Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

GARFO is OPEN to the public. We encourage visitors to contact us in advance to schedule an appointment. Staff are working hybrid schedules & may be unavailable to meet in person if visitors walk in. Reach us at nmfs.gar.garfo@noaa.gov or (978) 281-9300.

Our Location

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The Greater Atlantic Region encompasses approximately 100,000 square miles of the Northwest Atlantic. The region encompasses the temperate, structurally complex large marine ecosystem from Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; the Great Lakes; and the rivers and estuaries within this range. Directed from the Regional Office in Gloucester, Massachusetts, we also have four field offices in the Greater Atlantic region: Orono, Maine; Sandy Hook, New Jersey; Annapolis, Maryland; and Gloucester Point, Virginia. In addition, we have port agents and other industry liaison staff in Sedgewick, Maine; Portland, Maine; Gloucester, Massachusetts; New Bedford, Massachusetts; Point Judith, Rhode Island; Saunderstown, Rhode Island; East Hampton, New York; Toms River, New Jersey; Northfield, New Jersey; Belle Haven, Virginia; and Hampton, Virginia.


Our Leadership


Management Team


Our History

On the north shore of Massachusetts sits the oldest fishing port in the United States: Gloucester. Settled in 1623, fishing, art, and granite have been Gloucester’s mainstays. Gloucester is home to America’s oldest continuously operating seafood company, Gorton’s. Clarence Birdseye invented frozen foods in Gloucester while Winslow Homer was painting his schooners.

Gloucester demonstrates dedication to its fishing culture through numerous social events, cultural memorial structures, and organizations including the annual St. Peter’s Fiesta which began in 1927, the Gloucester Schooner Festival, and the annual Fishermen’s Memorial Service, an annual tradition to honor fishermen lost at sea. The earliest recording of this ceremony was in the mid-1800s.

Take your own journey and explore the history of Gloucester through this interactive story map

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GARFO Logo for Gloucester 400 anniversary

Gloucester is celebrating its 400+ anniversary in 2023.