New England/Mid-Atlantic (original) (raw)

New England and the Mid-Atlantic, including the Chesapeake Bay, have a long and storied history of fishing.

Fishing continues to define our culture today, with lobsters, sea scallops, crabs, and a variety of fish filling our menus and attracting tourists from all over the world. New Bedford, Massachusetts, is consistently among the highest value ports in the United States, thanks to the lucrative scallop fishery. Recreational fishing is a popular pastime, contributing billions to our economy. Many fishermen still fish in the same places and for the same species as their ancestors hundreds of years ago.

We are also dedicated to conserving, protecting, and rebuilding endangered and threatened marine and anadromous species in rivers, bays, estuaries, and marine waters off New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Our work helps ensure the survival of protected marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish for future generations.

Our work to maintain sustainable fisheries and protect marine life is a joint effort of the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and Northeast Fisheries Science Center, offering sound science to help inform management decisions in an ever-changing environment. To find out more about our work, read our 2024-2027 New England and Mid-Atlantic Regional Strategic Plan.

A scientist wearing a personal flotation device squats in front of a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle typing on a laptop while on the back deck of a research vessel at sea. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution engineer Owen Ceserano downloads images collected from a long-range autonomous underwater vehicle called “Stella” on deck of R/V Hugh R. Sharp. HabCam can be seen in the background. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Zach Fyke

Two people standing in shallow water and two people on board a small boat smile at the camera. They are gathered around a bin used in a fish research project. Our interns gain experience and learn from dedicated professionals who serve as their mentors.

snowflake collage

Three people wearing rubber boots, chest waders, and protective gear, haul a large yellow and white passive acoustic recorder out of the ocean at the end of a large boat. Researchers retrieve a passive acoustic recorder. Courtesy: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

A school of Atlantic salmon swimming. Atlantic salmon Credit: Nick Hawkins

"Oyster farms can improve water quality", a five step process in which nutrient runoff from land increases algae leading to environmental problems. Oysters eat the algae, and then farmers harvest oysters and plant new ones. Finally, excess nutrients are removed, leading to better water quality.

Stern view of fishing vessells with their trawl nets.

A mostly white helicopter in the center of the image on an airport runway. Small white passenger aircraft are parked in the background and there is a fuel truck to the left. Helicopter fitted with cameras for aerial mapping. The cameras are in the gray box mounted to the underside of the cockpit in front of the landing skids. Credit: Atlantic Salmon Federation/Valerie Ouellet

Science Overview

In 1871, NOAA Fisheries’ first laboratory was founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Since then, our research has promoted recovery and long-term sustainability of marine life in the region and sustaining coastal communities. Through our comprehensive marine science program, we study fishery species and fisheries, monitor and model ocean conditions and habitats, develop aquaculture, and provide reliable advice for policymakers. We're also home to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, the nation's oldest public marine aquarium.

Fisheries Overview

We work cooperatively with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to develop, review, and implement fishery management plans in federal waters (from 3 to 200 nautical miles). Our research and research surveys provide the necessary information needed to evaluate the overall health of more than 50 fisheries with 14 fishery management plans in our region, from Maine to North Carolina, an area about the size of California.

Protected Marine Life Overview

We are dedicated to research and management to conserve, protect, and rebuild endangered and threatened marine and anadromous species in rivers, bays, estuaries, and marine waters of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Our work helps ensure the survival of protected marine species for future generations.

Habitat Overview

Healthy habitats are the foundation of healthy fisheries. We work to protect, conserve, and restore habitats for fishery resources under our stewardship. We also conduct research on marine life to determine how habitat loss, degradation, restoration, and mitigation affect ecosystems. Our vision is for healthy and self-sustaining coastal and marine habitats that support vital ecosystem functions, including abundant living marine resources, human uses, and resilient coastal communities. We work cooperatively with a wide variety of federal, state, and local agencies and non-governmental organizations to protect and restore habitat to sustain fisheries, recover protected species, and maintain resilient coastal ecosystems and communities.

Species Overview

Species that we manage, protect, and study in the New England/Mid-Atlantic Region.

We manage 42 commercial and recreational fish and shellfish for sustainable use. We protect and conserve dozens of marine mammal, sea turtle, and endangered fish species from Maine to North Carolina.

Fisheries of the Northeast map and species images.

Well over 100 species, including finfish, shellfish, urchins, and seaweeds, are landed in the Northeast. Credit NOAA Fisheries