Agency Actions
NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, is an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce. In the New England/Mid-Atlantic region, the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office and Northeast Fisheries Science Center work to maintain sustainable fisheries and protect marine life.
Public Notices with Open Comment Periods
Request for Information and Public Listening Session – Future Aquaculture Opportunity Areas
In July 2026, NOAA issued a request for information (RFI) to collect information to help identify the next geographic region(s) of focus for Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA) identification (read the complete Federal Register Notice). Input will be accepted through September 14, 2026. The public input provided in response to the RFI will inform NOAA as it works with other Federal agencies, Regional Fishery Management Councils, and in coordination with state, jurisdictional and tribal governments to identify AOAs nationally. A listening session is scheduled for August 31, 2026 from 3-4pm EDT. Comments will be accepted at the meeting. Register to attend the Public Listening Session. Read the RFI and submit comments.
NOAA Fisheries Announces 60-Day Scoping Period for the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
On August 17, 2026, NOAA Fisheries opened a 60-day public scoping period, closing October 16, 2026, as the next step in developing recommendations that may lead to proposed modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP), in response to a Congressional mandate that new regulations for the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries be in place by December 31, 2028. NOAA is seeking input on potential amendments to the ALWTRP and on the impact of existing and innovative U.S. commercial fixed gear used in these fisheries on North Atlantic right whales, humpback and fin whales along the East Coast; comments will inform the 2026 and 2027 Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team meetings and the NEPA analysis of a 2028 ALWTRP amendment. The request for input on the scope of future regulations was formalized in a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental analysis. Read the full announcement and submit comments.
Past Public Notices with Closed Comment Periods
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Amend the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule
On March 4, 2026, NOAA published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to consider possible deregulatory action to modify and modernize the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Speed Rule. To ensure NOAA crafts durable programs that consider both conservation and the economic vitality of coastal communities, they are requesting information on ways to reduce unnecessary regulatory and economic burdens while maintaining or enhancing conservation efficacy for the North Atlantic right whale.
NOAA is specifically seeking information concerning the following topics:
- The Effectiveness of Technologies to Reduce Vessel Strikes with Whales
- Vessel-size-specific Risk Assessment
- Alternative Management Areas
- Safety Deviation Provision Improvements
- Efficacy of Existing Speed Rule
- Economic Impacts on Industry (including impacts to small entities)
The public comment period closed on June 2, 2026.
Several datasets in the Data Explorer relate to North Atlantic right whales and maritime safety. View an example map that shows:
- North Atlantic right whale seasonal management areas
- North Atlantic right whale dynamic management areas
- Proposed right whale seasonal speed zones (proposed in 2022)
- North Atlantic right whale monthly abundance, predicted (April)
Draft Regional Standards for the Offshore Wind Project-Level Monitoring
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) solicited public comment on the Draft Regional Standards for the Offshore Wind Project-Level Monitoring, or monitoring standards. These are the recommended regional monitoring standards for evaluating the effects of fixed-foundation offshore wind development on the marine ecosystem. Public feedback will help the NEFSC refine the monitoring standards. The deadline to provide feedback was November 3, 2025.
Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
In September 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Fish and Wildlife Service jointly released for public review and comment a Draft Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the proposed Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Several maps in the document included data from the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. The Portal coordinated with NOAA to make interactive versions of the maps available on the Portal to support the public review process.
Proposed Designation of a Southern New England Habitat Area of Particular Concern
In September 2023, NOAA Fisheries published a Proposed Rule that would identify a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) offshore of Southern New England. The proposed HAPC would focus conservation recommendations on cod spawning habitats and other important benthic habitats for fish. The Portal supported the public review process by enabling people to view the proposed HAPC boundaries with any other data of interest.
Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment
The US Secretary of Commerce in 2021 implemented the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Deep-Sea Coral Amendment to help protect deep-sea corals in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Development of the Amendment took several years with extensive public involvement and collaboration among multiple entities. Beginning in 2017, the Northeast Ocean Data Portal collaborated with NOAA Fisheries and other partners to provide online interactive mapping to inform decision-making and public comment.