NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today highlighted the findings of two new annual Northeast Fisheries Science Center reports developed for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Councils regarding the current status of the Northeast Shelf marine ecosystems in the New England (Georges Bank/Gulf of Maine) and Mid-Atlantic (Mid-Atlantic Bight) regions.
In addition to covering new areas such as offshore wind energy development and pandemic impacts on fishery harvests and data collection, NMFS noted the report’s findings on seafood production declines, stable recreational fishing activity, reduction in for-hire trips, warming waters, continued marine heat waves, northward movement of the Gulf Stream, effects of a warmer winter and cooler spring on blue crab and striped bass, and northward and eastward movements of additional fish species.
