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Fisheries Ecology in the Northeast
We study the relationship between marine life and their environment to support sustainable wild and farmed fisheries on the Northeast shelf, creating opportunities and benefits for the economy and ecosystem.
Howard Lab scientist, Mike Dobiesz, takes field notes on the Mullica River, New Jersey while on a boat to collect fish for breeding in the laboratory.
The United States is a world leader in sustainably managed fisheries and seafood. To ensure our fisheries are resilient to climate change and other human-caused environmental issues, we conduct science with our partners in support of sustainable fishery management. Our research is conducted at the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory in Highlands, New Jersey.
From surveys to experiments, we measure and assess changes in our oceans and estuaries caused by climate change, measuring adaptation and seeking mitigation strategies. Our research on the effects of climate change on marine life and their environment informs sustainable ocean management.
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Scientist Ehren Habeck monitors flounder larvae using a flashlight. This is one setup used by Howard Lab staff to assess the effects of ocean acidification.
Ocean Acidification
Use of fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal, and natural gas, contributes to climate change by creating more carbon dioxide. As carbon dioxide increases, it mixes into the ocean water and raises its acidity, which can harm marine life. We study how these changes affect the survival and growth of the most sensitive early life stages of fish. This can help us anticipate future damage to fish populations, assess their resiliency, and better manage our ecosystems for the future.
Wind Energy and Fish Behavior
We work to understand the interactions among offshore wind energy projects, marine life, and habitats. We have studied the impact noise has on black sea bass behavior with funding from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. This research informs management to protect fisheries as offshore wind energy development continues.
Diagram of a fish in an aquarium with a UW-30 speaker at the bottom producing sound and a Reson hydrophone which is wired to a Hafler Trans-Ana Speaker Amplifier. This apparatus is used to test what fish can hear. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Andrij Horodysky
Many commercial and recreational fish produce sounds for reproductive and/or alarm communication, including most cod, hake, croakers, and drum. We use a medical testing technique for auditory brainstem response to record how a fish’s brain responds to underwater sounds that vary in intensity (volume) and frequency (pitch) so we can describe what a species can hear. We compare these data to field recordings of marine noise to identify and protect critical spawning habitats, guide quieter marine construction of energy platforms and bridges, create more sustainable low-noise coastal and shoreline development plans, and refine shipping routes—all in support of the sustainable blue economy.
We study fish hearing to
Better understand reproductive ecology in sound-producing species
Reveal potential effects of environmental changes such as ocean acidification on auditory ecology
Predict the possible effects of human activities and coastal development on the ocean’s soundscape and marine life
Food security, or knowing where our food will come from, is a growing concern around the globe. Cultivating fish for food in land-based recirculating systems or in controlled open-water containment areas can increase food security and reduce pressure on wild fisheries. Understanding the factors that affect fish growth and health is key to sustainably raising fish.
We are working with Manna Fish Farms and Stony Brook University to study productive and sustainable ways to raise finfish in our region. Our aquaculture research helps inform management and benefits the aquaculture industry.
Turning Waste into Resources: Testing the Feasibility of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture
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Postdoctoral Scholar Mike Acquafredda harvests sea beans from an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system at the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Mike Acquafredda
Aquaculture supplies nearly half of the world’s seafood. However, finfish aquaculture can affect the environment by adding excess fish food and fish waste to an ecosystem. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture is a potential solution to this problem. In these systems, two or more species from different trophic levels are grown together. The wastes from one species can be used to feed another, producing additional products for farmers to sell.
We are testing the feasibility of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system consisting of striped bass, sand worms, and sea beans. We chose these species because striped bass are a “good eating” fish with high market value, sand worms are a highly sought-after bait and feed for farmed fish, and sea beans are an edible sea vegetable, a biofuel crop, and livestock fodder. All species are native to the Northeast United States.
Our study focuses on answering three main questions:
How does this type of system affect striped bass survival, growth, and food conversion ratio?
How much striped bass waste can sand worms and sea beans consume?
How much marketable biomass can a striped bass-sand worm-sea bean system generate?
Two-day-old embryos of tautog spawned at the James J. Howard Laboratory at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Chris Chambers
We are collaborating with Ward Aquafarms to study the potential of finfish aquaculture using tautog. Our goal is to document the best conditions for spawning adult fish and rearing embryos, larvae, and juveniles. We have been exposing tautog eggs and early larvae to a wide range of temperatures, stocking densities, tank sizes and styles, and prey quality and quantity.
We will transfer the juvenile fish to Ward Aquafarms. They will identify the best conditions for growing juvenile fish into adults. Aquacultured tautog offer a year-round supply of market-size fish, boosting regional economies while offsetting fishing pressure. This research is funded by the Northeast Regional Aquaculture Center and the joint project agreement between NOAA and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea.
College intern Jenna Stanley decides which fish organ cross section to analyze next. Using a light microscope and computer software, she will take pictures of the organ’s cells to analyze for health anomalies.
Industrial waste is an ongoing problem in our urban waterways and is harmful to wildlife. We study the effects of industrial pollution on fish health to help managers prevent pollution and clean up and restore polluted rivers. These studies help protect New Jersey's waterways and fish populations along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Ocean Service. We study the environmental impacts of Superfund sites on fish populations in the Lower Passaic River, New Jersey. From studies in Newark Bay and the Elizabeth River to the Superfund sites, our research supports the future of fish and other wildlife in our waters.
Health and Reproduction in Recovering River Herring Populations
Collaborators from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation seining in the Hudson River to collect river herring.
Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Ann Petersen
River herring populations are at historic lows despite mitigation efforts such as dam removal and habitat restoration. Are legacy contaminants affecting herring reproduction, recruitment, and population growth in some rivers? We are collecting adult and juvenile river herring from New Jersey, New York, and Maine rivers as part of a pilot study to examine the health and reproductive potential of several river systems. Herring returns are much higher in Maine, especially the Penobscot River, than in New Jersey and New York. We are assessing relationships between contaminants and river herring health, and comparing results across river systems. The data may provide insight into challenges that pollution poses to herring recovery, and information important to improving the habitat of these iconic fish.
Decades of industrial pollution in the Lower Passaic River have impacted human and wildlife health. NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working together to study how pollution affects fish health in the river by measuring white perch reproduction and lifespan. The data will be used as part of a long-term Natural Resource Damage Assessment.
Our Fisheries Ecology Branch uses a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate the environmental conditions that affect recruitment, distribution, growth and survival of fisheries on the Northeast continental shelf.
After each survey tow, the net is retrieved and the catch is emptied into a hopper where a series of conveyors move the catch to the sorting and processing area aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. There, scientists sort the catch and collect data and biological samples. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessica Blaylock
Study Fleet scientist Calvin Alexander holding a monkfish.
North Atlantic right whale Horton and newborn calf. Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919.
After each survey tow, the net is retrieved and the catch is emptied into a hopper where a series of conveyors move the catch to the sorting and processing area aboard the NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow. There, scientists sort the catch and collect data and biological samples. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessica Blaylock
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.