NOAA Fisheries has announced a second round of Climate Science Regional Action Plans to help decision makers prepare for and respond to rapidly changing ocean conditions.
NOAA officials noted on June 29 that in 2022 NOAA Fisheries stock assessments reported significant declines in snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab, which led to fisheries closures in Alaska for those species. NOAA biologists said that those population crashes were likely a result of the 2019 marine heat wave in the North Pacific Ocean, attributed to climate change.
The newly released plans build on ongoing efforts first launched by NOAA Fisheries in 2015 to address climate change in an effort with partners to better track, understand, forecast and use information on changing ocean and climate conditions, as well as address key objectives of the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy…