Southeast: Science | NOAA Fisheries

Southeast

The southeastern United States is home to the largest concentration of saltwater recreational fishing in America. Whether seeking iconic fish to catch for sport or for sustenance, recreational fishing in the Southeast generates more than $15 billion in sales annually. More than 4.5 million fishermen take more than 36 million fishing trips here every year.

The commercial fishery represents the second largest by volume in the United States and the third largest by landings revenue.

Covering a vast area from Texas to North Carolina and the U.S. Caribbean, the Southeast has the largest wetland acreage and the largest coral reef track in the contiguous United States. It provides the only known calving grounds for the highly endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. Right whales travel here in the fall to give birth off the eastern coast of Florida.

Right whales aren’t alone though—bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, a variety of corals, sawfish, Rice's whales, manta rays, and Gulf, shortnose, and Atlantic sturgeon are also residents of our region. This variety creates unique viewing opportunities, experiences, and even challenges for those living in and visiting our region.

Together, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office and Southeast Fisheries Science Center work to protect our marine life and their habitat, offering sound science to help inform management decisions in an ever-changing environment.

Featured Highlights

Izzy in her new home at Clearwater Marine Aquarium

"Izzy" the dolphin in her new home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

“Izzy” the Dolphin: Making Her Story Matter

Southeast

A man wearing a safety vest and hard hat takes a photograph of a barge

Over the coming months, we look forward to sharing photos, videos, and more of work to create marsh in the Upper Barataria Basin, like this image of a photographer capturing construction as it gets under way.

Follow Along as NOAA’s Largest Wetland Restoration Project Creates Marsh in Louisiana

Southeast

Responders from the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts, attempt to disentangle a North Atlantic right whale. Entanglements such as this one that involve the whale’s mouth and damage the whale’s baleen are particularly problematic, as they may prevent the animal from effectively feeding and the whale may ultimately starve, even if all of the entangling gear can be successfully removed by the response team. Credit: CCS; Permit No. 18986-04.

NOAA Announces 2019 and 2020 Confirmed Large Whale Entanglement Numbers

Alaska

New England/Mid-Atlantic

Pacific Islands

Southeast

West Coast

National

An angler holds a fish, its mouth open and air bladder inflated from barotrauma.

Barotrauma expands gasses in a fish causing the air bladder and other organs to expand as well, making it difficult for fish to swim after release. Credit: NOAA Fisheries, Florida SeaGrant

Return 'Em Right: Empowering Anglers to Save Fish from Barotrauma

Southeast

Science in the Southeast

Our scientists at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center produce data, information, and advice that serves as a foundation of knowledge upon which living marine resource managers in the southeastern United States depend. Our science is used to make informed decisions for maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, productive and sustainable fisheries, restoring depleted populations and damaged habitats, and recovering populations of protected, threatened, and endangered species.

Research Areas

Fisheries Monitoring

Resources

Fishing in the Southeast

The southeastern United States is home to the largest concentration of saltwater recreational fishing in America. Recreational fishing in the Southeast generates more than $15 billion in annual sales for more than 4.5 million fishermen on more than 36 million fishing trips each year.

NOAA Fisheries Southeast manages fisheries in three areas: Caribbean, Gulf of America* (formerly Gulf of Mexico), and South Atlantic. The three Fishery Management Councils (Caribbean, Gulf, and the South Atlantic) recommend regulatory actions for their region to NOAA Fisheries in order to manage federal waters from North Carolina through Texas, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With the fishery management councils for each region, NOAA Fisheries uses the best scientific information available to manage and conserve marine fishery resources. Our main objective is to maintain fish stocks important to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries for long-term economic and social benefits to the nation.

*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.

Fishery Management Areas & Resources

Other Fishing and Seafood in the Southeast

Other Fishing Resources

Rules and Regulations

Protected Marine Life in the Southeast

Through policy, management, and public outreach, we strive to ensure the recovery and survival of protected marine species for future generations in the waters of the southeastern United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We implement the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to protect marine mammals like bottlenose dolphins and endangered species such as sea turtles and sawfish.

Species Conservation

Section 7 Consultations

Marine Mammal Protection

Guidance and Regulatory Actions in the Southeast

Habitat Conservation in the Southeast

Our habitat conservation efforts center around protecting, conserving, restoring, and creating habitats and ecosystems vital to maintaining sustainable populations of recreationally and commercially important fisheries and the recovery of threatened and endangered species. Working with state and federal regulatory and permitting programs, we attempt to minimize the loss of coastal waters and wetlands while successfully enhancing and restoring fishery habitats and accommodating sustainable development.

Regulatory programs do not address the full spectrum of conservation challenges nor do they provide all the tools needed for comprehensive habitat conservation. We also participate in a variety of programs to enhance, restore, and create fishery habitats across the southeastern United States.

Partnerships are important for protecting and conserving aquatic habitat while continuing to provide ecological and economic benefits. New conservation challenges (e.g., climate change, prolonged droughts, and population growth) require engagement from the broader stewardship community. We work with a variety of partnership entities comprising various federal, state, local, private, and non-profit groups

Habitat Conservation

Habitat Restoration

Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act

Habitat Partnerships

Partnerships in the Southeast

Frequently Asked

Who do I contact?

Featured Species in the Southeast

Covering a vast area from Texas to North Carolina and the U.S. Caribbean, the Southeast has the largest wetland acreage and the largest coral reef track in the contiguous United States and provides the only known calving grounds for the highly endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. Right whales travel here in the fall to give birth off the eastern coast of Florida.

Right whales aren’t alone though—bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles, a variety of corals, sawfish, Bryde's whales, manta rays and Gulf, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon are also residents of our region. This variety creates unique viewing opportunities, experiences, and even challenges for those living in and visiting our region.

Southeast

Southeast

More Information

About Us | Contact Us

Follow Us

Featured News

Notices & Rules

Upcoming Events

Bulletins

Open Funding Opportunities

Featured Highlights

Science in the Southeast

Research Areas

Fisheries Monitoring

Resources

More Information

Science News & Blogs

Fishing in the Southeast

Fishery Management Areas & Resources

Other Fishing and Seafood in the Southeast

Other Fishing Resources

Rules and Regulations

More Information

Fisheries News

Protected Marine Life in the Southeast

Species Conservation

Section 7 Consultations

Marine Mammal Protection

Guidance and Regulatory Actions in the Southeast

More Information

Marine Life News

Habitat Conservation in the Southeast

Habitat Conservation

Habitat Restoration

Habitat Partnerships

Frequently Asked

More Information

Habitat News

Featured Species in the Southeast

North Atlantic Right Whale

Giant Manta Ray

Elkhorn Coral

Loggerhead Turtle

Smalltooth Sawfish

Atlantic Sturgeon

Staghorn Coral

Nassau Grouper

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Rice's Whale

Kemp's Ridley Turtle

Queen Conch

Species News