FishWatch

People often assume the sustainability of wild-caught seafood just depends on fishing—what fishing gear we use and how much we catch. If that were the case, our job would be pretty easy because those are factors we can control. Unfortunately it's a bit more complicated—wild-caught seafood comes from the ocean, a dynamic natural environment. Changes in the ocean such as ocean acidification can influence the abundance of fish stocks and health of fisheries, too. NOAA just funded new research that will take a look at the effects of increasing ocean acidity on valuable seafood species like scallops and clams. Predicting these impacts will help fishery managers prepare for the future.