Upcoming

Meetings

October 6-8: MAFMC October Meeting

October 13: Black Drum Technical Commitee Meeting

October 14-15: ACCSP Recreational Technical Committee and MRIP Wave Meeting

October 19: Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Subcommittee Check-In

November 9-12: ASMFC 2026 Annual Meeting

November 16: Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Subcommittee Check-In

November 19: Maryland Water Monitoring Council 32nd Annual Conference

December 7: Atlantic Striped Bass Stock Assessment Subcommittee Check-In

December 7-11: SAFMC December Meeting

December 8-10: NEFMC December Meeting

December 14-17: MAFMC December Meeting

January 26-28: ASMFC 2027 Winter Meeting

Jobs



Bycatch Analyst -- Azura (Remote)

(Due: October 7)

Marine Fisheries Management Section Leader -- FL FWC (Tallahassee, FL)

(Due: October 9)

Climate Resilient Fisheries Postdoctoral Research Associate -- Gulf of Maine Research Institute

(Due: October 9)

Marine Fisheries Executive Assistant for Councils -- NC DEQ (Carteret Cnty., NC)

(Due: October 10)

OPS Fisheries & Wildlife Bio Scientist IV -- FL FWC (Jacksonville, FL)

(Due: October 12)

Assistant Director of Research -- Virginia Sea Grant, VIMS

(Due: October 14)

Fellowships and Internships Coordinator -- Virginia Sea Grant, VIMS

(Due: October 14)

F&W Research Scientist 3 -- NJ DEP (Oxford, NJ)

(Due: October 15)

Administrative Specialist I (Reporting Assistant) -- MD DNR (Anne Arundel, MD)

(Due: October 15)

Assistant Director of Research -- VIMS (Gloucester Point, VA)

(Due: October 20)

Assistant Chief for Statewide Programs (Freshwater Fisheries) -- SC DNR (Lexington Cnty., SC)

(Due: October 23)

F&W Biologist Trainee -- NJ DEP (Port Republic, NJ)

(Due: October 26)


Senior Research Scientists -- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (East Boothbay, ME)

(Due: November 1)

Fisheries Aging Lab Specialist -- VMRC (Hampton, VA)

(Due: November 1)

Reef Fish and Shrimp Fisheries Observer -- AIS to support SEFCS (North Myrtle Beach, SC)

(Open until filled)

Fisheries Liaison Officer -- AIS (multiple locations)

(Open until filled)

DNR Law Enforcement -- GA DNR (Regional)

(Open until filled)

Public Comment

October 9: ASMFC seeks public comment on Draft Addendum II to Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden to consider modifying the Chesapeake Bay reduction fishery cap. Comments may be made through October 9.

(Find more here)

October 13: NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on revisions to fishing gear regulations in Atlantic highly migratory species fisheries. Comments may be made through October 13.

(Find more here)

October 14: NOAA Fisheries seeks public comment on ropeless fishing from fishery participants and others with specialized knowledge on the potential voluntary use of ropeless fishing gear. Comments may be made through October 14.

(Find more here)

October 16: NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Analysis assessing potential modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan. Comments may be made through October 16.

(Find more here)

October 19: MD DNR seeks public comment on byctach in striped bass gill nets. Comments may be made through October 19.

(Find more here)

October 30: GA DNR CRD seeks public comment on proposed reef, migratory fish endorsement rules. Comments may be made through October 30.

(Find more here)

November 3: A stakeholder-inclusive Regional Fund Administrator seeks public comment on Draft Regional Offshore Wind Fisheries Compensation Framework. Comments may be made through November 3.

(Find more here)

ASMFC: 2nd Edition of the Guide to Fisheries Science and Stock Assessments Released in Printable Format

In addition to the StoryMap, the PDF version of the Commission’s new edition of the Guide to Fisheries Science and Stock Assessments (Guide) is now available. Both formats are fundamentally the same, differing only in how readers interact with them. While some may have already explored the StoryMap, we encourage everyone to also check out the PDF, which more closely mirrors the original 2009 edition and can be easily downloaded or printed.

The new edition substantially revises the original edition, using clearer, more concise language to make the content more approachable for anyone interested in learning how stock assessments are conducted and used by managers. It revises the order of some sections to improve readability, refreshes many of the figures used to better support the concepts being discussed, and updates outdated information, such as the types of stock assessment models used by the Commission. Even with these changes, the Guide retains the information readers need to understand fisheries science and how the Commission uses stock assessments to coordinate the management of marine fisheries.

Whatever a reader’s background or experience level, the Commission hopes the Guide will be a useful tool for understanding fisheries science, the process of conducting a stock assessment, and how the Commission uses assessment finding to inform management action.

Find more information here.

MA DMF: 2025 Annual Report Available Now

The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is proud to share our accomplishments over the past year in our 2025 annual report.

This issue of DMF's annual report highlights the impactful work our team and partners do to manage the Commonwealth's living marine resources and support sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries.

Dive into this year's report to learn more about management actions supporting Massachusetts fisheries and protected marine species, fisheries research and monitoring projects, new outreach initiatives, and the numbers behind fishery health. 

Find more information here.

FL FWC: Seeking Public Input on African Pompano Management

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants to hear from you about African pompano! We invite you to attend an upcoming virtual public workshop to contribute your feedback on potential updates for the management of African pompano.

Each virtual workshop will include a presentation on pompano biology, the status of the fishery, current regulations, and potential updates to commercial and recreational management. After the presentation, the public can ask questions and provide public comments on possible regulation changes. Feedback from these workshops will be considered ahead of a proposed final rule hearing anticipated for the March 2027 Commission meeting. 

Find more information here.

GA DNR: Georgia’s Reporting Platform VESL Goes Live for use during 14-Day October Red Snapper Season

As of today, anglers can now complete their account registrations on Georgia’s VESL, an electronic reporting platform developed by Bluefin Data LLC. It is accessible through apps on iPhone and Android, as well as through the website. Before leaving on a fishing trip, each participating private angler must use VESL to declare the trip and receive a unique trip authorization code. That code must be available for inspection by law enforcement while fishing. Participation is open to private anglers with a valid Georgia recreational fishing license and Saltwater Information Program Permit, as well as appropriately permitted charter vessels and headboats.

Georgia recreational anglers will have 14 days to harvest red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in federal waters this October under a newly issued Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) that will also test a new state-led system for collecting recreational fishing data.

Find more information here.

NC DEQ: Recreational Anglers Can Donate Red Snapper Carcasses to Science for Chance to Win Fishing Reels

The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) carcasses from recreational fishermen during the 2026 federal recreational Red Snapper fishing season, held Oct. 9-11. The carcasses will be used for research purposes. Recreational anglers who donate their legally harvested Red Snapper carcass and complete the required catch-card (one person per fish per card) will be entered to win one of the grand prizes (limit one prize per person).

Find more information here.

NYS DEC: DEC and Partners Will Host 5,000 Student at 24th Annual "Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor"

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced that thousands of students on October 6 will visit shorefronts along the Hudson River Estuary and New York Harbor piers to collect data on the Hudson's fish and invertebrates, track the river's tides and currents, and examine water chemistry and quality during the 24th annual celebration of Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor.

"More than 5,000 student scientists will participate in DEC's Day in the Life event to learn about the tidal Hudson’s diverse habitats, fish and wildlife,” said Commissioner Lefton. “By turning the Hudson River into a classroom, DEC is engaging students of all ages and backgrounds with their local ecosystem to help foster a lifelong connection to environmental conservation.”

Find more information here.

MD DNR: Marking Five Years of Upward Trajectory for Oyster Populations

A new Maryland Department of Natural Resources report details the significant growth of the oyster population and substantial progress toward the state’s oyster management goals for the past five years.

The report is part of the department’s commitment to assess the three areas of oyster management—sanctuaries, public fishery areas, and aquaculture—every five years. 

On Friday, the department released the 2021-2025 Oyster Management Review, which found that the state has met or made positive progress toward its objectives in all three areas. The review looks back on a highly productive five-year period, which saw the highest averages for Maryland oyster reproduction, habitat availability, and overall biomass in decades, as well as low levels of disease and observed mortality.

Find more information here.