Celebrate Seal and Sea Lion Week 2023
Join us for a week-long celebration of seals and other pinnipeds and get the scoop on NOAA’s seal conservation efforts. From March 20 to 24, NOAA Fisheries highlights science, conservation, and management about seals and sea lions.
Is It a Seal or Sea Lion?
Seals and sea lions, along with walruses, belong to a group of marine mammals called “pinnipeds,” which means fin- or flipper-footed in Latin. Although seals and sea lions have similarities, they also have several distinct characteristics and adaptations that distinguish them from one another.
Highlights
Comment Period Extended on NOAA Fisheries Draft National Seafood Strategy
NOAA Fisheries has extended the deadline for providing public comments on the draft National Seafood Strategy to March 31. Written comments may be submitted online. We encourage all interested members of the public to review and submit comments.
Women’s History Month: Meet Dr. Martha Nizinski, National Systematics Laboratory
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re introducing you to Dr. Martha Nizinski, an expert on deep-sea coral communities and research zoologist with NOAA’s National Systematics Laboratory.
NOAA Fisheries, Atlantic Coast Partners Release Plan to Improve Atlantic Recreational Fisheries Data
The Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program and NOAA Fisheries have released a regional implementation plan that highlights priorities over the next 5 years for improving recreational fisheries data collection on the Atlantic Coast. “Our regional and state partners are essential to developing, executing and improving our national network of recreational fishing surveys that inform catch estimates,” said Evan Howell, NOAA Fisheries’ Director of the Office of Science and Technology.
Alaska
Changing Environmental Conditions on the Yukon River May Pose Challenge for Juvenile Salmon
This new study looks at the timing and duration of the seaward migration from fresh to marine waters for juvenile coho, chum, and Chinook salmon. Since 2014, NOAA Fisheries and Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association scientists have been collecting data on young salmon. They want to better understand how environmental conditions affect them as they migrate out of the Yukon River.
West Coast
Inbreeding Contributes to Decline of Endangered Killer Whales
The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. According to a groundbreaking new genome sequencing study, this inbreeding has contributed to their decline, which has continued as surrounding killer whale populations expand.
Southeast
Meet Research Fishery Biologist, Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown
As part of the Faces of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center series, meet Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown who currently conducts research on fisheries habitat with students at Savannah State University.
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Women’s History Month: Talking with Catherine Foley
Catherine Foley is a fishery biologist for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Ecosystems Surveys Branch. Much of her research focuses on our ecosystem bottom trawl survey and applying novel technologies and methods to survey populations that are otherwise difficult to study.
Women’s History Month: Meet Sarah Bland, Deputy Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office
As Deputy Regional Administrator for the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, Sarah oversees internal operations and provides guidance for sustainable fisheries, protected resources, and habitat conservation programs.
Researchers Investigate Innovative Way to Plant Oysters for Restoration
The Chesapeake Bay is home to the world’s largest oyster restoration project, which will restore more than 1,800 acres of habitat. Restoration is a complex process, so NOAA and the U.S. Naval Academy has been researching the most effective and efficient ways to plant oysters for restoration, specifically a process called “direct setting.”
