Oregon Sea Grant

It’s ! What makes Oregon Albacore an especially healthy choice?

Oregon fishers catch albacore when the schools come closer to the coast during their migration up the west coast of North America.

That is perfect timing in the life cycle of albacore – the fish have been feeding on the schools of rich anchovies and sardines in the coastal upwelling, so they’re healthy and have more nutritious oils.

The young tuna caught off the Oregon coast are just starting their cross-Pacific journey and are three to five years old and relatively small, weighing 10 to 30 pounds. Because of their young age and smaller size, the fish have reduced mercury accumulation in their meat, compared to those caught in many other areas, while still offering a high quantity of omega-3 fatty acids.

Join , Oregon Seafare, Oregon Albacore Commission for the 10 Days of Tuna adventure. Follow along at to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon Albacore.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SEQKTd

It’s ! How is Oregon Albacore good for the environment?

The fishing practices of the Oregon Albacore fleet are a source of pride. In Oregon, each Albacore Tuna is caught one at a time by hook and line, making it highly sustainable, with virtually no by-catch.

These high standards have been commended by international environmental groups, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which certified the fishery as well-managed and sustainable.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch awarded Oregon Albacore with a “Best Choice” because of the abundant stocks and environmentally friendly fishing methods.

Join The Peoples Coast, Oregon Seafare, Oregon Albacore Commission for the 10 Days of Tuna adventure and follow along at to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon Albacore.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SEQKTd

It’s ! How can you eat and enjoy Oregon Albacore?

Albacore has a mild-tasting flavor and firm-when-cooked texture. The flesh is light beige to pink and turns near-white when cooked.

Whole loins are excellent coated with olive oil and a light spice rub and grilled, poached in a flavorful broth, or seared in a hot skillet. The center should still be pink to preserve the moist texture and delicate flavor.

Oregon Albacore medallions can be marinated briefly and are best cooked with quick, high-heat such as broiling, grilling, or sautéing.

Loins and steaks can be marinated in a tangy soy, citrus, or fruit-based sauce and grilled on the barbecue; seared stovetop with olive oil and garlic; broiled with a simple butter and fresh herb baste; or served raw, sashimi style or in a poke bowl.

Canned Oregon Albacore is excellent in salads, pastas, and other main dishes, as well as tuna melts and sandwiches.

Join The Peoples Coast, Oregon Seafare, OOregon Albacore Commissionfor the 10 Days of Tuna adventure and follow along at to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon Albacore.

Learn more: https://visittheoregoncoast.com/travel-guides/how-to-find-buy-and-eat-oregon-albacore-tuna/.

Want to learn more about seafood? Join us on August 16th to learn about what's in season, how it's caught, and if it's sustainable. offers free dock tours; no ticket is necessary for tours in Newport.

The tours in Newport start at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. and meet at Dock 5 at the Port of Newport on SW Bay Blvd. Tours are first come, first served.

More information on tours at other locations and dates is at bit.ly/DockTours.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here are photos from tours in Newport. We hope to see you there!
Newport Fishermen's Wives

Boaters: know where to go when you have to go! Download the free Pumpout Nav app for your mobile device at bit.ly/PumpoutNavApp and plan your trips around the dozens of free facilities throughout Oregon available for you to dispose your sewage at.

Or find one of our floating restrooms and don't worry about disposal!

It’s ! Did you know…

> Albacore Tuna are found across the globe.

> Albacore have an elongated body with a conical snout, large eyes, and remarkably long pectoral fins.

> Albacore migrate across the Pacific Ocean, traveling in single-species schools, and may cover 50 miles or more per day.

> Albacore caught off the Pacific Coast are generally 21 to 30 inches long, and average 14 pounds.

Join The Peoples Coast, Oregon Seafare, and the Oregon Albacore Commission for the 10 Days of Tuna adventure and follow along at to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon Albacore.

Learn more at https://bit.ly/3SEQKTd

Oregon Sea Grant is part of two of these projects.

The first aims to demonstrate the productivity of compacted red seaweed balls in land-based cultivation systems. With the support of Sea Grant Extension at Oregon State University, the Red Seaweed Learning Collaborative will be established to integrate research outcomes into the industry and broaden participation in land-based red seaweed aquaculture. The leads on the $250,000 grant are Gregory Rorrer, in the College of Engineering - Oregon State University, and our own Sam Chan.

The second project, which received $750,000, will capture the public's perspectives on aquaculture in Alaska, California, Hawai'i and Oregon through online, phone and text surveys. Using the results, the team will create and distribute state-specific outreach materials to engage diverse audiences. The team includes our own Angee Doerr.

Sea Grant is furthering sustainable production of U.S. seafood with $8.8 million in funding for 33 aquaculture projects! 🐟🦪🌿

“Supporting sustainable, domestic seafood production, through aquaculture, is a key component to a thriving, blue economy across the U.S.,” said Jonathan Pennock, director of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. “Sea Grant will continue to work alongside communities to gather and share aquaculture-related knowledge that helps the industry and the environment.”

Read about the projects that will enhance aquaculture production, capacity and knowledge sharing across coastal and Great Lakes communities: bit.ly/SG-FY24-AQ

Welcome to ! Did you know that August is officially Oregon Albacore Month?

Albacore tuna, known also as longfin tuna, has a long and illustrious history as a key fishery for the United States tuna-canning industry, and as a staple of the Oregon Coast seafood economy.

Join the The Oregon Coast, Oregon Seafare, and Oregon Albacore Commission for the 10 Days of Tuna adventure and follow along at to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon Albacore.

Learn more at https://bit.ly/3SEQKTd

Welcome to ! Did you know that August is officially Oregon Albacore Month?

Albacore tuna, known also as longfin tuna, has a long and illustrious history as a key fishery for the United States' tuna-canning industry. It's also a staple of the Oregon coast's seafood economy.

Join the Oregon Albacore Commission, Oregon Seafare and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association for the 10 Days of Tuna adventure to learn some fun facts, sign up for giveaways, and enjoy recipes featuring Oregon albacore. Learn more at bit.ly/3SEQKTd.

Did you miss our free dock tours on the last week? Not to worry. We're offering them in Newport on Aug. 9 and in Charleston on Aug. 10. You'll learn how seafood is harvested, what the different fishing boats are, what seafood is in season, and how to buy it directly from fishermen.

The tours in Newport start at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and meet at Dock 5 at the Port of Newport on S.E Bay Blvd. No ticket is needed, but the tours are first come, first served.

The tours in Charleston start at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For these tours, please reserve a free ticket at bit.ly/3XEl43z.

More information on tours at other locations and dates is at bit.ly/DockTours.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here are photos from last week's tours in Newport. We hope to see you there!

Newport Fishermen's Wives

We recently announced that Elise Granek and her lab at Portland State University received a nearly $2 million grant to fund a project that aims to address the main sources of microplastics and microfibers from coastal tourism. OPB interviewed her about it. Also, check out this story from PSU: bit.ly/4casPlw.

Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University, the University of Washington and others are collaborating on the project.

PSU awarded grant for work addressing microplastic pollution on the Oregon Coast Portland State University has been awarded nearly $2 million in federal funding to continue work tackling microplastic pollution in Oregon’s coastal communities and the Pacific ocean. Elise Granek, project lead and professor at Portland State, joins us to share more.

Looking for something to do at the coast this Friday, Aug. 2? Check out our free dock tours in Garibaldi and Newport. You'll learn how seafood is harvested, what the different fishing boats are, what seafood is in season, and how to buy it directly from fishermen.

The tours in Newport start at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and meet at Dock 5 at the Port of Newport on S.E Bay Blvd. No ticket is needed for the Newport tours, but they are first come, first served.

The tours in Garibaldi start at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For these tours, please reserve a free ticket at bit.ly/3XEl43z.

More information on tours at other locations and dates is at bit.ly/DockTours.

It's summer, and that means we're busy leading our marine education camps. Yesterday, we taught kids about marine debris. They participated in a beach clean-up and visited an oyster farm. They learned how the yellow ropes that the shellfish grow on wash up on beaches, and they discussed solutions to the problem. Check out our curriculum on preventing yellow rope debris at bit.ly/3LL0TJX.

Congratulations to Elise Granek and her lab at Portland State University! They received nearly $2 million of this $27 million to fund a project that aims to address the main sources of microplastics from coastal tourism. Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University, the University of Washington and others are collaborating on the project.

Researchers plan to develop filters that trap microplastics and microfibers emitted from washing machines, dishwashers and clothes dryers. They also seek to create cost-effective air filtration devices to monitor microfiber emissions from tourism facilities. Additionally, they will measure the effectiveness of these strategies in addressing challenges faced by the hotel industry in removing microplastics.

Sea Grant announces $27 million for marine debris removal and prevention projects throughout the United States!

Using Sea Grant’s partnered approach to bring science together with communities for solutions that work, the projects will support innovative research and the creation of local coalitions to address urgent marine debris prevention and removal needs.

Learn more about these projects: bit.ly/MarineDebris24

📸: Marine Debris Technicians from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removing ghost nets from Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) on April 23, 2024. (Photo Credit: A. Sullivan-Haskins | PMDP Hawaii)

Congratulations to our own Sarah Kolesar and Guillermo Giannico for their new paper in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences. They and over a dozen of their Sea Grant colleagues wrote about Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship program for undergraduates from communities that are historically underrepresented and underserved. The program's goal is to increase their participation in marine and coastal professions.

In paid internships, the students work on community-focused projects related to coastal and ocean science, outreach, education, law, policy and communications. Over 180 students from all 34 Sea Grant programs have graduated from the program since its launch in 2020.

Read the journal article at rdcu.be/dNMuJ and learn about the internship program at bit.ly/3ybYaGj.

OPB interviewed Angee Doerr, our OSU Extension marine fisheries specialist. She spoke about opioid overdose prevention and how we have incorporated Narcan training and distribution into our two-day Fisherman First Aid and Safety Trainings for fleets on the West Coast. Have a listen to learn about this important topic. And for information on our first-aid trainings, visit bit.ly/3jKSkzP.

How some communities are tackling opioid abuse on Oregon’s fishing boats Overdoses at sea are much more difficult to stop than on land. A program founded by Oregon State University in partnership with Oregon Sea Grant called “Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training” (FFAST) trains communities in general first aid including instructions on how to use Narcan, a drug us...

We have extended the deadline for the Oregon Natural Resource Policy Fellowship. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed in the order they are received until positions are filled or until Aug. 30. We've also broadened eligibility criteria. Eligible candidates include individuals who either 1) completed their degree within the last two years, 2) are within one year of completing their graduate degree, or 3) earned an undergraduate degree after June 2022, with experience comparable to graduate-level coursework. Preference is also given to candidates who will have completed their graduate degree by the fellowship's start date.

This one-year, full-time fellowship provides a student with first-hand experience in natural resource policy at the state level. It offers a stipend starting at $48,000 for the year. To apply, visit: bit.ly/2MC8grA.

Also, just a reminder that the July 26 deadline is approaching for our Malouf marine studies scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to current or admitted graduate students who combine societally relevant research with education or public engagement. This opportunity is open to graduate students enrolled in a master's, professional or doctoral program in any discipline at any college or university in Oregon. Learn more at bit.ly/2I1dlWb.

Our recent hot weather has been perfect for boating. But what do you do when you're on the water without a loo? Or if you have one, where do you empty it? Not to worry. Oregon has numerous floating restrooms and facilities where boaters can pump out their holding tanks and empty their portable toilets.

Our own Connie Sullivan checks on this equipment every year to make sure it's ready for the boating season. Connie also organizes workshops for managers of these facilities so they can learn from each other.

Thank you, Connie, and boaters for helping keep Oregon's waterways clean!

Lean more at bit.ly/3zzGqoX.

Oregon State Marine Board

Our annual conference is scheduled for Nov. 22-23 at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center. An event will take place on Friday evening followed by the full conference on Saturday. Registration will open later this year.

Interested in presenting on a topic related to the or marine environment? Send us your ideas for 10-minute talks and 75-minute breakout sessions by July 25 at bit.ly/3xJNhvo. All types of topics and disciplines are encouraged, including arts, policy, engineering, marine sciences, economics, law and history.

Students, we'll solicit your submissions regarding artwork and research in September.

Learn about the conference at bit.ly/2lVukAF.

Shown here is the program from last year's conference.

Here's a peek at Emy Daniels's latest artwork. The sculpture is about the collaboration between scientists at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center and Foulweather Trawl to 1) design nets that reduce bycatch using research on fish behavior and life history and 2) redesign nets that can be used by existing commercial fishery equipment. Emy welded the sculpture at Hatfield, and Foulweather Trawl taught her how to sew and lace nets. The piece is on display at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center through Nov. 3.

We funded Emy's work on this through our Coastal Arts Support Pilot Program, which aims to advance a broader understanding and engagement with Oregon’s coastal and marine ecosystems by supporting innovative art projects that align with our strategic plan and our vision, mission and values. Learn more at bit.ly/3XOf4n2. The deadline for the next round of applications is June 30.

We have extended the application deadline for the Oregon Natural Resource Policy Fellowship to July 8. This one-year, full-time fellowship provides a student first-hand experience in natural resource policy at the state level. It is open to graduate students and recent graduates with interest and experience in coastal policy from any U.S. university or college. Preference will be given to applicants from a college or university in Oregon. To apply, visit: bit.ly/2MC8grA.

Headed to the coast this summer? Why not join one of the free dock walks we're leading? You'll learn how seafood is harvested, what the different fishing boats are, what seafood is in season, and how to buy it directly from fishermen. The tours take place on the following dates:

Ilwaco, WA: July 20 and Sept. 28
Garibaldi, OR: Aug. 2 and Sept. 13
Newport, OR: July 19 and 26; Aug. 2, 9 and 16
Charleston, OR: July 27; Aug. 10 and 30
Port Orford, OR: July 20 and Sept. 1
Brookings, OR: July 28 and Aug. 31

Shop at the Dock tours in Newport start at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and meet at Dock 5 at the Port of Newport on S.E Bay Blvd. No ticket is needed for the Newport tours, but they are first come, first served.

Discover Oregon Seafood tours at other locations start at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. For these tours, please reserve a free ticket at bit.ly/3XEl43z.

More information is at bit.ly/DockTours.

Our own K**a Almasi was interviewed by Yachats News. Besides being the new director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, she's a geocacher, birder, baker and camping enthusiast. Find out more in this profile.

5 Questions and a Secret: K**a Almasi finds her perfect job at Oregon Coast STEM Hub • YachatsNews.com   By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR/YachatsNews How many of us have been lucky enough to be hired for the perfect job? The job that will use and require all the knowledge we’ve gained from all our previous jobs and provide us with continuous opportunities to contribute effectively and to grow personally? Ka...

We ❤️ hearing what our alumni scholars are up to. Former Malouf scholar Keiko Nomura is finishing up her doctoral program this summer in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences - Oregon State University. She has been studying how small-scale fishers on the Baja Peninsula in Mexico switch between fisheries in response to environmental threats.

The work is a continuation of the research she conducted as a master's student and a 2019 Oregon Sea Grant-funded Malouf scholar.

About two years ago, spurred by a month-long workshop at the Santa Fe Institute, she briefly studied space debris. She's a lead author on a paper that concluded that without additional management, debris congestion in space is likely to occur within 200 years. Learn more at bit.ly/3z8bmfw.

Learn about our Robert E. Malouf marine studies scholarships at bit.ly/2I1dlWb. The deadline for 2024 applications is July 26.

Are you interested in helping form the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians? Then check out this job with the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. The hub is seeking a coordinator who will plan and implement strategies and activities and build relationships with collaborators. The coastal hub is overseen by Oregon Sea Grant and is part of a statewide network of STEM hubs funded by the Oregon Department of Education.

This position will be based at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center. For full consideration, apply by July 2 at bit.ly/4cb7VDs.

In case you missed it, here's the webinar and discussion that we hosted on June 14 about community benefit agreements. The goal was to increase participants’ understanding of these agreements and their relevance to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s offshore wind bidding, leasing and development process. Presenters were Matilda Kreider, from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Katherine Hoff, from the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the UC Berkeley School of Law.

The webinar was co-led by our director, Karina Nielsen, and Sara Swett, our marine renewable energy and communities Extension specialist.

For resources that were shared during the presentation, please see bit.ly/CBA-resources.

An Introduction to Offshore Wind Community Benefit Agreements Oregon Sea Grant hosted a webinar and discussion about offshore wind community benefit agreements on June 14, 2024. The goal was to increase participants’ un...

In a study published this month in Global Change Biology, researchers determined that a gray whale in the Pacific Coast Feeding Group born in 2020 is expected to reach an adult body length that is about 5 1/2 feet shorter than a gray whale born prior to 2000. Our own Leigh Torres was one of the authors on the study, which we helped fund.

Pacific coast gray whales have gotten 13% shorter in the past 20-30 years, Oregon State study finds NEWPORT, Oregon — Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found. The smaller size could have major consequences for the hea...

We are delighted to announce that we have awarded songwriter Tim Bulster a Coastal Arts Support grant for his project called "Restoration and Regeneration: A Concept Album."

Tim will musically capture the essence of the Wasson Creek Watershed restoration project in the South Slough Reserve. His concept album will guide listeners through the emotional journey of habitat restoration, from deterioration to regeneration, using a blend of music, natural sounds and brief interviews. One of the goals is to help community members develop familiarity and empathy towards the watershed and the natural resources on Oregon’s south coast.

Our Coastal Arts Support Pilot Program aims to advance a broader understanding and engagement with Oregon’s coastal and marine ecosystems by supporting innovative art projects that align with our strategic plan and our vision, mission, and values.⁠
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Learn more at bit.ly/3XOf4n2. The deadline for the next round of applications is June 30.⁠
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