergraduates, but there are also opportunities for post-graduate and veterinary students. Some were recruited through national-level programs and others through regional efforts. These are mostly summer opportunities, but a few are available at other times of the year. All focus on hands-on science and encouraging talented young people from all types of educational institutions to consider a career in marine science. So let’s meet them and see what they’ve been up to:

• IN FISH Program interns 
• Other NOAA-Wide Education Program interns
• College-Supported interns

The summer 2023 Ecosystem Monitoring Survey was just as successful as the spring survey. The research team sampled 209 stations from Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. They completed 100% of the planned research activities and collected supplemental data. It was a full 18 days at sea with fairly decent weather and efficient crew and command aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. 

This survey helps researchers understand and predict changes in the Northeast shelf ecosystem and its fisheries. Our core sampling provides data that help us understand things like ocean acidification and changes in water temperature, salinity, the distribution and abundance of zooplankton and larval fish, and more.

Mike Acquafredda, a postdoctoral research associate at our Howard Lab in Sandy Hook, has spent the last two years developing an experimental integrated aquaculture system that turns waste from growing fish into sandworms for bait and sea beans for food and biofuel. This research is important to the blue economy—the sustainable use of coastal and marine natural resources for economic growth and improved livelihoods and jobs.

Oysters provide benefits beyond sustainable seafood. Natural, restored, and farmed oysters can improve water quality and provide habitat for fish. Oyster restoration efforts are increasing in Long Island Sound to maximize these benefits, also called ecosystem services. Here’s what we’re doing to study oyster bed health to help improve Long Island Sound’s restoration efforts.

In coastal communities across the country, oyster and other shellfish aquaculture is more than just a sustainable source of seafood and local jobs. These farms can provide environmental benefits too! Shellfish farms can contribute to good water quality, and aquaculture gear can provide habitat for wild fish. Scientists call these types of benefits “ecosystem services.” Learn how oysters and shellfish provide ecosystem services in our new video! 

Our Cooperative Research Branch is working with the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation to develop ScallApp—a free smartphone app that commercial scallopers can use to help document the prevalence and distribution of Atlantic sea scallop disease, and timing of reproduction. ScallApp is in beta testing and may be released in 2024 for both Android and iOS phones. The images, date, and location data uploaded to the app will be used to investigate how   climate change affects sea scallops. To learn more about ScallApp, visit the Foundation's ScallApp page or contact our Cooperative Research Branch.

We’re seeking working group members for the longfin squid and winter flounder research track stock assessments. Candidates should have a background in fisheries science, stock assessment modeling, or expertise in one or more areas listed in our Terms of Reference (PDF, 2 pages). Members will contribute to discussions, decisions, and research products and participate in regularly scheduled meetings throughout this multi-year assessment. Interested in becoming a member? Fill out this questionnaire by October 13, 2023. You can find more information about the research track process here. 

Mariah Kachmar, a shellfish health and disease technician at our Milford Lab, shares her experiences studying the health of oyster beds in Connecticut and New York. She and a team of researchers are monitoring water quality and disease levels monthly at four sites and conducting oyster population surveys each spring and fall. In Mariah’s new blog, she tells her secrets for success in the field, including how to avoid getting sunburnt and hangry! 

Last month, NOAA Fisheries released its first-ever National Seafood Strategy. It highlights the agency’s strong commitment to seafood sector resilience and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's goals for economic recovery, environmental sustainability, and climate resilience. 

Our role in promoting sustainable seafood and seafood production is to provide the scientific information and advice managers and decision-makers need. This information and advice covers fisheries and aquaculture, as well as broader ecosystem interactions including protected species, habitat, fishing communities, other ocean uses, and climate change. 

An ecosystem approach to seafood production includes both the natural and human components of the ecosystem. We’ve been investigating and supporting this approach for many decades. Some recent examples include:  

• Working with the New England Fishery Management Council’s Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management Committee and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council on their Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management 
• Partnering with USDA to develop an oyster breeding center at our Milford Laboratory 
• Providing the necessary social and economic expertise

Partnerships and collaborations are critical to the success of the National Seafood Strategy. We look forward to continuing our work with regional partners, collaborators, industry members, and other stakeholders to help us ensure our seafood is sustainably produced and managed using the best available science.