News

The management plan review process for NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is underway, and the public is encouraged to participate by providing comments to the sanctuary. The public comment period, which began in July, will continue through October 16, 2010.The sanctuary is encouraging public input on a proposal to expand the sanctuary’s scope to protect and conserve other living marine resources, in addition to humpback whales and submerged cultural heritage resources within the sanctuary. This proposal is detailed in the State of the Sanctuary Report Special Management Plan Review Edition and is available to the public on the Internet at:http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/management/management_plan_review.html.A series of public scoping meetings was held fr...

Federal officials in late August commissioned NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, a state-of-the-art research vessel that will study a wide range of marine life and ocean conditions along the West Coast.“NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada represents a major step forward in NOAA’s effort to modernize its fleet of fisheries, oceanographic and hydrographic survey ships,” said Rear Adm. Jonathan Bailey, director of the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and the NOAA Corps. “This highly capable ship will enable researchers to collect data on sea life and habitats with unprecedented accuracy.”Bell M. Shimada’s design allows for quieter operation and movement of the vessel through the water, giving scientists the ability to study fish and marine mammals without significantly altering their behavior.The ...

In a landmark decision on October 1, a California Superior Court issued a ruling confirming that two panels overseeing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Initiative are state agencies that must comply with the California Public Records Act.Judge Patrick Marlette of the California Superior Court in Sacramento ruled that the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF) and Master Plan Team (MPT) — also known as the Science Advisory Team- are state agencies and therefore compelled by California’s Public Records Act to share information with representatives of angling/conservation organizations working to protect recreational ocean access.The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Malloy & Natsis LLP, on behalf of...

The average American ate 15.8 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2009, a slight decline from the 2008 consumption figure of 16.0 pounds, according to a NOAA Fisheries Service report out today.The US continues as the third-ranked country for consuming fish and shellfish, behind China and Japan. In total, Americans consumed a total of 4.833 billion pounds of seafood in 2009, slightly less than the 4.858 billion pounds in 2008.Shrimp remained the top seafood item of choice for the United States at 4.1 pounds per person, a level unchanged since 2007.The average 15.8 pounds consumed per person in 2009 was composed of 11.8 pounds of fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish, 3.7 pounds of canned seafood, primarily canned tuna, and 0.3 pounds of cured seafood, such as smoked salmon and dried cod. The o...

The largest seafood retailer in the U.S. Southwest has set its sights on Alaska king crab.Santa Monica Seafood, a family-owned seafood company based in Santa Monica, California, made a donation to Alaska Sea Grant for its research program aimed at rebuilding Alaska’s collapsed red and blue king crab stocks.“Santa Monica Seafood has been working hard to become a leader in responsible seafood sourcing,“ said Logan Kock, vice president for responsible sourcing at Santa Monica Seafood. “Part of this effort involves participating in fishery management dialogue and partnerships that drive change and improvement in how seafood resources are managed, improved and used. The work being done by Alaska Sea Grant to rebuild Alaska’s king crab is a perfect fit for us.”David Christie, director of Alaska ...

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has announced $12.6 million in grants through the Protected Species Cooperative Conservation Grant Program to assist 19 states and territories with conservation projects designed to recover marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, coral and other species listed under the Endangered Species Act.“This cooperative grant program is our primary mechanism for funding state and regionally led conservation and recovery actions for our listed species,” said Eric Schwaab, NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “The program is part of our long-standing commitment to support the conservation efforts of our partner state and territorial agencies, who work with us to restore species’ populations vital to our nation’s environment and heritage.”Sixteen proposals were...

Three federal and state grants totaling over $1 million will be used by Alaska Sea Grant to establish a statewide network of citizen scientists to track the spread of marine invasive species; conduct an instruction and training program aimed at jump-starting the shellfish farming industry; and launch an effort to collect better information about marine mammals that strand on the state’s coast.Ray RaLonde, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program (MAP) aquaculture specialist, received a two-year, $284,000 grant from the National Sea Grant Program and Alaska Sea Grant to reinvigorate the state’s sluggish shellfish farming industry. In 2010, some 67 shellfish farms held licenses to operate, primarily in Kachemak Bay, Prince William Sound, and Southeast Alaska. However, of these, only 25 f...

By David RowlandBuying an engine or generator set used to involve a visit to a local engine dealer. The dealer would assist in selecting an engine or genset appropriate for the application. A model would be selected, a price negotiated, and a sale was made. The internet has somewhat changed the marketplace.Propulsion engine selection for a fishing vessel can be a complex process. There are sometimes dozens of factors involved to get the job done right. Powering up a new hull is usually easier. The boatbuilder will have recommendations for horsepower, type of cooling, transmission ratios, shaft size, and propeller size based on the designer’s calculations. The engine bed can be set up for the selected engine as the boat is being built.A repower project can be much more complex in nature. Ge...

Chris PhilipsThe Washington Post reported last month that the last US incandescent light bulb plant had closed its doors, ending the careers of the 200 remaining workers at a plant that could trace its origins to Thomas Edison’s work in the 1870s.The simple light bulb is no longer welcome here.In 2007, influenced by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) among other groups, Congress passed an energy conservation measure that banned the incandescent bulb after 2014, in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL). Unfortunately, the new CFLs being touted by the feds are difficult to assemble, and are only cost-effective if made in China, where labor is less expensive and environmental regulations are less restrictive. The writing is on the wall for conventional incande...

USCG NewsAn announcement Sunday that the blown-out Deepwater Horizon, BP/Transocean oil well in the northern Gulf of Mexico was declared officially dead is welcome news for Florida Keys' interests.Following the April 20 explosion and subsequent spill 480 miles northwest of Key West, some experts expressed concerns that oil might become entrained in the Gulf Loop Current and migrate south to the Florida Keys. However, according to officials from the US Coast Guard and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, there has been no evidence of BP oil remnants affecting the region."Despite a heightened awareness and continued search efforts we found no direct (Deepwater Horizon oil) impacts in the Florida Keys," said Captain Pat DeQuattro, commanding officer of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, who...