Are you a young person passionate about the ocean and the natural environment? Apply to the new NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador Program! The program helps young people aged 13 to 18 develop the skills to be an ocean conservation leader. Ambassadors will build their knowledge of NOAA, marine protected areas, marine ecosystems, and environmental issues. We are looking for enthusiastic youth with new ideas and a unique perspective to learn more about America’s underwater treasures and to share their passion with others. Applications are due by January 5, 2024.

New research suggests that warming of the Bering Sea Shelf affects algae blooms and the food web that relies on them. This is particularly true of the recent, unprecedented, and widespread warming during 2018–2019. Understanding the impacts of the timing of the bloom and its association with sea ice is essential to predicting ecosystem responses to climate change.

NOAA Fisheries is committed to using ecosystem-based management as our most powerful tool to maintain productive, resilient fisheries in a changing climate. This approach balances tradeoffs between ecological, social, and economic needs. A new tool, the Ecosystem and Socioeconomic Profile, integrates ecosystem and socioeconomic factors into the stock assessment process to help resource managers make decisions.

With $27 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, NOAA is supporting four major projects to bring threatened salmon and trout species back to Oregon’s Willamette River watershed.

We’ve shared many great stories throughout 2023. From Hawaiian monk seal matriarchs to engaging stories about conservation narrated in Hawaiian language, find out which of our stories you read the most and which ones we highly recommend.

What is it like going to sea as a marine scientist? Join our NOAA scientists studying baby fish across Hawaiʻi for a night on the job!

The Cooperative Shark Tagging Program started in 1962 with fewer than 100 volunteer fishermen eager to help out with scientific research. Since then, thousands of fishermen, both in the United States and internationally, have contributed. The program has evolved into a significant source of shark data that informs our knowledge on Atlantic shark movements and distribution while promoting conservation through catch and release fishing. The program owes much of its continued success to its volunteers who follow NOAA Fisheries’ tagging standards.

Field biologist Emma Fowler shares some of the surprising sights and wondrous wildlife she and the rest of the bottom longline survey team were treated to this fall. Some special guest appearances include a huge Atlantic cod nearly as long as Emma is tall, some fine feathered friends, curious pilot whales and bottlenose dolphins, and more!

Our observers, interns, and scientists share their field experiences through their blog photos. We had a lot of amazing photos taken by our bloggers in 2023—check out a few of them.