Nominations are due March 31, 2025.
Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Contractor to Develop Climate-Ready Updates to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Source Documents – Proposals due Dec. 20
The Mid‐Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking a contractor(s) to update and develop Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) source documents for all Federally managed species in the Northeast. The proposal submission deadline is December 20, 2024.
Background: The regional fishery management councils are required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to identify and describe EFH for all federally managed species. In the past, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center has compiled information on the distribution, abundance, and habitat requirements for each species managed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. These documents, referred to as “EFH source documents,” provide foundational information to support EFH reviews and designations. In addition to describing habitat requirements, these documents present information on all aspects of fish life history and ecology, including food habits, predator-prey dynamics, movement/migration, and stock genetics/structure. Although EFH source documents continue to be used by managers and researchers, they have not been revised or updated since the mid-2000s.
The goal of this project is to update EFH source documents for all Federally managed species to include new information on life history and ecology, distribution, habitat requirements, and climate impacts. These updates will ensure that EFH designations, consultations, and management decisions are guided by the most up-to-date science, supporting resilient, climate-ready fisheries across the Northeast US.
Scope of Work: The contractor(s) will conduct in-depth literature reviews and update all sections of the EFH source documents for all species currently managed by the Mid-Atlantic and New England Councils. EFH source documents were not previously prepared for a small number of managed species and will therefore need to be newly developed. The structure for the new and updated source documents will be developed by the contractor and approved by a project oversight team. Climate change adaptation is a focus area for both Councils. New and updated source documents should be “climate ready” in the sense that they should reflect any research literature that explains recent spatial changes in fish habitat use or adjustments to timing of activities such as spawning or migration.
Additional Information: Complete details about the project, contractor qualifications, and proposal submission instructions can be found in the request for proposals (RFP).
Mid-Atlantic Council Seeks Contractor to Develop a Framework to Evaluate Changes in Stock Distribution - Proposals due Oct 18
Mid-Atlantic Council Requests Public Input on NOAA Fisheries Climate Governance Policy
Written comments can be submitted to the Council using the Online Comment Form until November 10, 2023.
East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries
East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Release Suite of Potential Actions to Help Managers Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Marine Fisheries
July 2023
Over the past two years, marine fishery management organizations along the U.S. East Coast have been exploring governance and management issues related to climate change and fishery stock distributions. This effort recognizes the profound impact that climate change is having on our ocean ecosystems and coastlines and the need to plan for how fishery management organizations and coastal communities can best adapt to these changes in a thoughtful and deliberate way.
Throughout the multi-stage scenario planning process, hundreds of stakeholders helped generate four distinct “scenarios,” each describing a possible future for East Coast fisheries, coastal communities, and fisheries management. The capstone to this initiative was a Scenario Planning Summit, held in February 2023, which brought together representatives from the three East Coast Regional Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. During the Summit, participants used the scenarios as a platform from which to develop a set of potential governance and management actions that could help prepare fishery management organizations for future challenges related to climate change.
Scenario Planning Outcomes
The main themes and potential actions that emerged during this process are summarized in two documents: the Summit Report and a Potential Action Menu. The Summit Report summarizes the discussions that occurred at the Summit, while the Potential Action Menu builds upon the Summit Report by suggesting possible next steps for the management organizations to consider as they plan for the future. The Potential Action Menu is organized around three overarching themes: (1) cross-jurisdictional governance; (2) managing under increased uncertainty; and (3) data sources and partnerships. Each theme’s potential actions are prioritized, with high priority given to those that could be quickly or easily implemented or that the fishery management organizations viewed as important issues to address in the near-term. The table below provides a summary of high priority potential actions under each theme.
The Potential Action Menu is intended to be an evolving document, used as a planning tool to guide development of priorities and a place to capture future issues and ideas. Over the next several months, fishery management organizations will meet individually and collectively to discuss how best to integrate the high priority items into actions.
Overarching Themes and High Priority Potential Actions
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Theme |
High Priority Actions |
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Cross-Jurisdictional Governance Refers to ways in which governance structures and processes may need to be modified to address changes in species distribution. |
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Managing Under Increased Uncertainty Environmental changes may mean that historical conditions can no longer be used to predict the future, increasing uncertainty in management. |
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Data Sources and Partnerships Coordination of accurate and timely data between all stakeholders and partners will play a large role as we adapt to changing conditions. |
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Next Steps
Two new groups are being formed to help support the implementation of scenario planning outcomes.
The East Coast Climate Coordination Group will be responsible for tracking progress toward implementation of potential actions, promoting prioritization of actions (jointly or by individual management organizations), estimating resources needed, and supporting coordinated implementation.
The Climate Innovation Group will track information and changes relevant to East Coast fisheries, identify ideas that are worthy of consideration by the Coordination Group, and identify possible actions to undertake.
Scenario Planning Toolkit and More Information
A Scenario Planning Toolkit has been created to support ongoing conversations about how climate change is affecting fisheries. The toolkit consists of materials to provide guidance to other stakeholders who may wish to undertake their own scenario work, with resources including a set of overview slides, worksheet templates, draft agendas for various types of sessions, guidance on different scenario approaches, and guidelines for facilitators.
Additional information about the East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative, including contact information for current core team members, is available at https://www.mafmc.org/climate-change-scenario-planning.
New Web Page Highlights MAFMC Responses to Climate Change
The new Climate Change and Mid-Atlantic Fisheries page provides a comprehensive overview of actions the Council has taken to build resilient, climate-ready fisheries.
Request for Proposals to Develop a National Fishing Effects Database to support Fishery Management Councils Essential Fish (EFH) Habitat Reviews
New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils and Partners Launch Habitat Data Explorer; One-Stop Tool Ready for Use
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2022
PRESS CONTACT: Janice Plante, jplante@nefmc.org
PRESS CONTACT: Mary Sabo, msabo@mafmc.org
What began five years ago as a commitment to improve fish habitat science has resulted in the creation of a revolutionary tool that allows users to explore information on fish distribution and survey abundance, species life history, essential fish habitat (EFH), fish vulnerability to climate change, and much more – all on one website. Welcome to the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment Data Explorer.
The Data Explorer was developed as part of the Northeast Regional Marine Fish Habitat Assessment (NRHA), a collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort to describe and characterize estuarine, coastal, and offshore fish habitat distribution, abundance, and quality in the Northeast. Based on a plan approved by NRHA’s Steering Committee, a work team spent three years collecting and analyzing data and populating the Data Explorer with information for more than 65 finfish and shellfish species through 2019. New data will be added over time.
Who Should Use the Data Explorer? Everyone!
While stock assessment scientists, researchers, and fishery managers will be the primary users of this comprehensive collection of information, commercial and recreational fishermen will be able to call up maps showing key information about the species they catch. Other stakeholder groups interested in habitat issues, seasonal ocean conditions such as salinity, and fish survey information also should find the site helpful. For example, offshore wind and aquaculture developers can use the tool to identify habitat types and fish distribution within areas being considered for development.
The data-heavy portal takes 15 to 20 seconds to load on the first launch. Subsequent data searches go quickly. Use a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet. The Data Explorer tool, which runs on a R-Shiny application, is not intended for cell phone use. Visit the NRHA Data Explorer website to learn more about the available products and reports.
Survey, Species, and Model Views Plus a Habitat Crosswalk
Below is a quick rundown of the four major categories of products available on the Data Explorer and a few tips for how to navigate the pages to access the information you want. Specific examples of NRHA’s products are shown in the graphics below.
Survey View: This tab summarizes fishery independent survey data at both a Northeast regionwide scale and in inshore waters at a bay/estuary scale. Specific surveys and year ranges can be selected to display: (1) species abundance and biomass; (2) species that are caught together, which is called a cluster analysis; and (3) salinity and temperature data from selected surveys.
An example of winter flounder information retrieved under “Species View” on the NRHA Data Explorer.
(click image to enlarge)
Species View: This view provides a deeper dive into species-specific fishery independent survey data.
Click on the tabs to view a species distribution map, abundance and biomass by year, relative abundance by month and salinity zone, and species reports with life history info, vulnerability to climate change, and EFH designations.
Select your desired location, surveys, and species, and then hit “Run Analysis.” Your results will pop up.
Model View: This tab is under development but will include habitat distribution model results when completed.
Habitat Crosswalk: This work integrates the outputs from the Northeast Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment (HCVA), the Northeast Fish and Shellfish Climate Vulnerability Assessment (FSCVA), and the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) habitat-species matrix for use in fisheries management. The major objectives were to create a habitat-species vulnerability matrix and develop species narratives for 66 managed and forage species in the region.
Reports: Be sure to check out the Reports tab, which gives users the ability to download survey metadata. The Reports tab is located on the toolbar at the top of NRHA homepage.
Below are two examples of NRHA data runs. Click on the graphics to enlarge.
NRHA Data Explorer Survey View of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Trawl Survey Data From 1963-2019 for Top 20 Species of Abundance.
Maine/New Hampshire Trawl Survey 2000-2019 Seasonal Temperatures.
This information was generated by clicking on the Survey View tab and then selecting: (1) Inshore View in the left column; (2) Maine-New Hampshire Coast under location; (3) ME/NH Inshore Trawl under “Select Surveys”; and (4) 2000-2019 for the year range. After that, click on “Run Analysis.”
Additional Details
One Stop Shopping for Trawl Surveys: The NRHA Data Explorer hosts information from many Northeast Region trawl and seine surveys, making it an easy launching point for data searches. Below is a list of surveys included in the Data Explorer. Data can be displayed for one or more surveys by species or resource wide.
What is NRHA: The Northeast Regional Marine Fish Habitat Assessment is a collaborative, multi- disciplinary effort to describe and characterize estuarine, coastal, and offshore fish habitat distribution, abundance, and quality in the Northeast. The project aims to align habitat science goals and priorities with human and financial resources to develop habitat science products that support an assessment. The NRHA Steering Committee is composed of leadership from the major habitat conservation, restoration, and science organizations in the region.
Stay Tuned! The NRHA team, in conjunction with the New England and Mid-Atlantic Councils, will be developing outreach and communications materials over the fall and winter to help everyone learn how to navigate the Data Explorer and make the most of its extensive repository of information.
Visit the Mid-Atlantic Council’s Northeast Regional Marine Fish Habitat Assessment informational webpage.
A Note From the NRHA Team
“NRHA did not create the data and cannot guarantee its accuracy or its suitability for use for other applications. NRHA encourages proper use and attribution of any datasets summarized on this site. The portal is a data viewer for trawl surveys. The datasets are not available for download.”
NRHA Contacts
Anyone with specific questions about the Northeast Regional Habitat Assessment Data Explorer and its various products should feel free to contact one of the following team members:
Jessica Coakley, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council jcoakley@mafmc.org
Michelle Bachman, New England Fishery Management Council mbachman@nefmc.org
Christopher Haak, Monmouth University/NOAA Fisheries chrishaak@monmouth.edu
Tori Kentner, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council tkentner@mafmc.org
Laurel Smith, Northeast Fisheries Science Center laurel.smith@noaa.gov
New Data Explorer Provides Insight into Fish Habitat in the Northeast
The NRHA Data Explorer allows users to visualize and explore fish habitat data, with an emphasis on habitat use by diverse fish and shellfish species in the Northeast.
ACFHP Launches General Request for Habitat Conservation Proposals
The following was released by the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership:
In order to respond promptly to funding opportunities from various sources, the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP or Partnership) is soliciting applications for habitat conservation projects in need of funding that align with ACFHP’s objectives and priority habitats. The Request for Proposals (RFP) is not linked to a specific funding source. Instead, newly submitted projects reviewed and approved by ACFHP will be added to our project database and recommended as funding becomes available.
The amount of funding currently and soon to be available for habitat restoration projects is unlike anything we have seen in a generation. With the applications submitted through the RFP, ACFHP is preparing to nimbly respond to new funding opportunities with previously approved projects. There is no deadline for the RFP. The sooner we receive applications, the faster ACFHP can review and consider your project for new funding opportunities. While submitting an application does not guarantee funding, it will increase the visibility of your project among ACFHP partners and other funders.
The RFP can be found on the ACFHP website: Funding Opportunities – Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (atlanticfishhabitat.org)
For questions and to submit your completed application, please email Lisa Havel, ACFHP Director, at LHavel@asmfc.org.
East Coast Fishery Management Organizations Invite Stakeholder Input on Climate Change Scenario Planning
*** Please note that this questionnaire has closed ***
To help prepare fisheries for an era of climate change, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collaborating with other East Coast fishery management organizations on a climate change scenario planning initiative. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. Additional details are available in the introductory brochure.
We are currently in the scoping phase of the initiative. During this phase we are gathering stakeholder input on forces of change that could affect East coast fisheries in the future. We are inviting all interested stakeholders to complete a questionnaire about the ways you think climate change and other factors will affect fisheries and management in the future. The questionnaire, available at the link below, contains 12 questions and should take 10-30 minutes to complete. This is a great and easy opportunity to become involved and offer your ideas to help guide the issues that we will explore throughout this initiative.
The link will remain open until September 30, 2021, but we encourage you to submit responses as soon as possible. Additional Information about scenario planning can be found at the links below.
Climate Change Scenario Planning: Input Needed to Prepare for Uncertainty in Ocean Conditions and Fisheries
On the East Coast of the United States, some species of fish are already experiencing climate-related shifts in distribution, abundance, and productivity. Although the future is uncertain, a continuation or acceleration of climate change has the potential to strain our existing fishery management system and alter the way fishermen, scientists, and the public interact with the marine environment.
Global climate models can project how ocean conditions will change over time. This figure shows how ocean bottom temperatures are projected to increase, especially north of Cape Hatteras, NC by the 2060s to 2080s under a “high CO2 emissions” scenario where carbon dioxide (CO2) increases by 1% per year and doubles after 70 years. Image © NOAA Fisheries NEFSC
In order to begin preparing for this possibility, management bodies along the entire Atlantic seaboard have teamed up to launch a new project called East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning. Scenario planning is a way of exploring how fishery management may need to evolve over the next few decades in response to climate change. You can find additional details in the introductory brochure.
Weigh In! Stakeholder Input is Key to Effective Scenario Planning
The initiative is being organized by a Core Team of representatives from the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and NOAA Fisheries. The team has lined up three kick-off webinars:
Monday, August 30, 4:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 1, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 2, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Please register at the links above. The webinars will introduce stakeholders to the overall initiative, explain the benefits of participating in the process, outline additional ways to become involved, and begin collecting stakeholder input. All three webinars will have the same presentations; it is not necessary to attend more than one webinar.
An online questionnaire will be available soon to serve as an additional tool to collect input. Watch the Scenario Planning webpage for updates.
Next Steps and Expected Outcomes: Over the next year, fishery science and management organizations, guided by the Northeast Region Coordinating Council (NRCC), will bring together fishery participants, fishery managers, researchers, and other stakeholders to discuss climate change issues. The intent is to emerge with ideas and recommendations on how fishery management can adapt to climate change. However, nothing will happen immediately and managers will need to discuss the recommendations from the scenario planning project to determine next steps.
Organizations Working on East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning
NOAA Fisheries Requests Public Input on Making Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Protected Resources More Resilient to Climate Change
Submit your comments by April 2, 2021 to OceanResources.Climate@noaa.gov
NEW: National Fish Habitat Partnership Infographic
August 2019 Council Meeting Agenda
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet August 13-15, 2019 at the Courtyard Philadelphia Downtown (21 N. Juniper St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, Telephone 215-496-3200).
National Fish Habitat Partnership Releases "Our Story" Video Reflecting on 10 Years of Habitat Protection
The National Fish Habitat Action Plan was established in 2006 and has supported 679 projects benefiting fish habitat in all 50 states. The partnership leverages federal, state, tribal, and private funding resources to achieve the greatest impact on fish populations meeting the priorities of our 20 regionally-based Fish Habitat Partnerships.
February 2018 Council Meeting Summary
NOAA Funds 2017 National Fish Habitat Partnership Priorities And Projects
In 2017, NOAA has provided a total of over $100,000 across four Fish Habitat Partnerships to support prioritization, monitoring, and data analysis projects. These projects support the goals of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and align with NOAA’s efforts to protect, restore, and promote stewardship of coastal and marine habitat to support our nation's fisheries for future generations.
Our Fish, Our Future: National Fish Habitat Partnership Releases New Story Map
Today, through ESRI, the National Fish Habitat Partnership released a story map, “Our Fish, Our Future,” highlighting our partnerships and projects across the United States. To view the story map, please visit: http://arcg.is/2sJnHj2.