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7 Ways El Niño and Large Marine Heatwave Could Affect West Coast Marine Species

Dual influences may shift fisheries, could signal hard times for salmon.
June 12, 2026 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
Two commercial fishing boats using bright overhead lights while operating at night. Vessels from the West Coast squid fleet followed market squid north into Oregon as ocean waters warmed, leading Oregon to adopt its first regulations for squid fishing in the state. Photo courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Is It a Dolphin or a Porpoise?

Dolphins and porpoises are both cetaceans, but they have distinct characteristics that set them apart. Learn how to recognize a dolphin vs. a porpoise.
April 28, 2026 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
An infographic from NOAA Fisheries illustrates the physical and behavioral differences between dolphins and porpoises, highlighting distinctions in their faces, teeth, fins, and social tendencies. At first glance, dolphins and porpoises look similar. Taking a closer look, there are some general differences that distinguish these animals. See the common bottlenose dolphin (left) and harbor porpoise (right) pictured above.

Celebrating Earth Day with NOAA Fisheries

Every day is Earth Day at NOAA Fisheries!
April 20, 2026 - Feature Story ,
National
A graphic with the text "Earth Day" showing a globe, fish, corals, a whale, and seagrass. Celebrating Earth Day at NOAA Fisheries. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

50 Years of Environmental Data Can Predict Health and Strandings of Sea Lions Pups in California

Scientists use decades of research to make connections between environmental conditions and malnourished sea lions pups along the California coast.
March 27, 2026 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
A California sea lion mother rests on a sandy beach with her head up, eyes closed, and standing on her flippers, while her pup lies across her belly. Behind her are more sea lions and the water's edge. A California sea lion with her pup on the beach at San Miguel Island. Photo taken under NOAA Fisheries Permit #16087. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Conducts First Comprehensive Aerial Survey of Ice Seals in the Arctic

Scientists flew more than 24,000 miles over sea ice to study the abundance and distribution of seals in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. This was the first time the seals’ entire geographic range in U.S. waters was surveyed in one season.
March 23, 2026 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
Spotted seals and pups on cracked sea ice near breathing holes and tracks, with magnified callouts for clarity Aerial image of three spotted seals, collected during the 2025 aerial surveys. A pup is just visible in the darker band of ice to the lower left of one of the adult seals–see inset. Breathing holes in the ice are typically used by ringed seals, but spotted seals will use them occasionally as depicted here, with tracks showing the seals’ movement between holes. Image collected from a survey altitude of 1,000-1,200 feet under the authority of NMFS Permit No. 23858. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Cold Water Signals Along West Coast Could Help Assess Whale Entanglement Risk

Early warning for fisheries could help avoid riskiest times and places.
March 11, 2026 - Feature Story ,
West Coast
A team of three people in a small inflatable boat approach a partially surfaced humpback, one person reaching toward the whale with a long pole. A trained team uses works to free a humpback whale off the coast of Northern California. Photo credit: West Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. MMHSRP Permit 18786.

2024 Report of Marine Mammal Strandings in the United States

This report details marine mammal stranding rates, trends, and activities in the United States for 2024. In 2024, there were 8,028 confirmed marine mammal strandings in the United States.
February 17, 2026 - Feature Story ,
National
A man stands with a herding board next to a kennel watching four California sea lions move across a sandy beach heading towards water. California sea lion pups are released at Cabrillo Beach following rehabilitation at the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro, California. Credit: Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.

International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea

Applied research collects data needed to ensure food security for Indigenous subsistence hunters in the United States and Canada.
February 12, 2026 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
Four bowhead whales swim at the surface of dark turquoise water Bowhead whales. Image captured during the 2025 aerial survey over the Beaufort Sea. Photo taken while working under authority of NOAA Fisheries Research Permit #25563-02. Credit: NOAA Fisheries & CICOES / Skyla Walcott

Messaging Mariners in Real Time to Reduce North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strikes

A new real-time messaging network uses a well-established maritime navigation safety technology—the Automatic Identification System—to reduce the risk of vessel strikes involving North Atlantic right whales.
February 12, 2026 - Feature Story ,
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
A right whale mom and calf pair swimming at the surface of the ocean. Perspective is from above, looking down. North Atlantic right whale #4150 “Accordion” and her first calf swimming close to the shipping lanes at the entrance to the Port of New York and New Jersey. Accordion is named for the propeller scars on her back that resemble the musical instrument. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Tim Cole, taken under NOAA permit #27066.

Three-Dimensional Acoustic Tracking Sheds Light on Beaked Whale Dive Behavior and Acoustic Detection

Tracking whales using sound helps scientists better understand the dive behavior of these elusive animals.
February 09, 2026 - Feature Story ,
Southeast
Passive acoustic recording devices resting on the deck of a ship awaiting deployment. Devices used to record underwater sounds. Credit: Marine Bioacoustics Research Collaborative, Scripps Institution of Oceanography