NOAA Fisheries has confirmed 76 large whale entanglement cases nationally in 2025, a figure lower than the 95 cases confirmed in 2024 but slightly above the average annual number of 72.7 cases recorded over the previous 18 years.
The agency releases its annual report on such entanglements in compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In the South Atlantic, NOAA Fisheries announced the 2026 federal recreational red snapper fishing season will open for three days, from October 9 through October 11. The agency has also issued three exempted fishing permits to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina authorizing extended recreational red snapper fishing seasons for eligible participants from October 9 through October 22.
The October 1 bulletin also marked the start of National Seafood Month, with NOAA noting the United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood for both wild-caught and farmed species. The agency celebrated Aquaculture Week 2026 last week, highlighting how marine aquaculture produces healthy seafood, creates jobs on the water, and supports coastal resilience.
A new report summarizes public feedback gathered during a spring scoping process on a planned environmental review considering possible Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska state waters. The input came from tribal entities, members of the general public, non-governmental organizations, and city or borough representatives.
Researchers from the Alaska Fisheries Science Center partnered with Sea Quester Farms to investigate whether seaweed farms provide novel habitat for Alaska marine species. The findings suggest kelp farms in Southeast Alaska do not have a measurable impact on either the composition of fish and invertebrates or on water quality conditions.
In other news, NOAA research partners spotted two endangered main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale calves this year. The population numbers only about 140 individuals, and seeing the calves swimming strong at roughly 8 months is encouraging, as the first 6 months are an especially vulnerable time.
An olive ridley sea turtle was observed digging a nest and laying eggs on a California beach on September 16, 2026 — the first-ever recorded nest for any sea turtle species on the U.S. West Coast. Due to forecasted high surf from tropical storms off Mexico, scientists from federal and state agencies collected the eggs and transferred them to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach on September 25.
The Alaska Fisheries Science Center also transferred its 40-year archive of some 2 million otoliths to the Burke Museum and the University of Washington for safer and better organized storage. The collection will remain available to researchers around the globe.
Upcoming deadlines include October 16 for public input on a scoping period in preparation for an environmental analysis assessing potential modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan.