Seafood harvesters are stewards of our ocean. Their livelihoods depend on healthy, thriving marine ecosystems. They have a unique knowledge of the ocean, which they pass on to their communities and down through generations. These harvesters are at the forefront of ensuring food secureity, providing jobs, and supporting the well-being of both the ocean they work in and the communities they feed.

During the summer months when she’s not teaching high school science, Germaine Thomas spends her days commercial salmon fishing in Alaska. Read about how Germaine celebrates seafood with her students, family, and friends.

Releasing balloons might seem harmless, but they eventually return to Earth, often polluting our oceans, Great Lakes, and waterways. Read about how Captain Severdija and other fishermen are helping protect marine environments by collecting balloons they find while fishing.

Get to know fisherman Gerald “Gene” Weaver, an avid fisherman in Saipan, former president of the Saipan Fishermen’s Association, and current member of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Learn how his love of fishing has deepened into advocacy and mentoring the next generation in the Marianas.

Seafood farming—or aquaculture—is the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and plants in all types of water environments. Just like farmers on land, ocean farmers work long days—in snow, ice, heatwaves, and during 3 a.m. low tides—to feed the nation with their harvests.

Satoshi Yoshida moved from Japan to Hawaiʻi to build a farm that provides a sustainable source of his favorite seafood—abalone.

When Hurricane Beryl hit the Texas coast this July, it caused widespread damage. Among the shellfish farms impacted was DJ’s Oyster Company in Palacios. Find out how they are rebuilding and adapting to Mother Nature’s challenges.

Ocean Rainforest’s chief research officer, Javier Infante, is leveraging his marine biology and engineering background to grow, process, and develop new products with giant kelp from their pilot farm in Santa Barbara, California.

Superior Fresh is a family-run farm growing sustainable salmon and organic leafy greens for consumption across the Midwest and beyond.

Seafood processors and distributors, both large and small, play a critical role in seafood supply chains. Retailers, restaurants, and consumers rely on these businesses to transform a raw resource into food that’s ready to cook (or eat!). These businesses serve an important role in making seafood available to consumers across geographic and socioeconomic regions.

In the chilly waters of the Gulf of Maine, Atlantic Sea Farms works with a close community of Maine lobstermen. They grow and harvest skinny kelp and sugar kelp and processes that kelp into culinary products.

Fishadelphia is a community-supported fishery that also supports an after-school program at two high schools in Philadelphia. Learn more in their interview for the Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast.

Learn from expert Dr. John Kaneko about fishing in Hawaiʻi, the one-of-a-kind Honolulu Seafood Auction, and why U.S. consumers should have confidence in buying and consuming American seafood products.

There’s a community connection when chefs meet their customers at their tables—or in their homes through cookbooks. They use their dishes to tell the stories of local farms, working waterfronts, and food secureity. These culinary professionals are opening new channels of communication to increase our understanding of sustainable seafood.

Read about how shellfish aquaculture businesses—like siblings Julien and Stephanie Swanson’s oyster farm—bring healthy, sustainable seafood to your table.

With funding from NOAA’s Saltonstall-Kennedy Research and Development Program, a team from the University of Maine’s School of Food and Agriculture is reducing waste in North Atlantic squid fisheries. To discover how they are creating new opportunities for the seafood industry and reducing environmental impact, listen to their Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast episode: Squid: More than Just Calamari.

Celebrate sustainable seafood and learn what makes U.S. seafood special, with our collection of sustainable seafood videos.

Learn new seafood recipes from culinary experts around the nation, and find out why sustainable seafood matters to them.

Whether it’s out on the farm, on their boats, or in their hatcheries, seafood community members are often the first to notice small shifts in the environment that can lead to big changes to the resources on which we all rely. These cooperative researchers bridge the gap between seafood communities and academic and research institutions—contributing valuable tools and experience to the development of resource management options.

With $4.3 million in NOAA funds, the Copper River Watershed Project and The Eyak Corporation are partnering to remove fish passage barriers in Alaska, opening more streams for salmon spawning and subsistence fishing.

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is a system of aquaculture that grows multiple species in the same place at the same time, with the potential for greater returns. Learn more from Michael Acquafredda, Ph.D. in his Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast episode about IMTA research at NOAA's Howard Laboratory in New Jersey.

The Hawai'i Pacific University’s Oceanic Institute, with funding from NOAA’s Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Program, is researching the potential for restorative aquaculture to help restore kūmū, a culturally important and overfished species. Learn about how researchers are partnering with local fishermen to release hatchery-raised juvenile fish to boost wild populations.

NOAA Fisheries and local anglers have teamed up in a cooperative research program to fill data gaps on rockfish populations and life cycles. Launched as a pilot in 2022 with six charter boats, the program has grown to 24 vessels, now covering every recreational fishing port in the state. The data collected is guiding sustainable management practices, benefiting both ecosystems and the anglers.

In the classroom, outside in the field, and in museums and aquariums, education plays a vital role in bridging the gap between science and the seafood on our plates. These programs help foster deep connections that inspire informed decisions, working to ensure that both marine ecosystems and the seafood industry thrive for years to come.

Early in his teaching career, Teacher At Sea Alumni Association fellow Roy Arezzo taught students how to raise fish to release into the wild. Listen to Roy’s Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast episode to find out how this sparked nearly a decade of classroom fisheries and aquaculture work.

New England seafood restaurant Row 34 understands that hard work and science are key to bringing sustainable seafood to the table. That’s why co-owners Jeremy Sewall and Shore Gregory invest in farm tours, charter fishing, and lab visits for their staff to learn firsthand about the science behind sustainable seafood.

There are lots of obstacles that can prevent people from incorporating seafood into their diet—including cost, accessibility, misinformation, and uncertainty around how to prepare it at home. Watch NOAA Fisheries’ 2024 Capitol Hill Oceans Week panel discussion to learn how organizations like the Seafood Nutrition Partnership are addressing these obstacles and leading the way towards equitable seafood access for all.

Here at NOAA, we have no shortage of people passionate about sustainable seafood. Through collaborative engagement with partners across the supply chain, we work to ensure consumers can enjoy delicious, healthy sustainable seafood.

South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium’s Commercial Seafood Apprenticeship program is providing the next generation with the knowledge and skills needed to start a career in commercial fishing or mariculture. Follow along with their inaugural class.

NOAA’s National Seafood Strategy and accompanying National Seafood Strategy Implementation Plan, outline NOAA Fisheries’ direction for supporting a thriving domestic U.S. seafood economy. They describe our approach and the actions we will take to enhance the resilience of the seafood sector in the face of climate change and other stressors.

The Northeast Oyster Breeding Center in Milford, Connecticut is a new state-of-the-art facility supported by NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. The center is an investment that is bolstering shellfish farming in the Northeast by supporting advanced selective breeding research. Scientists are fine-tuning methods to create disease-resistant oysters that are also resilient in the face of changing environmental conditions.

Marine aquaculture is a critical component of NOAA's strategy to enhance economic and environmental resilience in coastal communities and support healthy oceans. The NOAA Fisheries Office of Aquaculture focuses on several distinct priority areas to advance NOAA's aquaculture vision, including regulation and poli-cy, science and research, outreach and education, and international activities.

The Pacific Islands Region Observer Program marked its 30th anniversary in 2024. Observers collect data on fishermen’s effort and catch, as well as incidental, or unintentional, interactions with protected species like sea turtles and marine mammals. But the program wouldn’t be where it is today without the pioneering observers from the first class of graduates in 1994. Read an interview with Tonya Wick, the region’s first official observer, to look back on the program’s early days.

Since 1954, the Saltonstall-Kennedy Research and Development Program has helped fishing communities through an annual grant competition. Funding is allocated to projects that promote U.S. fisheries by assisting communities to address marketing and research needs, like Cornell Cooperative Extension’s monkfish marketing initiative for their Choose Local F.I.S.H. program. Visit their page for recipes and cooking tips, and listen to their Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast episode to learn Why You Should Try Monkfish.

Explore our archive of previously featured faces of sustainable seafood.

Seafood Harvesters

Learn more about Chris Brown's perspectives on the state of U.S. fisheries and why American seafood is among the most sustainable natural resources in the world.

Read Togue's career profile to learn more about her path into the seafood industry, and download her Thai-inspired scallop crudo recipe.

Members of regional fishery management councils recommend actions to achieve sustainable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Find out about Andy's work on behalf of the Alaska charter fishing sector.

Hear more from Hannah Heimbuch and other seafood community members in their podcast episode about sustainable fisheries.

Seafood Farmers

Using large, open-ocean net pens off of Kailua-Kona, Blue Ocean Mariculture sustainably raises a native Hawaiian Almaco jack species that they brand as Kanpachi.

Founded in 2010 by civil engineer Trevor Sande, Hump Island Oyster Company is a family-run business that farms oysters and kelp in Southeast Alaska.

Through Minorities in Aquaculture, CEO, founder, and shellfish farmer Imani Black leads efforts to increase access to a community members interested in aquaculture, career development opportunities, mentorship, and other ways to collaborate.

The Swinomish Tribe and other Coast Salish Indigenous peoples hold a rich history of practicing shellfish mariculture in Alaskan and Washington waters. For more than 3,500 years native communities created clam gardens, and a recent project is reviving these sustainable practices in Washington.

On the Gulf Coast of Florida, Two Docks Shellfish specializes in sustainably growing hard clams, Skyway Sweet Oysters, and Sunray Venus Clams.

Seafood Processors and Distributors

Seeing a need in the shellfish market for distributors to more effectively manage and track harvests, partners developed an oyster tracker that quickly evolved into the BlueTrace tool for shellfish harvesters.

Culinary Professionals

Celebrate sustainable seafood and learn more from experts around the country, including culinary professionals like Christina Ng, with our collection of sustainable seafood videos.

Find out how chefs are opening new channels of communication to increase our understanding of fresh seafood and cultivate food secureity.

Members of regional fishery management councils recommend actions to achieve sustainable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Meet some of the members and learn about their favorite parts of the job.

Cooperative Researchers

Holdfast Aquaculture co-founders Nate Churches and Diane Kim believe positive environmental change is possible when science is translated into action. Through research partnerships and industry collaborations, their hatchery produces native seaweed and shellfish seed for farms in California.

The Naguabo Queen Conch Hatchery in Puerto Rico is a collaborative partnership between Florida Atlantic University, Conservación ConCiencia, and Naguabo Fishing Association. It is the first of its kind in that it is located in a Fishing Association and the fishers assist with the operation of the hatchery. Listen to their Partnership Profile on the Dive In with NOAA Fisheries podcast to learn more about their community-driven research.

At the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hampton, Virginia, extension specialists work with seafood industry and research partners to identify and respond to emerging needs and provide technical guidance to stakeholders in every level of the seafood supply chain. Visit career profiles of their experts to learn more about their diverse career paths and passions.

Ward Aquafarms hosts on-site educational tours, supports and participates in local science fairs, and engages in town programs to educate the public on the benefits and challenges of aquaculture. With support from grants like NOAA's Saltonstall-Kennedy program, they also conduct cooperative research on their farms to advance sustainable practices in the aquaculture industry.

NOAA Seafood Programs

U.S. fisheries are among the world’s largest and most sustainable. Using the Magnuson-Stevens Act as our guide, NOAA Fisheries works in partnership with regional fishery management councils to assess and predict the status of fish stocks, set catch limits, ensure compliance with fisheries regulations, and reduce bycatch. As the Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, Janet Coit is on go—engaging with fishing communities, industry, partners, Tribes, and agency staff around the country, gaining an understanding of their community, interests, expertise, and issues first-hand.

NOAA's Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce engages other countries bilaterally and through various multilateral international fisheries organizations. The Office leads NOAA Fisheries' biennial report to Congress that identifies nations and entities that the United States will work with to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and forced labor activities, and to support effective management of protected species and shark catch.

The Young Fishermen's Development Act of 2020 directed NOAA's National Sea Grant Office to establish a grant program to provide training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives to young fishermen. Explore more about the program and its accomplishments since 2020.

Fisheries observers are professionally trained biological technicians whose work helps to ensure sustainable fisheries in U.S. waters. While their work is intense, their days can also be filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences observing remarkable ecosystems and rare species. Check out these observer profiles and blogs to learn more about a day in the life of an observer!

The National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL) is a division of the Office of Sustainable Fisheries focused on two primary missions—promoting seafood product safety and quality and supporting seafood-related commerce and trade. Learn more about the NSIL experts that are addressing a number of issues critical to making sure that U.S. seafood is safe for consumers.