NOAA Fisheries Alaska

10/07/2026

Alaska produces more than half the seafood caught in waters off the U.S. coast, and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center delivers the science needed to manage these important fisheries. Right now, Center staff are busy analyzing data in preparation for setting annual harvest limits.

We’re talking to Acting Science Center Director Jamal Moss about the role the Center plays in setting these limits through collecting and analyzing data. He discusses how advanced technologies will enable us to process the data in a more timely and cost-effective manner. He also talks about his #1 priority in his current role: increasing engagement with the community.

https://bit.ly/4yBiN8P

09/29/2026

What do trees, corals, shells, and fish ear stones have in common? They are nature’s time capsules! 🌳 🪸 🐚 🐟 ⏰ https://bit.ly/4hRazU7

Each of these organisms has growth rings—a universal biological marker of seasonal or periodic growth.

Just like we count the rings of a tree to see how old it is, scientists count the rings of otoliths (tiny calcium carbonate ear stones inside fish) to estimate fish age. Under a microscope, these microscopic structures reveal growth rates, chemical signatures that log past temperatures and water quality, and other crucial data that feeds directly into stock assessment models to sustainably manage U.S. fisheries!|

For more than 40 years, research surveys in Alaska have collected an astonishing 2.5 million otolith pairs dating back to the 1960s. 😲 Today, this massive archive lives at the University of Washington’s Fish Collection—a joint facility between the Burke Museum and UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

Discover how millions of tiny fish ear stones are unlocking decades of ocean history and shaping future marine science. 🔬

09/25/2026

Celebrating with a big THANK YOU to everyone who weighed in on Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska! 🦪🌿

You spoke, and we listened! NOAA Fisheries is excited to announce the release of the Public Scoping Summary Report for the Alaska Aquaculture Opportunity Area Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement. We received 20 total submissions, and this report summarizes the input we received and will guide our team as we develop the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.

📅 Stay tuned for the draft and your next opportunity to provide input, anticipated in spring 2027.

📖 Dive into the full report here: https://bit.ly/3V62baF

Image 1: Sugar kelp being farmed at Alaska Ocean Farms near Kodiak, Alaska.
Image 2: Cover of the Public Scoping Report.
Image 3: Pacific oysters grown at Alaska Ocean Farms near Kodiak, Alaska.

09/22/2026

It’s Aquaculture Week! Did you know that kelp farms and marine life can co-exist in Alaska?

NOAA Fisheries researchers teamed up with Sea Quester Farms and the University of Alaska Southeast to monitor if kelp farms provide habitat for marine species. They also compared kelp farm sites to nearby locations without aquaculture operations.

Results from a two-year study near Juneau found that kelp farms had a neutral impact on local fish, invertebrates, and water quality—demonstrating that sustainable mariculture can co-exist with native ocean life.

Read the full feature story here:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/kelp-farms-and-marine-life-co-exist-southeast-alaska

And check out related stories Aquaculture Week stories here:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/celebrating-aquaculture-week-farming-tide-table

09/19/2026

On Thursday, September 17, 2026, a cruise ship arrived in Sitka, Alaska, with a dead 57.5-foot, adult male fin whale on top of the ship’s bulbous bow. Following the initial report, a local company towed the whale toward a nearby beach. The team was unable to beach the whale as it was freshly dead and not buoyant. The animal is secured near the beach.

NOAA is working with our Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network partners to continue to assess whether we can perform a necropsy (animal autopsy) to determine cause of death. As weather conditions allow, we will assess and determine next steps. We ask the public to maintain a safe distance from the whale.

The NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. If any members of the public have information, please call the 24-hour enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964.

Fin whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. We remind the public that it is illegal for anyone to collect tissue, baleen, or any part of the whale, unless you are an Alaska Native collecting tissue or parts for subsistence or use in handicrafts.

If you see a stranded, injured, entangled, or dead marine mammal, call the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Statewide 24-hour Stranding Hotline: (877) 925-7773.

Image Credit: NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359

09/16/2026

Paint your hand, make a crab! ✨🦀 (instructions below!)

We recently visited St. Catherine School in Seattle for their Career Fair where we dropped in on a Spanish class to talk about the deep-sea science we do on the Alaska bottom trawl surveys. And we guided the students to dive deeper with some incredible crab handprint art! Thanks to the 2nd and 3rd grade students for sharing your creations with us! They are so cool - and you guys have the best questions!

Looking for a fun, hands-on activity centered around crabs?

Pinch and wiggle, give it a dab, add eyes, legs, maybe a little seaweed swag! Here is the recipe for a perfect ocean masterpiece:

1. Draw your crab’s ecosystem! Add other animals, shells, seaweed, or a sandy background.
2. Paint your hand! We suggest red, orange, or brown.
3. Press firmly onto paper to create the crab’s body.
4. Draw eyes, legs, and claws with markers.
5. Get creative!

It’s an adorable way to bring the ocean home. While you craft, chat about what makes these animals unique: How many legs do they have? What’s the difference between a king crab and a snow crab? (see the photos)

Ready to show off your masterpiece? Post your own and tag us! We’d love to “sea” them! 🌊

FYI, each summer we study these fascinating critters on our surveys in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska.

To learn more about our surveys, visit this link:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ecosystems/alaska-fish-research-surveys

09/10/2026

News Flash: New species discovered in the deep sea! Wait, no, make that 9!!!!!

Scientists at Germany’s GeoBio-Center LMU Müchen and NOAA Fisheries have documented nine new species of deep-sea sponges in the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

One species is so unique that scientists created an entirely new genus to classify it. Another represents a group never seen before outside of the tropics.

These discoveries help us understand deep-sea ecosystems. The unique shapes and sizes of sponges provide diverse structure on the seafloor—creating habitat for fish and crabs. Sponges have also yielded important pharmaceuticals that may treat aggressive forms of cancer.

To tell different species of sponge apart, scientists examine their spicules, which are microscopic components of their internal skeletons. They inspect them under standard and scanning electronic microscopes, which provide these striking images of their intricate designs.

See more photos of these newly discovered species and read the full story at this link:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/nine-species-deep-sea-sponges-discovered-alaska

09/03/2026

Did you say “technology is the future”?

In the world of fisheries research and management, technology is certainly enhancing the way we gather data and make more informed decisions.

In a new study authored by collaborators from NOAA Fisheries and international institutions, we’ve developed a new framework that outlines a strategic path forward for fisheries-independent surveys.

The framework complements traditional capture-based survey methods with advanced technology. This includes leveraging acoustic, optical, and molecular sampling tools such as autonomous vehicles (aka drones), stereo camera sleds, and analyzing animal DNA from water samples.

Read our new feature story for all the deets:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/charting-future-fisheries-independent-surveys

08/21/2026

08/13/2026

On July 29, NOAA Fisheries was notified of an entangled whale in Aialik Bay. The whale appears to be a humpback entangled in gillnet. The whale was resighted on August 1, and on August 2 NOAA Fisheries authorized Large Whale Entanglement Responders from the Alaska Sea Life Center and National Park Service to respond. However, the whale was not resighted again until August 11 near Cheval Island.

When the whale was resighted on August 11, the team of authorized responders mounted a response that same day to assess the whale’s condition. The team gathered information on how the whale is entangled in the gear. This information will also help with planning potential further responses.

We ask the public to keep a safe distance of more than 200 yards from any entangled whale. Please do not remove buoys or entangling materials, and allow space for the authorized responders to conduct a safe response. Remember that disentangling whales can be dangerous; only trained teams should attempt disentanglements for the safety of both the responders and the whale.

The best way the public can help entangled marine mammals is to immediately report sightings of marine mammals in distress. If you encounter a large whale that may be entangled, it is critical to report it as soon as possible, with as much information as you have, to the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network via the 24-hour regional hotline (877) 925-7773.

When well-intentioned members of the public take matters into their own hands to try and save a whale, they put themselves and the animals in grave danger.