Alaska Invasive Species Prevention Among New NOAA-Funded Habitat Fishing Projects

The following is courtesy of NOAA Fisheries Alaska:

NOAA Funds Six New Projects to Restore Habitat in Collaboration with Recreational Anglers

October 05, 2026

Funding through the National Fish Habitat Partnership will support the healthy habitats that recreational fisheries rely on to grow, eat, and reproduce.

NOAA Fisheries is announcing funding for six new projects that will restore habitat in collaboration with recreational anglers through the National Fish Habitat Partnership. Consistent with the goals of Executive Order 14430: Restoring American Saltwater Angling and Recreation, we are announcing these grant projects that support habitat for important fish caught by recreational fishers.

Healthy habitat is the foundation of our nation’s recreational fisheries. These projects will engage recreational fishing partners to restore high quality habitat and sustain robust fishing opportunities for future generations. Partners will lead activities such as recovering seagrass beds in Florida, rebuilding coral reefs in Hawaii, and stabilizing eroding shorelines in North Carolina.

We selected six projects for funding, totaling nearly $430,000:

• Trout Unlimited will collaborate with anglers to manage aquatic invasive species in Alaska and educate anglers about how to prevent their spread. ($59,000) (Sponsoring Partnerships: Mat Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership and Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat Partnership)
• Matanzas Riverkeeper will engage recreational anglers in events to remove marine debris from the Guana, Tolomato, and Matanzas estuary in northeast Florida. ($66,000) (Sponsoring Partnership: Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership)
• University of Florida will restore seagrass habitat and lead recreational angler education and outreach efforts within Big Bend Seagrass Aquatic Preserve in Florida. ($80,000) (Sponsoring Partnership: Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership)
• North Carolina Coastal Federation will stabilize eroding shoreline and restore marsh habitat at Tyson Point in North Carolina with local recreational anglers. ($72,000) (Sponsoring Partnership: Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership)
• Kuleana Coral Restoration will restore and monitor corals, co-host a family fishing tournament, and support ocean stewardship and marine education in West O?ahu, Hawai?i. ($65,000) (Sponsoring Partnership: Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership)
• Conservation International will work with anglers to document fishery and habitat changes in Maunalua Bay, Hawaii, as freshwater flow is reestablished for the first time in over 30 years. ($84,000) (Sponsoring Partnership: Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership)

The National Fish Habitat Partnership unites a network of 20 Fish Habitat Partnerships to collaboratively restore habitat across the United States. NOAA funds small scale on-the-ground projects through the Fish Habitat Partnerships to restore fish habitat. These projects are sponsored by Fish Habitat Partnerships and made possible through agreements with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.