From a new United Nations report, which contains key contributions from NOAA, we learn that 61 of the world’s 64 large marine ecosystems — large coastal ocean waters adjacent to continents — show a significant increase in sea surface temperatures in the last 25 years, contributing to decreasing fisheries catches in some areas and increasing catches in others.

There is plenty of information on the NOAA site for those interested, but what I found particularly interesting with respect to our own Large Marine Ecosystem – LME#6 covers the SouthEast – are two points:

1. NC’s Albemarle-Pamlico Sound is one of the largest and most productive aquatic systems in NA.
2. The SE US Continental Shelf is one of a few LME’s that have experienced long-term cooling since 1957.

In today’s 2008 Status of U.S. Fisheries report to Congress, NOAA gave notice of four different fish being cleared from overfishing:

1. Atlantic bluefish,
2. Gulf of Mexico king mackerel, and
3. two different stocks of monkfish in the Atlantic

While that of course is good news for long-range fishing and our marine habitat, four others appear to be overfished at the same time:

1. thorny skate,
2. Atlantic blacknose shark, and
3. Atlantic shortfin mako shark

These were added to the list of those being fished unsustainably just this year, and a fourth stock, Gulf of Mexico pink shrimp, was also listed as subject to overfishing but it’s still being reviewed.

With these fish being replenished, it proves NOAA officials are doing the best they can for all of us – the fish, the fisherman, and all my fellow seafood lovers out there.