Please select your home edition
Edition
495 McKinley Drive Lboard Dec 2024

Restoring coral and stream banks through the National Fish Habitat Partnership

by NOAA Fisheries 22 Jun 21:51 UTC
Near Talkeetna, Alaska, volunteers are hard at work planting native trees and shrubs to improve shoreline habitat for fish on Montana Creek, a popular trout and salmon-fishing stream © Trout Unlimited Alaska

In 2023, NOAA Fisheries funded several projects to restore habitat through the coastal National Fish Habitat Partnerships. Since then, partners have made considerable progress on this work, actively engaging local communities—including anglers—to make critical contributions to fish habitat conservation nationwide.

The projects demonstrate NOAA's commitment to restoring fish habitat and supporting access to sustainable saltwater recreational fishing, a popular pastime that boosts the U.S. economy.

Community-Based Coral Restoration in West Oahu, Hawai'i

Sponsoring Partnership: Hawai'i Fish Habitat Partnership

Over the past year, Kuleana Coral Restoration held and participated in numerous events centered around the importance of coral reef habitat and restoration for healthy oceans. They hosted three hands-on events and several outreach booths in West O'ahu, reaching more than 800 people. Attendees created or learned about the use of coral modules—composed of concrete and finger coral (Porites compressa) fragments—for fish habitat restoration. Additionally, the project team participated in a 3-day community event at Poka'i Bay Beach Park called Ho'akea Mauka to Makai, coordinated with Malama Learning Center and Polynesian Voyaging Society. Over 3 days, the event reached 400 students and others who live, fish, and recreate in the area. This work helped inspire students, school staff, and the larger West O'ahu community to become the next leaders in environmental stewardship.

Finally, through community input via dive surveys, Kuleana Coral Restoration also produced two baseline maps of the coral sites to be restored. These maps include both control and coral planting areas, and are used to assess project progress via coral cover estimates.

In addition to this project, see more information on NOAA’s restoration work with Kuleana Coral Restoration and the local community through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.

Restoring Stream Banks with Anglers in Alaska

Sponsoring Partnerships: Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership and Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership

Trout Unlimited Southcentral Alaska Chapter and partners hosted Plants for Salmon, a community riparian planting day in June 2023. This was the first phase of a collaborative project to restore vegetation and improve salmon habitat along Montana Creek (a tributary of the Susitna River) near Talkeetna, Alaska. More than 60 volunteers—including youth—planted roughly 200 native trees and shrubs, while the Knik Tribe cooked frybread for the volunteers.

Trout Unlimited is currently working with partners to add topsoil and complete additional seeding for sections of exposed rip rap. This will further stabilize the banks of this popular salmon-fishing river. A second planting day, planned this year, will continue improving 450 feet of habitat along these sections of Montana Creek.

This project was also made possible by the Susitna River Coalition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Mat-Su Borough.

Restoration and Angler Outreach near Juneau, Alaska

Sponsoring Partnership: Southeast Alaska Fish Habitat Partnership

With the help of 28 volunteers, Trout Unlimited repaired a remote trail bridge used by hikers, bikers, trail runners, and anglers. This allows them to access Montana Creek (a tributary of the Mendenhall River) in September 2023. Project partners and volunteers re-vegetated the eroded stream banks by planting trees, shrubs, and native grasses. This increased the stability of the stream bank habitat and reduced future erosion.

In addition to plantings, Trout Unlimited re-routed an angler access trail that has caused erosion and reduced water quality. They also developed a set of five signs, placed along the creek. The signs include a map with angler access points, a history of Montana Creek with a focus on local indigenous peoples, and an outline of the project benefits and reduction of downstream impacts. Finally, a QR code placed on temporary signs at fishing access sites will allow anglers to complete surveys to collect information about favored access points and recreational fishing efforts. The surveys will inform future trail planning and improvements.

Related Articles

Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries
Climate change is impacting the nation's valuable marine and Great Lakes ecosystems The NOAA Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) is an effort to provide decision-makers with the information they need to prepare for and adapt to changing oceans and climate. Posted on 7 Dec
Fifteen years of searching for smalltooth sawfish
NOAA Fisheries scientists have been studying smalltooth sawfish in South Florida since 2009 NOAA Fisheries scientists have traveled to South Florida multiple times a year for 15 years to study smalltooth sawfish. Posted on 17 Nov
Harbor Seals consume up to a third of Steelhead
Unchecked predation may undermine recovery actions, study finds Harbor seals consume as many as a third of young steelhead smolts migrating out of the Nisqually River's delta in southern Puget Sound, new research shows. Posted on 21 Sep
The Elwha River restoration
Elwha River restoration project offers valuable insights into the complex ecological processes Elwha River restoration project offers valuable insights into the complex ecological processes involved in dam removal and river recovery. Posted on 16 Sep
Reestablishing connections for fish and tribes
North Santiam River is a high priority for the recovery of Upper Willamette River spring Chinook With $710,000 in funding from NOAA, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde will remove barriers to the passage of threatened salmon and trout species on their land. Posted on 16 Aug
Progress update on two fishing data initiatives
Fishing Effort Survey study and the collaborative initiative to re-envision the partnership We may be in the dog days of summer, but I am pleased to share that progress continues on two high-visibility recreational fishing data collection initiatives — Fishing Effort Survey study and the collaborative initiative to re-envision the partnership. Posted on 15 Aug
Teams and technology trace Klamath River recovery
By tracking new salmon returns The removal of four dams on the Klamath River will reopen more habitat to Pacific salmon than all previous dam removals in the West combined. Posted on 10 Aug
Successful, coincidental sailfish recapture season
Four tagged sailfish were recaptured within 4 days of each other in the Florida Keys Scientists, with help from recreational anglers, commonly use tags to study highly migratory species. Posted on 31 Jul
Link between shark physical traits and ecology
Accurate drawings provide insight into the lifestyle of sharks A new study on sharks finds that physical traits related to oxygen uptake can be measured from accurate drawings of nearly all sharks. Posted on 30 Jul
Chinook salmon and steelhead continue to decline
Willamette salmon and steelhead retain threatened status under Endangered Species Act Upper Willamette River Steelhead and Chinook salmon should remain listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries has concluded in its 5-year review of the status of the species. Posted on 14 Jul
Savvy Navvy 2024Maritimo 2023 S-Series FOOTER