New England/Mid-Atlantic | NOAA Fisherie

New England/Mid-Atlantic | NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management and Marine Life Protection Learn about NOAA Fisheries' work in New England and the Mid-Atlantic region. 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. More Information Fishing Industry Home Page Recreational Fishing Fishery Stock Assessments Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Northeast Fisheries Science Center Sign Up for Email Updates @NOAAFish_GARFO @NOAAFish_NEFSC NOAAFisheriesNEMA noaafisheriesnewenglandmidatl Featured News Feature Story Righting the Course of Distrust Through Collaboration New England/Mid-Atlantic Feature Story Western Atlantic Provides Refuge for Bluefin Tuna New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Feature Story Celebrating our Top Taggers for Citizen Science Month New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Feature Story Scientists and the Fishing Industry Join Forces for Better Data and Management (Part 2) New England/Mid-Atlantic Leadership Message 50 Years of Innovation and Leadership: Celebrating the Magnuson-Stevens Act Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National International View More News Notices & Rules Fisheries Framework Adjustment 17 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Protected Resources Incidental Take Authorization: Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to the Francis Scott Key Bridge Rebuild Project in Baltimore, Maryland New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Protected Resources Incidental Take Authorization: Tradepoint TiL Terminal, LLC's Sparrows Point Container Terminal Project in Baltimore County, MD New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Proposed Rule: Pelagic and Demersal Indicator Species Regulations for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Protected Resources Incidental Take Authorization: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory's Marine Geophysical Survey in the Western Central Atlantic Ocean New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic More Fisheries Notices & Rules More Protected Resources Regs & Actions Upcoming Events Management Track Community Input Apr 30, 2026 New England/Mid-Atlantic May 2026 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel Meeting May 12, 2026 - May 14, 2026 New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Ocean Fun Days 2026 May 17, 2026 New England/Mid-Atlantic Peer Review: 2026 June Management Track Assessments Jun 29, 2026 - Jun 30, 2026 New England/Mid-Atlantic Longfin Inshore Squid: 2026 Research Track Peer Review Aug 3, 2026 - Aug 7, 2026 New England/Mid-Atlantic More Events Bulletins Closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area for Limited Access General Category Vessels New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Commercial Fishing Allowed in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Golden and Blueline Tilefish Specifications Proposed Rule New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Fishing Year Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Allocations New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Fishing Year Limited Access Allocations for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic More Bulletins Open Funding Opportunities Fiscal Year 2024–2026: Broad Agency Announcement National National Species Recovery Grants to States Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National NOAA Great Lakes Fish Habitat Restoration Partnership Grants New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic More Opportunities Featured Highlights NOAA Fisheries Seeks Recommendations for Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Uncrewed Vehicle Helps Fill Data Gaps in Northeast’s Difficult-to-Reach Areas New England/Mid-Atlantic Industry Spoke and We Listened: Communications Effort Focuses on Groundfish Monitoring and Amendment 23 Development New England/Mid-Atlantic New Calculator Helps Oyster Growers Measure the Water Quality Benefits of Farms New England/Mid-Atlantic Science Overview New England and Mid-Atlantic Marine Life and Ecosystem Science The Northeast Fisheries Science Center supports the sustainable management and conservation of marine life. Find scientific reports and research program information. 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 Sharks Socioeconomics Numbers from Fish Milford GoPro Project Population Biology Resource Evaluation Fishery Monitoring Ecosystem Monitoring Ecosystems & Habitats Wind Energy Fishery Observers State of the Ecosystem Fishery Stock Assessments Climate Change in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem Ecosystem Dynamics Habitat Conservation Resource Surveys Protected Species Protected Species Gear Research Passive Acoustics Cetacean Map Whales and Dolphins Seals AMAPPS Mammal Sighting Mapping Tool Sea Turtles Atlantic Salmon Ecosystem Research Resources Shark Tagging Woods Hole Science Aquarium Publications Fun Facts about Sea Life Voices Science Highlights E-Newsletter March 2026 Field Fresh Blogs More Information Fishery Stock Assessments Surveys in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic National Overview: Science & Data Marine Aquaculture Cooperative Research Ecosystem Monitoring Ecosystem Assessment Fishery Monitoring Science News & Blogs Feature Story Righting the Course of Distrust Through Collaboration Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Commercial fishing net gear at the port of Shinnecock, New York. The Cost Survey team collects cost data related to gear repairs and replacement. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Heather Soulen Feature Story Western Atlantic Provides Refuge for Bluefin Tuna Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Atlantic bluefin tuna. Credit: Tag A Giant Science Blog Groundfish Gut Check: Partnering with the Fishing Industry to Update Groundfish Data New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Data collection setup with haddock resting on top of magnetic length board. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Hannah Ciarametaro Feature Story Scientists and the Fishing Industry Join Forces for Better Data and Management (Part 2) Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Leadership Message 50 Years of Innovation and Leadership: Celebrating the Magnuson-Stevens Act Leadership Message Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National International Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National International U.S. Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Warren Magnuson (D-WA), 1973. More News Fisheries Overview New England and Mid-Atlantic Commercial and Recreational Fishing Resources Find permits, reporting forms, rules, and regulations for commercial and recreational fisheries in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. 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 Vessel and Dealer Trip Reporting Vessel Monitoring Vessel and Dealer Permitting Fish Online (Log-in Required. Access permits, reporting, and other services) Marine Mammal Authorization Program for Commercial Fishermen Northeast Fisheries Sampling and Monitoring Quota Monitoring and Landing Reports Discard Methodology Recreational Fishing Saltwater Recreational Fishing in the Greater Atlantic Region What Can I Catch? Angler Permits (Issued by States) Owner/Operator Permits Charter/Party Permit Requirements Reporting Requirements Permits Office Fishing Tips to Protect Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals Research Fishery Stock Assessments Northeast Aquaculture Cooperative Research Ocean Ecosystem Monitoring Ecosystem Surveys Fishery Acoustic Research How Climate Change Affects Fisheries Food Web Dynamics Resources Maps and Charts NOAA Navigator Federal Fishing Regulations Fishery Laws and Policies Notices & Rules in the Federal Register Open for Comment Research Set-Aside Programs More Information Fishing Industry Home Page Species We Manage Funding Opportunities Fishery Population Dynamics Fishery Population Biology Social Sciences Contact Regional Staff Northeast Fisheries Science Center Staff Fisheries News Closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine Scallop Management Area for Limited Access General Category Vessels New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Commercial Fishing Allowed in Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Golden and Blueline Tilefish Specifications Proposed Rule New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Fishing Year Limited Access General Category Individual Fishing Quota Allocations New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic 2026 Fishing Year Limited Access Allocations for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic More News Protected Marine Life Overview New England and Mid-Atlantic Marine Life Conservation and Recovery Resources We protect, conserve, and manage protected marine mammals, fish, invertebrates, and sea turtles. Find information on our protected species programs. 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 Section 7 Consultations Sea Turtle Program Reducing Ship Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales Learn about sturgeon (SCUTES) Celebrate Endangered Species Day Protected Species Surveys Viewing Marine Life Watching Wildlife in New England/Mid-Atlantic Share the Shore with Seals Responsible Whale Watching Tours AMAPPS Marine Mammal Model Viewer See a Spout, Watch Out! Whale Alert App What Can You Do To Save Sea Turtles? Research Protected Species Research in the Northeast Marine Mammal Passive Acoustic Projects Seal Ecology & Assessment Sea Turtle Ecology & Dynamics Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species Atlantic Salmon Recovery Using Artificial Intelligence Protecting Marine Life Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Atlantic Trawl Take Reduction Team Harbor Porpoise Take Reduction Plan North Atlantic Right Whale Recovery Plan Northeast U.S. Implementation Team Sea Turtle Disentanglement Network Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Network Greater Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Network More Information National Overview: Protecting Marine Life Report a Stranded Marine Animal Marine Mammal Protection Act Endangered Species Act Protected Species Research Contact Regional Staff Marine Life News Feature Story Seal and Sea Lion Week Feature Story Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Seal & Sea Lion Week is March 23–27, 2026. Feature Story Messaging Mariners in Real Time to Reduce North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strikes Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast North Atlantic right whale #4150 “Accordion” and her first calf swimming close to the shipping lanes at the entrance to the Port of New York and New Jersey. Accordion is named for the propeller scars on her back that resemble the musical instrument. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Tim Cole, taken under NOAA permit #27066. Feature Story Dead Sperm Whale Washes Ashore on Nantucket Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Team members attach a solar-powered satellite tag to the dead sperm whale, while lines secure it onshore for examination. Credit: Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket. NOAA Permit #24359 Feature Story NOAA Announces Confirmed U.S. Large Whale Entanglement Numbers for 2024 Feature Story Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Credit: NOAA/Maria Harvey Feature Story Where the Copepods Are: Prey Data Can Improve Right Whale Models Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic More News Habitat Overview New England and Mid-Atlantic Habitat Conservation and Restoration Resources We conserve habitats to boost fish populations, recover threatened and endangered species, and support communities. Find information on our habitat programs. 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 Conservation and Stewardship Hydropower and Fish Passage Habitat Focus Areas River Herring Forum Contact Regional Office Staff Habitat and Ecosystem Research Multispecies & Ecosystem Modeling Monitoring the Northeast Ecosystem Habitat Ecology Habitat Modeling State of the Ecosystem Consultations Essential Fish Habitat Consultations Essential Fish Habitat Mapping Tool Frequent Questions About EFH Programmatic Consultations Environmental Consultation Organizer (ECO) Habitat Restoration Ripple Effects of Atlantic Salmon Conservation Find a Restoration Project Near You Reopening Rivers for Migratory Fish More Information National Overview: Habitat Conservation Aquaculture Offshore Wind Energy Development Chesapeake Bay Habitat News in the Northeast Habitat News Leadership Message 50 Years of Innovation and Leadership: Celebrating the Magnuson-Stevens Act Leadership Message Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National International Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National International U.S. Senators Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Warren Magnuson (D-WA), 1973. Feature Story Habitat Restoration in the Great Lakes: By the Numbers Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Aerial view of Belle Isle in the Detroit River. Credit: Friends of the Detroit River. Feature Story Muskegon Lake Removed from List of Most Degraded Great Lakes Sites Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic The Bear Creek project site, post-restoration. Credit: Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership. Feature Story Habitat Restoration Helps Put Anglers Back on the Pier, Hikers Back on the Trail Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast The reconstruction of the 7th Street Boat Ramp and expanded parking lot in Wilmington, Delaware restored access to the Delaware River for the entire community—from boaters to hikers to birdwatchers. Credit: Tim Furlong, NBC10 Channel Philadelphia Feature Story Interactive Tool Gives Virginia Communities Data on Economic Effects of Marshes and Living Shorelines Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Virginia's Middle Peninsula includes marshes and varied shorelines. Photo: Chesapeake Bay Program/Will Parson. More News Species Overview New England and Mid-Atlantic Managed and Protected Marine Species Find a list of federally managed or protected fish, invertebrates, sea turtles, and mammals in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region. 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. Well over 100 species, including finfish, shellfish, urchins, and seaweeds, are landed in the Northeast. Credit NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Mackerel Atlantic Herring Atlantic Cod Longfin Squid Atlantic Sea Scallop Bluefish Haddock Shortfin Squid Atlantic Halibut Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna North Atlantic Right Whale American Lobster View All More Information Find a Species ESA Threatened and Endangered Species All Species Sharks Species News Feature Story Western Atlantic Provides Refuge for Bluefin Tuna Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast Atlantic bluefin tuna. Credit: Tag A Giant Feature Story Celebrating our Top Taggers for Citizen Science Month Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast New England/Mid-Atlantic Southeast A white marlin tagged with a spaghetti tag, getting ready to be released. Photo courtesy of Chris Jobes. Feature Story Scientists and the Fishing Industry Join Forces for Better Data and Management (Part 2) Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Feature Story Scientists and the Fishing Industry Join Forces for Better Data and Management (Part 1) Feature Story New England/Mid-Atlantic New England/Mid-Atlantic Feature Story Seal and Sea Lion Week Feature Story Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Alaska New England/Mid-Atlantic Pacific Islands Southeast West Coast National Seal & Sea Lion Week is March 23–27, 2026. More News