Through the National Fish Habitat Partnership, NOAA Fisheries supports projects that restore habitat in collaboration with recreational anglers. Partners are reporting progress on several ongoing projects that actively engage local communities and recreational anglers to conserve fish habitat.
Engaging Anglers in Oyster Reef Monitoring
Sponsoring Partnership: Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership
Restoring the habitat provided by oyster reefs has long been a focus of NOAA Fisheries. In the Chesapeake Bay, this has led to restoration of roughly 3 square miles of healthy reef habitat. NOAA scientists help plan, implement, and monitor oyster reef restoration. Engaging local communities in restoration of oyster reefs is key to project success, so our partners at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) recruited local recreational anglers to participate in fishing surveys to track how fish use restored reefs in the South River in Maryland. CBF is also using other data collection methods such as video, water quality, and fishing surveys to monitor this oyster reef restoration progress.
In addition to fishing surveys, CBF has been working to plan the 7th Annual Rod and Reef Slam catch-and-release fishing tournament to showcase the importance of healthy habitat. By awarding anglers for a high diversity of catches, rather than the largest catch by size, this tournament heavily depends on healthy oyster reefs to support diverse fish populations.
This project is sponsored by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership and is made possible by an agreement with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Removing and Controlling the Spread of Invasive Species in Alaska
Sponsoring Partnerships: Matanuska-Susitna Salmon Habitat Partnership and Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership
Trout Unlimited (TU) is removing Elodea, an aquatic invasive plant from Alaska waters. Elodea is Alaska’s first known freshwater submerged invasive plant and it forms dense mats that grow quickly, block light, slow water flow, and deplete oxygen from important salmon habitat. The presence of Elodea in salmon streams and lakes can reduce the quality of spawning and rearing habitat important for the salmon life cycle. A single, two-inch stem is enough to establish a new infestation in another lake or river so it is very easily spread in popular fishing areas.
TU is hosting an Elodea expert speaker at events in Alaska to educate local communities about how Elodea spreads across water bodies and what anglers can do to prevent the spread. Building on these events, TU is developing outreach materials to educate anglers about how fishing equipment, boats, and float planes can transfer Elodea from infected waters to other parts of Alaska. Materials will also demonstrate best practices for mitigating the spread. By increasing awareness about the impacts of Elodea and ways to prevent its spread, local anglers are empowered to fish and recreate safely while supporting healthy salmon habitat across Alaska.
TU is also leading efforts to address invasive Northern pike that prey upon juvenile salmon in these critical habitats.
This project is sponsored by two Fish Habitat Partnerships: the Matanuska-Susitna Salmon Habitat and Kenai Peninsula. It is made possible by an agreement with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
Engaging Anglers to Remove Invasive Red Mangroves in Hawai’i
Sponsoring Partnership: Hawai’i Fish Habitat Partnership
Buck and Bones is leading events to remove invasive red mangroves along Moloka’i’s southern shores because they are degrading habitats that support recreationally and culturally important fisheries for bonefish, mullet, and surgeonfish. These invasive mangroves reduce water flow and oxygen levels and increase sedimentation in the salt flats which are critical fishing grounds for the local community. While mangroves are valued in most tropical regions for their function as ecosystem engineers, in Hawai’i, they create habitats that are vastly different from the naturally occurring sandy shorelines and salt flats.
Volunteers at several angler- and community-led work days will remove these invasive plants. Nonprofit organizations, anglers, guides, community elders, and federal resource agencies will help identify sites for removal. Site selection is critically important since the red mangroves have a high tolerance for extreme conditions, grow rapidly, and disperse seeds via ocean currents. Removal of invasive red mangroves will strengthen community-led conservation on Moloka’i and restore habitat for recreationally and culturally important fish species.
This project is sponsored by the Hawai’i Fish Habitat Partnership and made possible by an agreement with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.
