Hawaiis pelagic fishery, which includes bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish, is the largest of hawaiis commercial fisheries with an EX-vessel value of $80.2 million in 2022

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded North Carolina State University a $125,062 cooperative agreement, effective January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027, to support fisheries science research under the Unallied Projects program (CFDA 11.454).

The project addresses a critical knowledge gap in Hawaii's pelagic fishery—the largest commercial fishery in the state, valued at $80.2 million in 2022—by mapping the egg and larval distributions of bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish. The work will establish a collaboration with small boat fishers across the main Hawaiian Islands. NOAA will train participating fishers to use standardized sampling kits to collect fish eggs and larvae when they observe spawning events at sea, and provide each fisher with their own kit for opportunistic real-time collection. Collected samples will undergo eDNA testing to identify the specific fish species breeding in Hawaiian waters. By leveraging the observational expertise of commercial fishermen, the project will enable fisheries managers to map spawning locations and timing, and predict how changing ocean conditions may affect future fish populations.

Performance takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Despite the economic importance of these fisheries very little is known about where their life cycle begins (i.e., EGG and larvae distributions) which is critical for effective management. To address this critical knowledge GAP, the project involves a collaboration with local small boat fishers across the main hawaiian islands. Project leads will train small boat fishers how to use sampling kits to collect fish eggs and larvae whenever they spot unique spawning events at sea, and give each small boat fishers their own standardized sampling kits to use opportunistically in real time. These samples will undergo edna testing to accurately identify exactly which prized fish species are breeding in the area. By utilizing the everyday observations of fishermen, managers can map where and when these fish reproduce and predict how changing ocean conditions may affect future fish populations.