New England/Mid-Atlantic

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.

Featured News

An aerial view of a crane moving hard substrate from the deck of a barge into the Piankatank River

Hard substrate is moved from a barge into the Piankatank River, part of NOAA's Middle Peninsula Habitat Focus Area in Virginia, to form a reef onto which oysters can settle. Researchers explored what the future of these reefs could mean for the area and its economy. Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Feature Story

NOAA-Funded Research Highlights Economic Effects of Oyster Reef Restoration

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Kiersten stands at the taffrail of the ship and smiles for the camera. She is wearing a sweatshirt, purple sunglasses, and a pair of binoculars around her neck. the sky is blue with many clouds over a darker blue ocean.

Teacher at Sea Kiersten Newtoff aboard NOAA Ship Pisces.

Feature Story

Teacher at Sea Kicks off the Year Early with January Marine Mammal Survey

New England/Mid-Atlantic

A young boy and girl lean over trays containing critters from their local stream. Photo by Chesapeake Bay Program/Will Parson.

Fifth-grade students participate in Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience involving a benthic macroinvertebrate investigation using leaves collected from nearby streams at Buckland Mills Elementary School in Gainesville, Virginia. Photo: Chesapeake Bay Program/Will Parson.

Feature Story

NOAA Helps Students and Educators Dive into Environmental Education

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Curried skate wings plated with rice and chutney

Chef Tyler Hadfield’s Curried Skate Wings with Tomato-Masala Chutney

Feature Story

Ring In the New Year With These Crowd-Favorite Seafood Recipes

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Pacific Islands

Southeast

West Coast

National

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

Podcast

2024 Winter News Roundup

Alaska

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Pacific Islands

Southeast

West Coast

National

Protected Resources

Incidental Take Authorization: Maine Department of Transportation's Lubec Harbor Project

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Fisheries

Closure: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category (Commercial) Fishery and Angling Category (Recreational) Southern Area Trophy Fishery

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Fisheries

Quota Transfer: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna General Category Fishery

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Protected Resources

Incidental Take Authorization: Vineyard Northeast, LLC's Construction of the Vineyard Northeast Offshore Wind Project

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Fisheries

Submit Nominations for the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Southeast

Atlantic Herring: 2025 Research Track Assessment Peer Review

Mar 13, 2025 - Mar 14, 2025

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Longfin Inshore Squid Research Track Working Group

Mar 17, 2025 - Mar 21, 2025

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Educator Webinar: High-Quality Environmental Education Programming: A Self-Assessment Rubric for District Success

Mar 27, 2025

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Projections Research Track Working Group

Apr 1, 2025 - Mar 1, 2027

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Monkfish Research Track Working Group

Apr 1, 2025 - Mar 1, 2027

New England/Mid-Atlantic

New Volumetric Hold Baseline Requirement for Limited Access Illex Squid Permits

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Federal Lobster Permit Holders: Lobster Trap Tag Ordering Instructions

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Atlantic Herring Management Area 3 Possession Limit Adjustment

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Atlantic Herring Management Area 1B Possession Limit Adjustment

New England/Mid-Atlantic

New York Commercial Summer Flounder Fishery Closure

New England/Mid-Atlantic

NOAA Delaware Bay Watershed Education and Training Program

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program Funding

National

Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities

National

Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants

National

Atlantic Salmon Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants

New England/Mid-Atlantic

New England/Mid-Atlantic Updates

Two New Right Whale Slow Zones: North of Cape Hatteras, NC and East of Virginia Beach, VA – Effective Through March 24 and 25

03/11/2025 02:33 PM EDT

Attention: Historic Shipwreck Avoidance on Stellwagen Bank

03/10/2025 11:05 AM EDT

New Right Whale Slow Zone: Northeast of Virginia Beach, VA - Effective through March 20, 2025

03/07/2025 03:21 PM EST

New Right Whale Slow Zone: East of Atlantic City, NJ - Effective through March 18, 2025

03/05/2025 03:18 PM EST

Right Whale Slow Zone Extension: East of Ocean City, MD- Effective through March 17

03/04/2025 03:39 PM EST

Two Right Whale Slow Zone Extensions: SE of Atlantic City, NJ and SW of Nantucket, MA - Effective through March 14 and March 15

03/01/2025 09:38 PM EST

Science Highlights February 2025

02/27/2025 08:21 AM EST

Off Race Point Seasonal Management Area in effect March 1 - April 30

02/26/2025 09:52 AM EST

New Right Whale Slow Zone: South of Nantucket, MA - Effective through March 11

02/25/2025 03:09 PM EST

Reminder: Community Meeting 2026 Management Track Stock Assessments

02/24/2025 06:00 PM EST

Two New Right Whale Slow Zones: E of Ocean City, MD and N of Cape Cod, MA

02/23/2025 09:05 PM EST

Two Right Whale Slow Zone Extensions: SE of Atlantic City, NJ and E of Ocean City, MD

02/19/2025 03:12 PM EST

New Right Whale Slow Zone and Extension: NE of Virginia Beach, VA and E of Virginia Beach, VA

02/16/2025 06:32 PM EST

Three Right Whale Slow Zone Extensions: SW of Nantucket, MA, SE of New York, NY and NE of Virginia Beach, VA

02/13/2025 04:38 PM EST

Community Input Sought for 2026 Management Track Stock Assessments

02/13/2025 06:00 AM EST

New Right Whale Slow Zone: East of Portsmouth, NH - Effective through 2/23

02/09/2025 03:03 PM EST

New Right Whale Slow Zone: E of Ocean City, MD - Effective through February 20

02/07/2025 03:35 PM EST

2025 Experimental On Demand Fishery Now Open

02/06/2025 06:30 PM EST

Right Whale Slow Zone Extension: E of Virginia Beach, VA

02/06/2025 05:00 PM EST

Right Whale Slow Zone Extension: SE of Atlantic City, NJ

02/05/2025 04:36 PM EST

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Featured Highlights

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

Where Do Atlantic Salmon Go to Beat the Heat?

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Stern view of fishing vessells with their trawl nets.

Industry Spoke and We Listened: Communications Effort Focuses on Groundfish Monitoring and Amendment 23 Development

New England/Mid-Atlantic

"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.

New Calculator Helps Oyster Growers Measure the Water Quality Benefits of Farms

New England/Mid-Atlantic

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 & Aquaculture

Ecosystems & Habitats

Protected Species

Resources

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.

Commercial Fishing

Recreational Fishing

Research

Resources

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.

Endangered Species Conservation

Viewing Marine Life

Research

Protecting Marine Life

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.

Conserving Habitat and Ecosystems

Habitat and Ecosystem Research

Consultations

Habitat Restoration

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

New England/Mid-Atlantic