Fish are extremely diverse animals living in a variety of habitats ranging from coral reefs and kelp forests to rivers, streams, and the open ocean. Most fish can be categorized into one of two primary groups: bony fish (Osteichthyes) and cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes). The skeleton of bony fish is made of bones, while that of cartilaginous fish is made of cartilage. Cartilaginous fish include sharks, skates, and rays.
Most fish under NOAA Fisheries’ jurisdiction are marine fish that spend their entire life in salt water. Others are anadromous—like some species of salmon and sturgeon—which begin their lives in freshwater, migrate to the ocean to grow into adults, and then return to freshwater to spawn.
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the sustainable management of many species of fish under the Magnuson-Stevens Act that are targeted for human consumption and other uses like fertilizer. Some of these fish include Pacific bluefin tuna, Alaska pollock, and summer flounder. We are also responsible for protecting fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act like Atlantic sturgeon and oceanic whitetip shark.
Species News
Fishing boats in New England
Feature Story
Logging into Efficiency: Modernizing Atlantic Coastwide Permit and Vessel Logbooks
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Life history scientists at NOAA Fisheries work with fishermen to collect otoliths (a fish’s inner ear bones) to estimate the age of fish populations. Pictured: Onaga (Etelis coruscans) Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Projected cooler temperatures in the Gulf of Maine could influence the productivity of species like American lobster, which prefer colder waters. Credit: Matthew Lawrence/NOAA
Feature Story
New Seasonal Forecast Predicts Cooler Waters in Northeast
New England/Mid-Atlantic
National
Ulua angler Cory Olores is one of many fishermen tagging popular game fish with Pacific Islands Fisheries Group’s Tag It program. The program helps fishermen, scientists, and resource managers better understand fish populations. Photo courtesy of Cory Olores
Multimedia
Research
Commercial Fishing Business Cost Survey
Our survey seeks to better understand the costs associated with commercial fishing in the Northeast.
Surveys in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
We conduct research and monitoring surveys to better understand the physical, biological, economic, and social components of marine ecosystems found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean from the Canadian Scotian Shelf to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Cooperative Research in the Northeast
Our Cooperative Research Branch engages the fishing community to answer science questions and improve management of the region’s fisheries.
Peer-Reviewed Research
Hawaiʻi’s Pelagic Longline Fishery Demonstrates the Need To Consider Multispecies Impacts in Bluewater Time-Area Closures
Assessing changes in bycatch risk during time-area closures.
Understanding Fisheries Management in the United States
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for managing marine fisheries within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Learn more about the sustainable management of our marine fisheries.
