One sponge species is so unique that scientists created an entirely new genus to classify it. Another represents a group never seen before outside of the tropics.

NOAA Fisheries


Two coho salmon, a pink colored male and a silver colored female, jump up a frothy white creek. Coho salmon migrate up a creek in Oregon. Funding will support access to high quality habitat for fisheries across the country, including coho on the Oregon Coast. Credit: Adobe Stock.
photo of a slow moving creek and vegetation, with pools of water on either side of a small dam created with beaver dam analogues to help improve habitat for coho salmon and other wildlife. Sugar Creek flows over a dam initially created with beaver dam analogues to help improve habitat for coho salmon and other wildlife. Photo courtesy of Scott River Watershed Council.
Many docked fishing boats at a coastal community at sunrise. Docked fishing boats at Yaquina Bay, Newport, Oregon. Credit: iStock
Leadership Message

Advancing Agency-Level Reforms to Restore American Seafood Competitiveness

Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
International
A map of sea surface height anomalies during the 1997 El Niño, with dark red along the Pacific Coast highlighting coastally-trapped Kelvin waves and elevated sea levels. Coastally-trapped Kelvin waves, a signature of El Niño, traveled north along the West Coast during the 1997/1998 El Niño, as shown in a map of sea surface height anomalies. Darker reds show sea levels higher than normal, while darker blues show heights below normal. Scientists are now watching for similar waves to move up the West Coast this fall. Credit: Dillon Amaya/North Carolina State University
Dead monk seal found on Molokaʻi beach. Hawaiian monk seal RU68, a one-year-old female, was found deceased on a Molokaʻi beach. Credit: Hawaiʻi Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)

Upcoming Events

Safe Handling, Release, and Identification Workshops

Sep 16, 2026

Peer Review: 2026 September Management Track Assessments

Sep 22, 2026 - Sep 23, 2026

ALWTRP Scoping Period - Public Comment Meeting

Sep 24, 2026

Permanent Advisory Committee Meeting–October 2026

Oct 5, 2026 - Oct 6, 2026