Ocean Networks Canada (ONC)

In January, 2019, Canada announced it will provide $12.6 million in funding over four years to Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a national network of ocean observation systems based at the University of Victoria.

The investment will strengthen high-quality, real-time data on the marine environment to support the work of scientists throughout Canada and around the world, According to Canadian officials.

In particular, this investment will build on ONC’s ocean noise monitoring program and will expand its monitoring of sea surface currents in Pacific waters.

killer whales | photo credit NOAA photo library

The data will augment Canada's efforts to protect the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale while improving navigation and emergency response.

Southern resident killer whales (SRKW) represent the smallest of four resident communities within the Northeastern portion of North America Pacific Ocean.

In Canada the SRKW are listed as endangered on Species at Risk Act Schedule 1. In the USA, SRKW is the only killer whale population listed under the Endangered Species Act by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

A Government of Canada’s $3.5 million contribution from its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund was highlighted by the official opening of the University of Victoria’s recently opened Ocean-Climate Building.

The new $9.5 million facility also includes investments of $5.15 million from the University of Victoria and $850,000 from the Province of British Columbia.

The nearly 30,000-square-foot building provides an interdisciplinary, collaborative space for the University of Victoria’s ocean, climate change, and data management research programs.

The new facility is occupied by more than 200 researchers, co-op students, scientists, and staff, who will conduct research into the effects of changing oceans and climate.

The Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund provides funding to help modernize facilities at Canadian universities and colleges, as well as improve their energy efficiency and reduce their impact on the environment.

source: Government of Canada

November is Right Whale Month

North Atlantic right whale | photo credit: NEFSC

In November, 2018, the City of Fernandina Beach Florida, by order of Proclamation, recognized the month of November as "Right Whale Month."

In November of 2019, Fernandina Beach will be the location of the 11th Annual Right Whale Festival.

The Right Whale Festival celebrates the annual return of endangered North Atlantic right whales to the warm coastal water off northeast Florida and Georgia, where they give birth to and nurse their young.

The annual festival raises awareness of the threats to right whales and how to aid in their recovery. The event highlights local efforts to protect these whales from extinction. The festival also features activities and exhibits that emphasize education and environmentally responsible practices.

The 2018 Right Whale Festival was held on Saturday, November 3 along Jacksonville Beach, FL.



Right Whale Facts

In 2017, NOAA confirmed 17 North Atlantic right whale deaths; about 4 percent of a population estimated at about 450 animals.

In August 2017, NOAA Fisheries declared the increase in right whale mortalities an "Unusual Mortality Event," which helps the agency direct additional scientific and financial resources to investigating, understanding, and reducing the mortalities in partnership with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and outside experts from the scientific research community.

In 2018, there have been two confirmed right whale mortalities.

There are currently only about 100 females of breeding age in the population and more females seem to be dying than males.

Births have also been declining in recent years, and no new calves were spotted in the calving grounds off Florida in 2018.

Every winter, many right whales travel more than 1,000 miles from their feeding grounds off Canada and New England to the warm coastal waters of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida's east coast.

Entanglement in fixed commercial fishing gear is a major threat to right whales. There are restrictions on where and how commercial traps, pot gear and gillnet gear can be set. These restrictions include seasonal closures and gear modifications such as sinking groundlines, weak links, and gear markings.

To reduce the risk of harassment or collisions between right whales and boats, federal law requires vessels and aircraft to stay at least 500 yards away from right whales.

Vessels 65 feet and longer are also required to slow to speeds of 10 knots or less in Seasonal Management Areas along the East Coast, including the calving and nursery area.

To report right whale sightings, especially dead, injured, or entangled whales, please contact NOAA Fisheries at (877) WHALE-HELP (877-942-5343) or the Coast Guard on marine VHF channel 16.

The public can also identify and help marine mammals in trouble by using their smartphone. Learn more about the Whale 911 app by visiting https://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/outreach_and_education/mm_apps/.



Related Information

Whale Smart Phone Apps

NOAA to Review 10 Fish Species for ESA Listing

NOAA Fisheries recently found that a petition to list 10 species of skates and rays and 15 species of bony fishes under the Endangered Species Act presented sufficient evidence to warrant status reviews for 10 species.

On July 15, 2013, NOAA received a petition from the WildEarth Guardians to list 81 marine species as threatened or endangered under the ESA and to designate critical habitat under the ESA. Included in the petition were 25 fish species (10 skates and rays and 15 bony fishes).

Status reviews will include the following species

skates and rays:

Bathyraja griseocauda  (graytail skate)
Raja undulata  (undulate ray)
Rhinobatos cemiculus (blackchin guitarfish)
R. horkelii  (Brazilian guitarfish)
R. rhinobatos (common guitarfish/violinfish)

bony fishes:

Latimeria chalumnae (coelacanth/gombessa)
Mycteroperca fusca (comb grouper/island grouper)
Mycteroperca jordani (Gulf grouper)
Pterapogon kauderni (Banggai cardinalfish)
Scarus trispinosus (greenback parrotfish)

NOAA will conduct a status review of the 10 species of skates and rays and bony fishes to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. Stakeholders can submit scientific and commercial evidence pertaining to the 10 fish species by April 25.

source: NOAA FishNews, Federal Register

USA Objects to Iceland Commercial Whaling

In February, the Department of the Interior announced that the agency has certified to President Obama under the Pelly Amendment to the Fishermen’s Protective Act of 1967 that Iceland’s international trade in whale meat and products diminishes the effectiveness of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Iceland resumed commercial whaling in 2006 and since then has exported whale meat and products despite a ban on international commercial trade. As provided under the Pelly Amendment, within 60 days following certification by the Secretary the President will determine what actions are appropriate in response to the certification.

Hvalur, the sole Icelandic company engaged in harvesting fin whales, resumed fin whale hunting in 2013, following a two-year hiatus due to market decline in Japan following the 2011 earthquake. The 2013 whaling season ran from mid-June until the end of September with a total of 134 fin whales killed.

Iceland sets its own catch quotas for commercial whaling and has significantly increased those quotas over the last several years. For example, in 2006, the annual quota was set at just nine fin whales, while the 2013 annual quota authorized the hunting of up to 184 fin whales.

Iceland has recently announced a new five-year quota for fin whales, to begin with the 2014 whaling season, which will allow a total of up to 770 fin whales to be hunted in the next five years. Fin whales are hunted solely for export to the Japanese market.

From 2008 to 2012, trade reports show that more than 1.6 million kilograms of fin whale meat and products were exported from Iceland to Japan. Fin whales are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which prohibits trade for primarily commercial purposes.

Iceland does not follow the procedure laid out by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to assess sustainable catch levels. The IWC was established to manage whaling activities for the conservation of whale populations and is viewed as the global body with expertise for the management of whale stocks.

source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

New NOAA Habitat Focus Areas

NOAA has chosen areas of Guam and Hawaii as the next Habitat Focus Areas under NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint program.
     

Manell-Geus, Guam

Located at the southern tip of Guam, the Manell-Geus watershed contains extensive seagrass beds and coral reefs that support the local village’s strong fishing tradition.

The seagrass beds and patch reefs in Cocos Lagoon also provide important forage and resting habitat for sea turtles.

West Hawaii

The west side of the Big Island is known for white sandy beaches and coral reefs that make it a popular tourist destination. The region is home to several threatened and endangered species as well as species of concern that are important to Hawaii’s economy, culture, and environment.

The South Kohala district is one of the fastest growing areas on the Big Island and development is on the rise. Land uses range from military, residential, and commercial sites to resort areas and very popular beaches. There are a variety of historical sites including archeological sites, traditional fishing areas, gathering sites, and Hawaiian fish ponds.

For more information, visit: http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/habitatblueprint/pacificislands.html

source: habitat.noaa.gov

NMFS North Pacific Right Whale Recovery Plan

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently announced the adoption and availability of the final Recovery Plan (Plan) for the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica).

The Northern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) has been listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since its passage in 1973.

In 2008, NMFS determined that the Northern right whale should be listed as two separate species, the North Pacific right whale and the North Atlantic right whale.

North Pacific right whales historically had a wide distribution in the Pacific Ocean, but the population was dramatically reduced by extensive commercial whaling, now prohibited by the International Whaling Commission. Scientists estimate that less than 1,000 individuals remain.

Of the commercially exploited “great whales,” the North Pacific right whale is one of the least well studied, and the current status of the North Pacific right whale population is poorly understood. Currently, the population structure of North Pacific right whales has not been adequately defined.

Because the current status of North Pacific right whales is unknown, the primary purpose of the Recovery Plan is to provide a research strategy to obtain data necessary to determine distribution and estimate population abundance, trends, and structure and to identify factors that may be limiting North Pacific right whale recovery.

For more information, visit:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/06/07/2013-13527/endangered-and-threatened-species-recovery-plan-for-the-north-pacific-right-whale

source: NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Dusky Shark ESA Status Review

NOAA Fisheries is initiating a formal status review of the Northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico population of dusky sharks under the Endangered Species Act and is seeking scientific information to assist the review.

During a recent review of two petitions to list the dusky shark under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries determined that listings may be warranted.

The Endangered Species Act requires the agency to make a determination of whether listing the Northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico population of dusky shark as endangered or threatened is warranted within 12 months of the receipt of the first petition (November 14, 2013).

For more information, visit the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources Website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/

source: NOAA Fisheries

CITES Protection - Sharks and Manta Rays

During the most recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties meeting in Bangkok, countries agreed to increase protection for five commercially-exploited species of sharks and manta rays.

In March, CITES member nations, referred to as “Parties”, voted in support of listing the oceanic whitetip shark, the porbeagle shark, scalloped, smooth, and great hammerhead sharks, and manta rays in CITES Appendix II. The action calls for increased protection, but still allows legal and sustainable trade.

Support of the listings came from a coalition of countries including Brazil, Colombia, the European Union, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, Mexico, Comoros, Egypt, and the United States. Additional support came from Senegal and Sierra Leone.

Due to their low reproduction rates and high economic value, populations of the newly listed shark species have suffered severe declines. Porbeagle sharks also face pressures due to demand for their meat, while manta rays are over-harvested for their gill plates.

Sharks are overfished in many parts of the world due to a demand for fins. Shark fins are commonly exported to Asia, where they are a main ingredient in shark fin soup.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement initiated in 1973. The convention is currently signed by 178 countries regulating global trade in imperiled wild animals and plants including their parts and products.

A meeting of the Conference of the Parties is held every 2-3 years to review, discuss, and negotiate changes in the management and control of trade in the various wildlife species covered by the agreement.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Delaware Bay Atlantic Sturgeon Research

Recently, biologists from New Jersey's DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife deployed acoustic receivers in the Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon. Most of the 7 receivers were set in areas that are less than 20 feet deep. Anglers fishing in inshore waters may encounter the white buoys marked "NJDEP Research".

As part of a multi-state collaborative effort, the Division has partnered with several states to develop a multi-year effort directed at providing state, federal, and regional management authorities with information necessary to successfully conserve and restore Atlantic sturgeon populations. Mid Atlantic populations of the species were among several regional populations that recently received listings as endangered or threatened.

As part of a coastwide project, NJDEP will purchase, assemble, deploy and maintain 18 receivers in the Delaware Bay. Data will be downloaded monthly from each receiver to detect movement of Atlantic sturgeon tagged with acoustic telemetry tags. The new receivers will complement the existing receiver array within Delaware Bay, specifically on the NJ side, to ensure complete coverage of the sampling area. The additional coverage will allow for greater detection of Atlantic sturgeon and provide the ability to monitor immigration and emigration from the Delaware Bay. An additional 11 receivers are expected to be deployed during 2012.

For exact receiver coordinates or for more information about the project contact Heather Corbett at 609-748-2020.

source: NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife

Review of Right Whales For Endangered Species Listing

NOAA Fisheries recently announced that a 5-year review of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) under the Endangered Species Act is under way.

A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, NOAA Fisheries is requesting submission of any such information on these whales that has become available since the last status review in 2006. To allow adequate time to conduct this review, information must be received no later than April 20, 2012.

For more information, visit:

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/03/27/2012-7075/magnuson-stevens-fishery-conservation-and-management-act-provisions-fisheries-of-the-northeastern

source: NOAA FishNews

Save the Albatross Campaign Receives Funding

Save the Albatross, a global campaign of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (www.savethealbatross.net) has been selected for Friend of the Sea (FOS) funding, as it is achieving tangible results in the conservation of these endangered sea birds.

Albatrosses are true ocean-going birds and include the world’s largest flying bird, the Wandering albatross. They face many threats, including incidental capture in longline and trawl fisheries. Unless bycatch reduction measures are implemented, 17 of the world’s 22 albatross species could be at risk. Nine species are either endangered or critically endangered, according to the IUCN Redlist (www.redlist.org).

The RSPB and BirdLife International have developed the Albatross Task Force, a global team that works with fishermen to save the albatross from extinction. The project educates fishermen and the industry stakeholders in seven seabird bycatch hotspots worldwide, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Namibia, South Africa, Uruguay to implement appropriate bycatch reduction measures on board vessels.

An estimated 100.000 albatrosses are killed in fisheries every year. Considering mature albatross of some species lay one egg every two years, this mortality rate is not sustainable.

To learn more about Albatross Task Force, a project of BirdLife International, watch their video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p88yOWgEeiM&feature=player_embedded

5 Sawfish May Be Listed as Endangered or Threatened

NMFS has announced a 90-day finding on a petition to list six species of sawfish: Anoxyprisitis cuspidata, Prisitis clavata, P. microdon, P. pristis, P. zijsron, and the remaining non-listed population(s) of P. pectinata as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The organization found that the petition and other information presents substantial information indicating the petitioned action may be warranted for five of the sawfish species petitioned (A. cuspidata, P. clavata, P. microdon, P. zijsron, and all non-listed population(s) of P. pectinata).

NMFS will conduct a status review of the five sawfish species to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, NMFS is soliciting scientific and commercial data regarding these species.

DATES: Information and comments on the subject action must be received by May 6, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shelley Norton, NMFS, Southeast Region, (727) 824-5312; or Dwayne Meadows, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, (301) 713-1401.

FY 2011 Species Recovery Grants to Tribes

NOAA Fisheries has announced the availability of grants to fund ongoing efforts by tribal nations to conserve and protect species under the agency’s jurisdiction.

The agency is authorized to provide Federal assistance to tribes to support conservation programs for marine and anadromous species under its jurisdiction. This assistance, provided in the form of grants, can be used to support conservation of endangered, threatened, and candidate or proposed species, as well as post-delisting monitoring of recovered species.

Funded activities may include development and implementation of management plans, scientific research, and public education and outreach; proposals should address priority actions identified in an Endangered Species Act Recovery Plan or address a NOAA Fisheries-identified regional priority or need. Only federally recognized tribes are eligible to apply.

Proposals focusing on listed Pacific salmon or steelhead will not be considered for funding under this grant program; such projects may be supported through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. In addition to this opportunity, the NOAA Restoration Center may provide additional funding for habitat restoration projects selected through the Species Recovery Grants to Tribes program.

Applications must be postmarked, provided to a delivery service, or received by http://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on March 7, 2011.

source: NOAA Fish News

NOAA Lists Georgia Basin Rockfish Species as Endangered

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has announced that it is listing three populations of rockfish in Washington’s Georgia Basin for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The populations of two of the rockfish species – canary and yelloweye – have been designated as “threatened” and a third rockfish species – bocaccio – as “endangered.” An endangered species is at high risk of extinction; a threatened species is vulnerable to extinction in the near future and in need of protection.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife prohibits fishermen from keeping any rockfish they may accidentally catch in the Puget Sound region. The state agency also forbids bottomfishing in waters deeper than 120 feet, where most of these adult rockfish are found.

For more information on the rockfish ESA listing, see:

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Other-Marine-Species/Puget-Sound-Marine-Fishes/ESA-PS-Rockfish.cfm

NOAA to Review Status of 82 Species of Coral

On February 10, 2010, NOAA’s Fisheries Service announced that the agency will evaluate the status of 82
species of stony coral that the Center for Biological Diversity has asked to be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

The center said that the habitat of these coral species in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific region is threatened by rising seawater temperatures, increasing ocean acidification, intensifying storms, changes in precipitation, and sea-level rise—all linked to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

Of the 82 species that will be reviewed, seven species occur in U.S. Caribbean waters and, according to the petition, 75 occur in U.S. Pacific waters. Many, however, occur more frequently in other countries.

source: NOAA press release