Because of the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges those are creating, NOAA Fisheries are cancelling three research surveys off the Northeast United States.
The cancelled surveys include those for sea scallop, Atlantic surfclam/ocean quahog, and an advanced technology survey investigating the ocean’s mesopelagic layer—the “twilight zone.”
Since March, NOAA Fisheries has been rigorously analyzing various options for conducting cruises this year and are taking a survey-by-survey, risk-based approach.
After much deliberation, it decided that there was no way to move forward with these surveys while effectively minimizing risk and meeting core survey objectives.
While the two cancelled resource surveys are important fishery-independent sources of data for sea scallop, Atlantic surfclam, and ocean quahog, the organization will continue these typically annual surveys next year when this national health crisis improves.
In the meantime, it will work with the two regional fishery management councils to mitigate the impacts from the loss of survey data this year.
The third survey, advanced technology, is a partnership between NOAA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow supports a one-of-a-kind sampling unit used to investigate the ocean layer just below light penetration and we look forward to continuing this research in the future.
These cancellations follow similar decisions about ship-based work NOAA Fisheries had planned for April, May, and June.
NOAA Fisheries is also continuing to assess the status of other surveys in the region and working through numerous survey scenarios relative to community pandemic safeguards and safe work practices, so that it maximizes the science available for fisheries management in this challenging year.
