The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit Historical data: Hidden in the past
In 2012, Ruth Thurstan turned to an unconventional source to study fishing: old newspapers. She wanted to know when people had started catching substantial numbers of snapper (Pagrus auratus), a fish species abundant off Australia's coast, and how much effort was needed at the time to catch them. But available detailed data stretched back only to the late 1980s. T
