The Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Marine Forensic Laboratory recently completed a rigorous independent assessment by the respected international Society for Wildlife Forensic Science. This significant milestone highlights the lab's dedication to scientific excellence, compliance with international wildlife forensic science standards, and its critical role in marine conservation.
Setting the Standard for Marine Forensics
The independent assessment of the NOAA Fisheries lab is far more than a routine evaluation. It represents a critical validation of the lab's scientific processes and forensic capabilities. The Society for Wildlife Forensic Science assessors reviewed the lab’s Quality Manual. They visited the Charleston and Seattle lab sites to interview staff and examine all aspects of the lab's quality system, including:
- Chain of custody procedures
- Safety protocols
- Adherence to quality management systems
- Forensic analysis protocols
- Best practices for Wildlife Forensic Science
Notably, the Society found that both the Charleston and Seattle sites fully complied with their rigorous standards and guidelines for wildlife forensic sciences.
“We wanted to set a high standard for marine forensic science and encourage other labs to follow suit,” noted Kim Parsons, co-lead for the Marine Forensic Laboratory. “By undergoing this rigorous assessment, we're demonstrating our commitment to both quality and transparency.”
By successfully voluntarily undergoing this assessment, the lab demonstrated its commitment to scientific excellence and rigor. Accurate and defensible scientific findings for the investigative casework submitted to the forensic lab by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement agents and officers are key for protecting and conserving marine species. The recent external review validates the labs’ current practices and provides a roadmap for continuous improvement in marine forensic science.
Forensic Science To Protect Our Fish, Seafood, and Protected Species
The lab, with facilities in Seattle, Washington, and Charleston, South Carolina, is NOAA’s only forensic lab. It’s one of only a handful of federal wildlife forensics labs in the United States. The forensics lab uses advanced scientific techniques, including DNA and morphological analyses, to protect marine resources and support the enforcement of laws related to the harvest, trade, and sale of seafood and wildlife.
The global seafood trade is complex, far-reaching, and—in many cases—opaque. Unfortunately, these conditions can mask international cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud. To combat illegal fishing practices and protect consumers, NOAA Fisheries recently announced an Action Plan to enhance the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program. The lab’s analytic capabilities, which support NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement’s criminal investigations, are key components of that strategy.
In 2019, the NOAA Marine Forensic Lab was pivotal in dismantling a catfish smuggling operation. The lab analyzed suspicious fish shipments and identified two illegal species mislabeled as legal imports. This crucial evidence led to the conviction of four individuals involved in the scheme, removing thousands of pounds of potentially harmful seafood from the market.
In another example, a single endangered totoaba fish from the lab collections has had a lasting impact on conservation. The lab preserved the endangered fish for three decades, using it to generate a DNA reference sequence linked to an archived, verified specimen. This sequence allows NOAA and other scientists to identify suspected totoaba tissues from law enforcement investigations, enabling law enforcement to identify and prosecute wildlife smugglers. In 2021, scientists at the Smithsonian agreed to accept the rare specimen into their collection at the National Museum of Natural History, where it is available for study by researchers worldwide. This crucial work protects the endangered totoaba and the critically endangered vaquita and helps combat the illegal wildlife trade.
