Spring 2026 Northeast Ecosystem Monitoring Survey Completed

Our Ecosystem Monitoring cruises help researchers understand and predict changes in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Regional Ecosystem and the fisheries and protected species that depend on it. We collect data used to monitor:

• Distribution and abundance of zooplankton and larval fish
• Water temperature and salinity
• Ocean acidification
• Populations of seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles

Plankton are tiny drifting animals—and early life stages of some larger ones—that form the base of the marine food web. They provide information about the food chain supporting fisheries and marine mammals. Sampling plankton, fish eggs, and larval fish helps scientists estimate where fish are spawning and how abundant fish stocks may be. Measurements of ocean conditions, such as temperature and salinity, help describe ecosystem productivity and monitor changes over time.

Dates and Location

The NOAA Ship Pisces sailed from Pier 2 at the Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island, on June 1, 2026, and returned on June 10, 2026.

The survey sampled waters off the coast of New Jersey, a portion of Georges’ Bank and north to the western Gulf of Maine.

Completion Rates

Over the course of the cruise we surveyed approximately 703 nautical miles from southern New Jersey to the Gulf of Maine. The survey team conducted and/or collected:

• Plankton tows at 65 of the 156 planned stations (41 percent completion)
• Conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles at 15 of 34 planned stations (44 percent completion)

Survey Mission

The main objective of this survey was to assess the pelagic (open ocean) components of the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Ecosystem. Our assessments ranged from water temperature and salinity to plankton, pelagic fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds.

The survey combined traditional sampling methods with novel techniques and instruments to quantify the spatial distribution of:

• Water properties (i.e., salinity, temperature)
• Phytoplankton
• Microzooplankton (20 to 200 micrometers in size) and mesozooplankton (0.2 to 20 millimeters in size)
• Larval fish and invertebrates

Other operational objectives of this cruise:

1. Collect continuous ocean measurements using the ship’s Scientific Flow-through Seawater System that includes a thermosalinograph, NOAA Scientific Computer System, a fluorometer, a partial pressure of carbon dioxide system, and a total alkalinity sensor
2. Use an Imaging FLowCytoBot unit—which was plumbed directly into the seawater system—to photograph near-surface phytoplankton while underway
3. Collect acoustic data using an EK80 and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
4. Measure the correlation between ocean acidity and pteropod (planktonic snail) shell thickness by simultaneously collecting samples of plankton and dissolved inorganic carbon at stations throughout the cruise
5. Gather data for NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program on trends in ocean acidification and nutrient levels by collecting seawater samples at three different depths (surface, midwater and bottom) with a rosette water sampler at predetermined, fixed locations
6. Measure underwater light levels during mid-day satellite overpasses using a hand-deployed submersible radiometer to ground truth satellite ocean color data
7. Document the presence of marine mammals and sea turtles from sunrise to sunset throughout the cruise with one dedicated observer recording and photographing encounters while the vessel is underway between stations

Data Collection and Use

Image

During the survey, researchers conducted “bongo” net tows at 65 stations. Bongo net tows collect zooplankton, larval fish, and fish eggs using a fine mesh net attached to adjoining aluminum rings—they resemble bongo drums when deployed.

Researchers will use samples from this survey to update indices of plankton abundance used in fisheries, marine mammal, and environmental assessments.

The crew also deployed an instrument that can measure seawater conductivity, temperature, and depth. Because seawater conducts electricity, and its conductivity changes with the amount of dissolved salts in the ocean, scientists can use conductivity to estimate the salinity of seawater. The combination of temperature and salinity data at various depths helps define marine habitat boundaries, track ocean circulation, and monitor changes in climate. This can help explain changes in marine species distribution and productivity.

The most commonly observed marine mammal was the common dolphin, accounting for 65.4 percent of all mammal sightings. Unidentified dolphins accounted for 9.7 percent of mammal observations, followed by bottlenose dolphins , at 7.1 percent.

On this trip, whales were abundant. Observers recorded:

• 36 fin whales
• 31 humpback whales
• 25 unidentified baleen whales

Scientists also observed smaller numbers of minke whales, sperm whales, and several unidentified large and small whale species.

Of special note was the concentration of whales seen feeding off of Long Island, New York—particularly offshore of Montauk. Observers also documented an unusually large aggregation of Risso’s dolphins in and east of Atlantis Canyon.

We release survey data annually, about 3 months after the survey is complete. Once available, the data can be found on our survey page.

• Ecosystem Monitoring of the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf: Plankton Dataset

CHANCE Mission

NOAA contracted Chance Maritime Technologies to survey the outer continental shelf during the spring and summer, and they conducted a 30-day survey in coordination with EcoMon. The Chance vessel surveyed 14 EcoMon stations over 2 days. The project aims to better understand the potential drivers that influence North Atlantic right whale habitat.

The Chance vessel collected data using a suite of sensors including:

• Echosounders to assess zooplankton
• Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler for other active acoustics
• Periodic vertical CTD casts
• Plankton optical sensors
• Meteorological and oceanographic data instruments above and below the water’s surface

Researchers will combine these various data sources to examine mechanistic physical drivers behind zooplankton aggregations that may serve as areas where large whales could productively forage.

Comparing acoustic and optical measurements with EcoMon’s bongo net samples will help validate different sampling methods and provide additional information about zooplankton distribution throughout the water column.