Legal Status
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was formed on October 3, 1970, by Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. app.).
NOAA's mission entails environmental assessment, prediction, and stewardship. It is dedicated to monitoring and assessing the state of the environment in order to make accurate and timely forecasts to protect life, property, and natural resources, as well as to promote the economic well-being of the United States and to enhance its environmental security. NOAA is committed to protecting America's ocean, coastal, and living marine resources while promoting sustainable economic development.
- Parent Agency
- Commerce Department
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Licensing Private Remote Sensing Space Systems
Commerce is considering revisions to its regulations for the licensing of private remote sensing space systems, currently administered by NOAA. These revisions would facilitate the continued growth of this critical industry and update the regulatory regime to address significant technological developments, new business models, and increased...
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Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico
NMFS has received a petition for an incidental take regulation (ITR) from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The requested ITR would govern the authorization of take of small numbers of marine mammals over the course of five years incidental to geophysical survey activities conducted by industry operators in Federal waters of the U.S....
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Endangered and Threatened Species; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Endangered New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina and South Atlantic Distinct Population Segments of Atlantic Sturgeon and the Threatened Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Sturgeon
We (NMFS) are issuing this final rule to designate critical habitat for the threatened Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered New York Bight DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Chesapeake Bay DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon and the endangered South...
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Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposes to designate approximately 52 square miles of waters encompassing and surrounding Maryland's Mallows Bay as the Mallows Bay--Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary (MPNMS or sanctuary). NOAA also proposes regulations to implement the sanctuary designation and establish the...
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Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; Seafood Import Monitoring Program
Pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), this final rule establishes permitting, reporting and recordkeeping procedures relating to the importation of certain fish and fish products, identified as being at particular risk of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing or seafood fraud, in order to...
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Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The Pacific Fishery Management Council's (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Ecosystem Workgroup (EWG) will hold a webinar, which is open to the public.
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Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Groundfish Bottom Trawl and Midwater Trawl Gear in the Trawl Rationalization Program
This rule revises Federal regulations that currently restrict the use and configuration of bottom and midwater trawl gear for vessels fishing under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery's Trawl Rationalization Program. The revisions implemented through this rule were developed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council to address restrictions that...
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Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery
NMFS issues this notice to decrease the fee rate to 4.0 percent for the Pacific Coast Groundfish fee-share fishery to repay the $28,428,719 groundfish sub-loan of the $35,662,471 reduction loan that financed the Pacific Coast Groundfish fishing capacity reduction program. NMFS annually recalculates the fee rate that will be reasonably necessary...
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Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Southeast Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery
NMFS issues this notice to inform persons of their eligibility to vote and the voting period for the proposed second fishing capacity reduction program loan in the Southeast Alaska Purse Seine Salmon Fishery. This notice informs the public of the permanent permit holders eligible to vote in the referendum. The referendum, if approved, will...
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Western Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings
The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold its 175th Council meeting by teleconference and webinar to take actions on fishery management issues in the Western Pacific Region. The Council will also hold a meeting of the Protected Species Advisory Committee (PSAC) by teleconference and webinar.
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Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Northeast Multispecies Fishery; Georges Bank Cod Trip Limit Adjustment for the Common Pool Fishery
This action adjusts the possession and trip limits of Georges Bank cod for Northeast multispecies common pool vessels for the remainder of the 2018 fishing year, in order to ensure that the common pool fishery is able to harvest, but not exceed, its annual quota for the stock. These changes are intended to provide the common pool fishery with...
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Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; 2018 Tribal Fishery Allocations for Pacific Whiting; Reapportionment Between Tribal and Non-tribal Sectors
This document announces the reapportionment of 40,000 metric tons of Pacific whiting from the tribal allocation to the non-tribal commercial fishery sectors via automatic action on September 24, 2018. This reapportionment is to allow full utilization of the Pacific whiting resource.
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Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Herring Fishery; Adjustment to Atlantic Herring Specifications and Sub-Annual Catch Limits for 2019
This action proposes an in-season adjustment to the Atlantic herring specifications and sub-annual catch limits for 2019. These adjustments are necessary to reduce 2018 herring catch limits that would otherwise remain in effect for 2019. This action is intended to prevent overfishing of the herring resource while minimizing negative social and...
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Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; General Provisions for Domestic Fisheries; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Application for an Exempted Fishing Permit
NMFS announces the receipt of an exempted fishing permit application titled, ``Year-round Coastwide Midwater Rockfish EFP: Monitoring and Minimizing Salmon Bycatch When Targeting Rockfish in the Shorebased IFQ Fishery.'' The application, submitted by the West Coast Seafood Processors Association, Environmental Defense Fund, Oregon Trawl...
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Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; Cost Recovery Programs
NMFS publishes standard prices and fee percentages for cost recovery for the Amendment 80 Program, the American Fisheries Act (AFA) Program, the Aleutian Islands Pollock (AIP) Program, and the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) groundfish and halibut Programs. The fee percentage for 2018 is 0.75 percent for the Amendment 80...