Collaborative effort with fishermen confirms sighting of two rare whales. In early February, commercial fishermen spotted at least two endangered North Pacific right whales among a large group of around 20 whales. The whales were feeding in waters just northeast of a narrow strait in the Aleutian Islands. “I took the time to take […]
Scientists find that some Pacific cod may be more vulnerable to climate change than others. Much of the success in managing U.S. fish species has come with recognizing local differences and genetic variability within species. Pacific cod are an important commercial fish species caught throughout Alaskan waters. Cod caught in the Gulf of Alaska and […]
This innovative modeling approach considers links between environmental variables and local habitat impacts on overall fish productivity. In countries like the United States, scientists and resource managers have been successfully ensuring the sustainability of commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries primarily by managing catch levels. However, with changing environment conditions and fish stock movements due to climate […]
For more than two decades, Alaska has led the way in using ecosystem information to inform resource management decisions. In 2020, contributions from research partners and local communities together with NOAA scientists helped fill some data gaps. Each year, NOAA Fisheries scientists compile information from a variety of sources to produce and update annual indicators […]
This may be the first time data collected using uncrewed surface vehicles were used to help produce an annual estimate of abundance for a commercial fish stock. Every other year, NOAA Fisheries conducts an acoustic-trawl survey from crewed research vessels to measure pollock abundance in Alaska’s eastern Bering Sea. As a result of COVID-19, many […]
New study sheds light on myriad factors that likely contributed to low survival rate of fish born during a Blob year in the Gulf of Alaska. In 2015, NOAA Fisheries scientists saw the lowest number of pollock larvae in the 30-year history of their Gulf of Alaska spring survey. They also observed the lowest […]
NOAA Fisheries Affiliate Vladimir Burkanov discovered an albino fur seal on a recent research trip to the remote island of Tyuleny in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia. The reddish-gold pup has very light colored eyes and pink flippers. It was born in July on the island, which supports a large fur seal colony. The […]
An innovative scientific approach to survey Alaska pollock this year. Scientists are capitalizing on existing technological capabilities and partnerships to collect fisheries data. This will help fill the information gap resulting from the cancellation of FY20 ship-based surveys due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NOAA Fisheries plans to use autonomous surface vehicles to collect some […]
A multiyear archival tagging study identified consistent seasonal and daily patterns of depth-specific behavior by Greenland turbot in Alaska. These new findings provide key information for sustainably managing this commercially valuable population in a changing environment. Migration and Management of Greenland Turbot Although Greenland turbot have been well studied in the Atlantic Ocean, relatively little is known about […]