|  Did you know U.S. aquaculture supplies sustainable seafood, provides jobs, and enhances ecosystems? Check out this short video and then learn more about farmed seafood in this recent feature story. | | Highlights  A NOAA Fisheries research team discovered Duobrachium sparksae, a new species of ctenophore, or comb jelly. The discovery was made during an underwater expedition led by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. The new species and a new virtual method of describing and documenting the discovery are both explained in Plankton and Benthos Research. |  A fifth listening session on Aquaculture Opportunity Areas has been scheduled to ensure that all stakeholders, including the recreational and commercial fishing industries, have the opportunity to provide comments. The additional public listening session will be held December 3, 2020 from 12:00-2:00 ET. Pre-registration is not required. |  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announces the release of Ocean Alert, a new mobile data collection app for marine megafauna sightings. Collected data will help BOEM plan offshore energy and mineral development in ways that lessen the potential impacts to species such as sea turtles, sharks, and whales and their habitats. BOEM developed the app in partnership with NOAA as an expansion of NOAA's Whale Alert app. |  The NOAA Fisheries–Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics places Ph.D. students in research-based fellowships that provide support for up to three years. The program is designed to fulfill workforce development needs identified by NOAA Fisheries. Since 1990, it has provided opportunities for 144 Ph.D. students. |  In the coming year, NOAA's Marine Recreational Information Program and its partners will continue to respond to the challenges of COVID-19, transition to new survey and data standards, and improve and expand its network of state, regional, and coastwide data collection programs. A complete list of the partnership's goals, accomplishments, and priorities can be found in this implementation plan update. |  Coral reefs in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans received a "fair" score in the first-ever condition status report for U.S. coral reefs released by NOAA and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. While the overall scores were "fair," the report highlights coral reefs are vulnerable and declining. This is the first time coral reefs in all U.S. states and territories have been assessed using standardized monitoring data, creating datasets that offer a baseline of coral health on a national scale. | | | Alaska  Alaska waters are rich feeding grounds for several whale species, and an increasingly popular place for visitors to view these amazing creatures feeding, breaching, and socializing. Among Alaska's 2.2 million summer visitors in 2019, about one-quarter embarked on a whale watching tour. | | | Pacific Islands  The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center deploys field teams during the spring and summer to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. There, they conduct research and rescue activities for threatened green sea turtles and endangered Hawaiian monk seals at five key breeding sites: French Frigate Shoals, Laysan and Lisianski Islands, Pearl and Hermes Reef, and Kure Atoll. Due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, NOAA Fisheries decided to cancel this survey and field effort for 2020. Fortunately, our partners were able to step up and salvage part of the 2020 field season. | | | Southeast  The North Atlantic right whale calving season is off to a devastating start. The first documented newborn washed ashore dead on a barrier island off North Carolina, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Their population has been experiencing a significant decline and high levels of juvenile and adult mortality in recent years. |  The new Southeast Inland Mapper is now available to those wanting to know whether they need an essential fish habitat consultation. This new tool is designed to focus on the inland extent of EFH, complementing the current NOAA Fisheries offshore EFH Mapper. |  Biologists with our stranding network partners at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources were informed of a stranded sperm whale, first seen in Mobile Bay on November 19. The animal is emaciated and barely breathing. It is moving each day but not vigorously swimming, seeming to move with the currents and tides. | | | Greater Atlantic  Winter flounder have adapted some interesting life skills that make them unique. We work to protect their habitat to ensure they remain healthy and productive. |  Every few years, reports surface in the media about a scaly, prehistoric-looking "sea monster" washing up on an East Coast shore or jumping in a river and startling boaters. The animal is usually quickly identified as an Atlantic sturgeon. These fish have existed for more than 120 million years, and did indeed roam the Earth with the dinosaurs. Until the early 20th century, they were common in East Coast rivers, from Maine to Florida. | | | Upcoming Deadlines December 9: NOAA seeks new members for Ocean Exploration Board
December 22: Aquaculture Opportunity Area RFI Open
January 25, 2021: Proposals Sought for Pilot Projects Supporting Sustainable Aquaculture; due January 15, 2021 | | | |
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