Captain Sonny Gwin fishes onboard his boat, F/V Skilligalee
NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center is preparing its annual State of the Ecosystem reports for the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils. These reports are designed to give managers a complete picture of current ecosystem conditions in the Greater Atlantic.
The Center is looking for industry input for the 2025 Highlights section, with a focus on unusual or unexpected conditions observed during the 2025 fishing season. Examples of helpful observations include:
Did you see species in different places or at different times of the year than you normally see them?
Were water temperatures warmer/colder than normal, or were there any other unusual conditions on the water that you observed?
Are you catching anything unusual?
Last year, members of the fishing community reported a number of unusual conditions, including low abundance of some species (such as longfin squid) in traditional fishing areas, observations of some species (such as Atlantic mackerel) outside of typical fishing grounds, and delayed fishing activity due to later-than-usual seasonal migrations.
If you’ve noticed anything unusual this season, send a quick note to northeast.ecosystem.highlights@noaa.gov. Your input will help ensure the report reflects real-world conditions on the water. Observations can be submitted at any time; however, to be considered for inclusion in the next report, input should be received by January 9, 2026.