SCUPS is an acronym for the Small Coastal Underwater Program, which is a research program conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The program focuses on the study of small coastal fish species, such as porgies, which are a type of sea bream found in the Atlantic Ocean. Porgies are an important part of the marine ecosystem, providing food for larger predators and helping to maintain healthy populations of other fish species. The SCUPS program works to understand the ecology of these species and how they interact with their environment.