Office Science and Technology News
The office of science and technology advocates and ensures sound scientific basis for NOAA Fisheries science programs and resource conservation and management decisions. This page contains announcements and other news stories that highlights the office's work in support of NOAA's mission.
2022
Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries to announce 2022 joint fellowship recipients
Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries announced the 2022 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship recipients on Thursday, August 18, 2022. Seven population and ecosystem dynamics doctoral fellows and one marine resource economics doctoral fellow were selected through a competitive selection process. The joint fellowship program is a successful workforce development effort to train highly qualified professionals for NOAA’s science-based approach to fisheries management.
2021
NOAA Fisheries and Sea Grant Announce 2021 Joint Fellowship Program Awardees
Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries are pleased to announce the 2021 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - Sea Grant Joint Fellowship recipients. The talented class includes five population and ecosystem dynamics fellows and two marine resource economics fellows. Their research projects span a variety of topics concerning modeling and managing systems of living marine resources and economics related to the conservation and management of living marine resources. The NMFS-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship program supports students pursuing doctoral degrees in population and ecosystem dynamics as well as marine resource economics. The program is a focused workforce development effort to train highly qualified professionals for NOAA’s science-based approach to fisheries management.
2020
NOAA Funds Projects to Advance Climate Science
October 6, 2020
NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the NOAA Climate Program Office, is supporting nearly $12 million in new grant awards over the next three years from two jointly funded grant programs. Five new projects will seek to advance climate and fisheries modeling to better evaluate best fishery management strategies for future ocean conditions in the Northeast, California Current, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. In addition, 13 projects will be focused on improving the understanding of how climate impacts the predictability of fisheries across timescales. These projects will strengthen climate-related science capacity as it relates to marine ecosystems regionally and nationally.
Call for Nominations — 2020 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources
March 4, 2020
Do you know people or organizations that have made important gains in safeguarding the nation’s natural resources in a changing climate? Recognize their achievements by nominating them for a 2020 Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Leadership Award. NOAA is a co-sponsor of this award, which recognizes exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, businesses and other organizations to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the nation’s vital natural resources in a changing world. Nominations are due by May 15, 2020.
2019
NOAA Funds Projects to Support Resilient Fishing Communities in the Northeast
October 9, 2019
NOAA Fisheries, in partnership with the NOAA Climate Program Office, is supporting five new projects dedicated to enhancing the capacity of fishing communities to assess climate-driven socio-economic risks and impacts in the Northeast. These projects will improve the understanding of socio-economic impacts from changing climate and ocean conditions on fishing communities in the region. Close collaboration among researchers and decision-makers will ensure co-production of information that informs adaptation planning and management decisions. The results of these projects will help increase the capacity of fishing communities and fisheries managers to assess, prepare for and reduce risks. These projects are part of NOAA Fisheries efforts to understand and respond to changing climate, oceans and fisheries in the Northeast region.
2019 Climate Leadership Awards Announced
September 24, 2019
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies announced the seven recipients of the 2019 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. The Awards were established in 2016 to recognize outstanding leadership by individuals, organizations, businesses, and agencies to support the resilience of America's vital natural resources and the many people, businesses, and communities that depend on them in the face of a changing climate. We are proud to recognize these leaders who are on the ground implementing adaptation strategies to safeguard our fish, wildlife, and plants now and for future generations.
Call for Nominations — 2019 Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Leadership Award
March 1, 2019
Do you know people or organizations that have made important gains in safeguarding the nation’s natural resources in a changing climate? Recognize their achievements by nominating them for a 2019 Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Leadership Award. NOAA is a co-sponsor of this award, which recognizes exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, businesses and other organizations to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the nation’s vital natural resources in a changing world. Nominations are due by May 8, 2019.
2018
Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards Announced
September 10, 2018
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies announced the 6 recipients of the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Climate Vulnerability Team received the Award for developing the first nation-wide methodology to assess the vulnerability of marine mammals to climate change, and using it to assess the climate vulnerability of 108 marine mammal stocks in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea. The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award, established in 2016, recognizes exemplary leadership by individuals and organizations to advance adaptation of the nation’s vital natural resources and the many people who depend on them in a changing world.
NOAA Seeks Input on Observer Insurance Requirements
July 16, 2018
NOAA Fisheries has identified a number of issues with existing insurance requirements for observer programs and compensation for observer occupational injuries. To address these problems, we are seeking information on potential insurance packages and costs to formulate a national reform of observer program insurance requirements that would help minimize risks to observers, vessel owners/shore side processors, and observer provider companies in the event of an observer’s occupational injury. A request for information has been posted in the Federal Register with comments due by September 14, 2018.
National Stock Assessment Workshop to Focus on Model Complexity and Stability
May 21, 2018
NOAA Fisheries will hold its 13th National Stock Assessment Workshop May 22-24 in Irvine California. This important workshop brings together stock assessment scientists from each of the science centers to discuss the state of stock assessment science, develop best practices, and interactively work together on emerging assessment challenges. This year approximately 80 NOAA Fisheries stock assessment scientists will be attending the workshop. The theme for this year's workshop is Model Complexity, Stability, and Ensemble Modelling.
Online course on Large Marine Ecosystems Assessment and Management Now Open!
May 11, 2018
NOAA Fisheries has collaborated with a global team of experts to create a Massive Online Open Course on the assessment and management of Large Marine Ecosystems (LME). In this course, leaders and experts in a global movement to recover and sustain transboundary marine resources will introduce important concepts and key resources for ecosystem-based management in LMEs. Visit cousera.org to learn more or take the course!
Call for Nominations — 2018 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award
March 2, 2018
Do you know people or organizations that have made important gains in safeguarding the nation’s natural resources from a changing climate? Recognize their achievements by nominating them for a 2018 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. NOAA is a co-sponsor of this award, which recognizes exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, businesses and other organizations to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the nation’s vital natural resources in a changing world. Nominations are due by April 13, 2018.
NOAA Engages in Collaborative Project to Improve Response to Marine Mammal Strandings
February 15, 2018
A network of marine mammal scientists, including those at NOAA Fisheries, are working together to develop a model for the establishment of marine mammal stranding networks from inception to long-term viability and growth. The first phase of this program, the Global Marine Animal Stranding Training Toolkit, is complete and provides an introduction to the investigation and rescue of stranded marine mammals and seeks to provide widespread access to best practices and protocols. For more information, visit the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
2017
NOAA Fisheries Addresses Observer Insurance Issues in New Tech Memo
December 5, 2017
The National Observer Program has released the Observer Provider Insurance Technical Memo. This report summarizes the topics discussed during the November 8-9, 2016 workshop in Washington D.C., comments submitted during a follow-up May 2017 webinar that summarized the workshop discussions, and preliminary recommendations from an Observer Safety Program Review on this topic. NOAA Fisheries is continuing to develop recommendations for the next steps to address the insurance issues identified in the Technical Memo.
QUEST and ICES Partner to Deliver Training on Management Strategy Evaluation
December 1, 2017
The Applications of Quantitative Methods in Fishery Management workshop took place on September 22, 2017, as a part of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Annual Science conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Read More.
New Assessment of Climate Change and Impacts on U.S. Regions, Sectors
November 14, 2017
Three new products from the 4th U.S. National Climate Assessment (NCA4) were released on November 3, 2017. The Climate Science Special Report, Volume I of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, is an authoritative report of the physical science of climate change, with a focus on the United States. Volume II, available for public comment, is a draft report on Climate Change Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States that includes chapters by regions and sectors including oceans and coasts. The Draft 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2) was also released for public comment. Read more about the release here.
NOAA Funds Projects to Predict Ocean and Marine Resource Conditions
November 3, 2017
NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology, in partnership with NOAA’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections Program, is funding eight projects to enhance our nation’s capability to produce seasonal predictions of marine resource conditions and coastal high water levels. These projects are key steps in providing fishery managers and other decision makers with better near-term predictions of ocean and marine resource conditions to increase the resiliency of coastal communities and economies, supporting the missions of NOAA’s National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Service. The funded projects includes a total of $4.8 million in funding over three years. For more information, visit NOAA’s Climate Program Office. Read More...
New Jellyfish Species Discovered Hiding in Plain Sight
October 13, 2017
A team of scientists has shown that one of the most common and well-studied jellyfish species along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico is made up of two species. The sea nettle jellyfish is well-known to beachgoers and researchers alike. Chances are, if you've been stung by a jellyfish in the Chesapeake Bay, it was by a sea nettle jellyfish. For the last 175 years scientists, assumed there was only a single species. But a new paper published in the journal PeerJ finds that what once was thought to be a single species of jellyfish in some of the nation's most popular waterways is actually made up of two distantly-related species. Read More...