Scientists will have increased capacity to forecast future outbreaks to support sustainable fisheries management. Bitter crab disease is caused by microscopic parasites. Scientists have documented that most infected Tanner crab and snow crab die in laboratory experiments, indicating that the disease can be lethal. Tanner crab and snow crab in the Bering Sea have historically […]
New genetic research on the Alaska red king crab reveals previously undiscovered diversity among different regions, suggesting the species is more resilient to climate change and changing ocean conditions. Maintaining genetic diversity within and among populations is vital to ensure species are resilient to challenging conditions. Without it, a single disease or set of conditions—such […]
NOAA Fisheries releases their annual Ecosystem Status Reports including a new report card for the northern Bering Sea which shares some promising news about sea ice conditions The Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Island waters were on the warm side for a good part of the year. In fact, winter sea surface temperatures in 2023–2024 […]
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) have received numerous inquiries related to Alaska Native marine mammal harvest eligibility and policy under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Eligibility is governed by section 101(b) of the MMPA and regulations developed by both FWS (at 50 C.F.R. § 18.3) and […]