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NOAA FishWatch

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Look up US seafood in NOAA FishWatch, the federal government's guide to sustainable seafood: about 120 species caught or farmed in US federal waters, from Alaska pollock to Gulf shrimp. For any of them, get FishWatch's answer to whether it is a sustainable choice, whether its stocks are overfished or being overfished, how it is caught or farmed and what that does to habitat and bycatch, where it comes from and when it is in season, what it tastes like, and its nutrition facts. Check a whole menu or supplier order at once, compare species' nutrition per 100 g, or list the profiles by region, kind or whether they are farmed. No account or API key required.

Actions

ActionWhat it does
Check if seafood is sustainableCheck a list of seafood against FishWatch at once, such as the fish on a menu or an order from a supplier.
Compare seafood nutritionPut several kinds of seafood side by side on their nutrition facts: calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, sodium and selenium, all per 100 g so they can be compared, and ordered by the nutrient that matters to you, such as most protein or least sodium first.
Get a seafood profileRead everything FishWatch says about one kind of seafood: whether it is a sustainable choice and why, whether its stocks are overfished or being overfished (in NOAA's words and as a plain Yes or No), how it is caught or farmed and what that does to habitat and bycatch, where it comes from and when it is in season, its taste, texture and color, and its nutrition facts as numbers.
List seafood profilesList the seafood FishWatch profiles: the species caught or farmed in US federal waters, about 120 of them.

Check if seafood is sustainable

Check a list of seafood against FishWatch at once, such as the fish on a menu or an order from a supplier. Each species comes back with FishWatch's verdict on it, whether any of its stocks is overfished or being overfished, its bycatch and habitat impact, how it is farmed if it is, and any endangered species listing. The species with a stock in trouble are named in their own list, and a summary line says what was found. A name FishWatch does not cover is reported rather than stopping the step.

Inputs

SpeciesspecieslistRequired
The seafood to check, up to 20: pick them from FishWatch's profiles, or type names separated by commas, such as the fish on a menu. A name FishWatch does not cover, or one several species share, comes back in its own list with the reason instead of stopping the step.

Outputs

countnumber
Number of species checked
flaggedlist
Names of the species with a stock that is overfished or subject to overfishing
notFoundlist
Each name that matched no single profile, with the reason: not in FishWatch, or shared by several species (which are listed)
specieslist
One row per species, in the order given
summarytext
One paragraph a workflow can send as it stands
Example output
{
  "count": 1,
  "flagged": [
    "Atlantic Cod"
  ],
  "notFound": [
    {
      "reason": "FishWatch has no seafood profile for 'tilapia'. FishWatch covers about 120 species caught or farmed in US federal waters. A species fished mostly in state waters, a freshwater one or an imported one is not in it. List seafood profiles shows every species it has.",
      "species": "tilapia"
    }
  ],
  "species": [
    {
      "bycatch": "Regulations and the use of modified fishing gear reduce bycatch.",
      "farmed": null,
      "fishingRate": "Reduced to end overfishing.",
      "habitatImpacts": "Area closures and gear restrictions protect habitat that are affected by some kinds of trawl gear.",
      "harvestTypes": [
        "Wild-caught"
      ],
      "lastUpdated": "2026-08-11",
      "name": "Atlantic Cod",
      "overfished": "Yes",
      "overfishing": "Yes",
      "population": "The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank stocks are overfished, but the fishing rate established under rebuilding plans promotes population growth.",
      "protectedStatus": [],
      "scientificName": "Gadus morhua",
      "slug": "atlantic-cod",
      "stockAssessments": [
        {
          "assessmentYear": 2021,
          "status": "The Georges Bank stock is overfished and subject to overfishing (2021 stock assessment).",
          "stock": "Atlantic cod - Georges Bank",
          "stockId": "10509",
          "url": "https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/stocksmart?stockname=Atlantic%20cod%20-%20Georges%20Bank&stockid=10509"
        }
      ],
      "sustainability": "Although populations are well below target levels, U.S. wild-caught Atlantic cod is still a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under a rebuilding plan that allows limited harvest by U.S. fishermen.",
      "url": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-cod/seafood"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "1 species checked. 1 has a stock that is overfished or subject to overfishing: Atlantic Cod. 1 could not be matched to one FishWatch profile: 'tilapia'. 'notFound' says why."
}

Compare seafood nutrition

Put several kinds of seafood side by side on their nutrition facts: calories, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, sodium and selenium, all per 100 g so they can be compared, and ordered by the nutrient that matters to you, such as most protein or least sodium first. A summary line names the leaders. NOAA lists a few species per 4 oz serving, which are scaled to 100 g, and says so.

Inputs

SpeciesspecieslistRequired
The seafood to check, up to 20: pick them from FishWatch's profiles, or type names separated by commas, such as the fish on a menu. A name FishWatch does not cover, or one several species share, comes back in its own list with the reason instead of stopping the step.
Ordersort_bytext
How to order the species: as given, or by one nutrient per 100 g, such as most protein first or least sodium first. A species with no figure for that nutrient goes last.One of: as_given (In the order given), most_protein (Most protein first), fewest_calories (Fewest calories first), least_fat (Least fat first), least_saturated_fat (Least saturated fat first), least_cholesterol (Least cholesterol first), least_sodium (Least sodium first), most_selenium (Most selenium first). Default: as_given.

Outputs

countnumber
Number of species compared
notFoundlist
Each name that matched no single profile, with the reason: not in FishWatch, or shared by several species (which are listed)
sortedBytext
The order chosen
specieslist
One row per species, in the order chosen
summarytext
Which species has the most protein, fewest calories and so on
Example output
{
  "count": 1,
  "notFound": [],
  "sortedBy": "Most protein first",
  "species": [
    {
      "basis": "Per 100 g, scaled from a 113.4 g serving",
      "calories": 150,
      "carbohydrateG": 0,
      "cholesterolMg": 52.9,
      "fiberG": 0,
      "healthBenefits": "Opah is a rich source of omega-3s, protein, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, phosphorus, and selenium. It is also low in sodium.",
      "name": "Opah",
      "notes": [],
      "proteinG": 21.16,
      "saturatedFatG": 2.2,
      "seleniumMcg": 43.2,
      "servingWeight": "4 oz. (raw)",
      "slug": "opah",
      "sodiumMg": 70.5,
      "sugarsG": 0,
      "totalFatG": 7.05,
      "url": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/opah/seafood",
      "zincMg": null
    }
  ],
  "summary": "Per 100 g: Most protein: Pacific Bigeye Tuna (23.89 g). Fewest calories: Atlantic Cod (82). Least fat: Atlantic Cod (0.67 g). Least sodium: Sockeye Salmon (47 mg)."
}

Get a seafood profile

Read everything FishWatch says about one kind of seafood: whether it is a sustainable choice and why, whether its stocks are overfished or being overfished (in NOAA's words and as a plain Yes or No), how it is caught or farmed and what that does to habitat and bycatch, where it comes from and when it is in season, its taste, texture and color, and its nutrition facts as numbers. Also its Latin name, the names it is sold under, each stock's latest assessment, any endangered species listing, and an illustration.

Inputs

SpeciesspeciestextRequired
The seafood to look up. Pick it from FishWatch's profiles, or type the name it is sold under (red snapper, black cod, king salmon), its Latin name or its FishWatch address. A name several species share, such as salmon or ahi, is not guessed at: the step lists the matches so you can name one.

Outputs

aboutobject
The species itself: 'introduction', 'appearance', 'biology', 'range', 'habitat', 'length', 'weight', 'lifespan' and 'threats'
alsoKnownAslist
Other names it is sold or known by
availabilitytext
When it is in season, fresh or frozen
bycatchtext
What else gets caught, and what is done about it
classificationobject
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species
colortext
The color of the meat raw and cooked
farmedobject
For a farmed species: 'overview', 'environmentalImpact', 'feeds', 'farmingMethods' and 'humanHealth' in brief, and 'details' with the full write-ups. Null for a species only caught wild
fishingRatetext
NOAA's line on how hard it is fished
habitatImpactstext
What catching it does to the seafloor and habitat
harvestTypeslist
'Wild-caught', 'Farmed' or both
healthBenefitstext
What it is a good source of
imageDescriptiontext
What the image shows
imageUrltext
NOAA's illustration of it
lastUpdatedtext
When NOAA last updated the profile (YYYY-MM-DD)
nametext
The species' FishWatch name
nutritionobject
Nutrition facts per serving as NOAA lists them: 'servingWeight' as written and 'servingWeightGrams', then 'calories', 'proteinG', 'totalFatG', 'saturatedFatG', 'carbohydrateG', 'sugarsG', 'fiberG', 'cholesterolMg', 'sodiumMg', 'seleniumMcg' and 'zincMg', each null when not listed, and 'notes' on any figure left out for an unusable unit
overfishedtext
Whether a stock is overfished: 'Yes', 'Some stocks', 'No' (no assessed stock is) or 'Unknown', read from NOAA's sentence beside it. Null when the profile does not say
overfishingtext
Whether a stock is being overfished: 'Yes', 'Some stocks', 'No' (no assessed stock is) or 'Unknown', read from NOAA's sentence beside it. Null when the profile does not say
populationtext
NOAA's line on the population, such as 'The stock is not overfished.'
protectedStatuslist
Any Endangered Species Act or CITES listing
regionslist
The NOAA Fisheries regions it comes from
scientificNametext
Its Latin name
slugtext
Its FishWatch id
sourcetext
Where in the US it comes from
sustainabilitytext
FishWatch's answer to 'Is it sustainable?'
tastetext
What it tastes like
texturetext
Its texture
urltext
Its FishWatch profile
wildCaughtobject
For a wild-caught species: 'overview', 'populationStatus', 'fisheryManagement' and 'harvest' in full, and 'stockAssessments', each stock's status line, assessment year and Stock SMART link. Null for a species only farmed
Example output
{
  "about": {
    "appearance": "Red snapper in deeper waters tend to be redder than those caught in shallower waters.",
    "biology": "Red snapper grow at a moderate rate, and may reach 40 inches long and 50 pounds.",
    "habitat": "Larval red snapper swim freely within the water column.\nJuveniles live in shallow waters over sandy or muddy bottom habitat.",
    "introduction": "U.S. wild-caught red snapper is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under rebuilding plans that allow limited harvest by U.S. fishermen.",
    "length": null,
    "lifespan": null,
    "range": "Red snapper are generally found at 30 to 620 feet deep in the Gulf of America and along the eastern coasts of North America, Central America, and northern South America.\nThey are rare north of the Carolinas.",
    "threats": [],
    "weight": null
  },
  "alsoKnownAs": [
    "Snapper",
    "Genuine red snapper",
    "American reds",
    "Spot snapper"
  ],
  "availability": "U.S. wild-caught red snapper is available fresh year-round.",
  "bycatch": "Regulations require modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch. Release techniques improve the chance of survival of unintentionally caught fish.",
  "classification": {
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "family": "Lutjanidae",
    "genus": "Lutjanus",
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "order": "Perciformes",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "species": "campechanus"
  },
  "color": "The meat is pinkish with yellow tones when raw and turns somewhat lighter when cooked.",
  "farmed": null,
  "fishingRate": "The stocks are not subject to overfishing.",
  "habitatImpacts": "Fishing gear used to harvest red snapper has minimal impacts on habitat.",
  "harvestTypes": [
    "Wild-caught"
  ],
  "healthBenefits": "Red snapper is low in saturated fat and sodium and is a very good source of protein.",
  "imageDescription": "Side-profile illustration of a red snapper fish with spiny dorsal fin. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady",
  "imageUrl": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/styles/original/s3/2022-09/640x427-Snapper-Red-NOAAFisheries.png?itok=aFLfRzjN",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-09-17",
  "name": "Red Snapper",
  "nutrition": {
    "calories": 100,
    "carbohydrateG": 0,
    "cholesterolMg": 37,
    "fiberG": 0,
    "notes": [],
    "proteinG": 20.51,
    "saturatedFatG": 0.285,
    "seleniumMcg": 38.2,
    "servingWeight": "100 g (raw)",
    "servingWeightGrams": 100,
    "sodiumMg": 64,
    "sugarsG": 0,
    "totalFatG": 1.34,
    "zincMg": null
  },
  "overfished": "No",
  "overfishing": "No",
  "population": "The Gulf of America* (formerly Gulf of Mexico) and South Atlantic stocks are not overfished.",
  "protectedStatus": [],
  "regions": [
    "Southeast"
  ],
  "scientificName": "Lutjanus campechanus",
  "slug": "red-snapper",
  "source": "U.S. wild-caught from North Carolina to Texas.",
  "sustainability": "U.S. wild-caught red snapper is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed under rebuilding plans that allow limited harvest by U.S. fishermen.",
  "taste": "Red snapper has a sweetly mild but distinctive flavor.",
  "texture": "Red snapper is semi-firm, lean, and moist.",
  "url": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/red-snapper/seafood",
  "wildCaught": {
    "fisheryManagement": "NOAA Fisheries with the Gulf and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils manage red snapper in the United States.",
    "harvest": "Commercial sector:\nIn 2024, commercial landings of red snapper totaled approximately 8 million pounds and were valued at $43 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.",
    "overview": null,
    "populationStatus": "There are two stocks of red snapper: The Gulf of America stock and the South Atlantic stock. According to the most recent stock assessments:\nThe South Atlantic stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing (2024 stock assessment).",
    "stockAssessments": [
      {
        "assessmentYear": 2024,
        "status": "The South Atlantic stock is not overfished and not subject to overfishing (2024 stock assessment).",
        "stock": "Red snapper - Southern Atlantic Coast",
        "stockId": "10231",
        "url": "https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/stocksmart?stockname=Red%20snapper%20-%20Southern%20Atlantic%20Coast&stockid=10231"
      }
    ]
  }
}

List seafood profiles

List the seafood FishWatch profiles: the species caught or farmed in US federal waters, about 120 of them. Narrow the list by name, by wild-caught or farmed, by kind (fish, shellfish, crab, shrimp, squid or seaweed) or by NOAA Fisheries region. Each comes back with its name, its profile's address, an illustration and the id every other action accepts, so a later step can look each one up.

Inputs

Name containssearchtext
Only the profiles matching this name. FishWatch's search also reads the names a species is sold under and its Latin name, so rock salmon finds bocaccio. Leave empty to list them all.
Wild or farmedharvest_typetext
Only wild-caught seafood, or only farmed. A species that is both, such as sablefish, is in both lists. Leave empty for all.One of: wild_caught (Wild-caught), farmed.
Kind of seafoodcategorytext
Only one kind of seafood. NOAA files lobsters, scallops and queen conch under none of these, so they are listed only when no kind is chosen.One of: fish, clams_mussels_oysters (Clams, mussels and oysters), crab, shrimp, squid, seaweed.
Regionregiontext
Only seafood from one of NOAA Fisheries' regions. Most species are caught in more than one, so they appear under each.One of: alaska, new_england_mid_atlantic (New England/Mid-Atlantic), pacific_islands (Pacific Islands), southeast, west_coast (West Coast).

Outputs

countnumber
Number of profiles listed
directoryUrltext
Where a person browses the same directory
filtersobject
The narrowing applied: 'search', 'harvestType', 'category' and 'region', each null when not used
profileslist
The matching profiles, in alphabetical order
Example output
{
  "count": 1,
  "directoryUrl": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/sustainable-seafood#seafood-profiles",
  "filters": {
    "category": null,
    "harvestType": null,
    "region": "Southeast",
    "search": "snapper"
  },
  "profiles": [
    {
      "imageDescription": "Side-profile illustration of a red snapper fish with spiny dorsal fin. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jack Hornady",
      "imageUrl": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/styles/media_375_x_250/s3/2022-09/640x427-Snapper-Red-NOAAFisheries.png?itok=aFLfRzjN",
      "name": "Red Snapper",
      "slug": "red-snapper",
      "url": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/red-snapper/seafood"
    }
  ]
}

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ActionsCheck if seafood is sustainableCompare seafood nutritionGet a seafood profileList seafood profiles