Fish Habitat

Fish habitat plays an essential role in the reproduction, growth, and sustainability of commercial and recreational fisheries and is essential to the biodiversity of marine and coastal ecosystems. Marine fish depend on healthy habitats for survival, and many species require specific types of habitats for spawning, breeding, feeding, and growth.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires the Regional Fishery Management Councils and NOAA Fisheries to designate Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for species managed under federal fishery management plans. Designation of EFH is important because it means those areas will be given additional consideration before any federal agencies are allowed to carry out activities in those areas. The Councils are also involved in the designation of Habitat Areas of Particular Concerns (HAPCs), which are subsets of EFH that are particularly susceptible to human-induced degradation, especially ecologically important, or located in an environmentally stressed area. 

CCC Habitat Work Group

In 2014, the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) established a Habitat Work Group to provide a forum for Council and NOAA Fisheries staff to discuss habitat science needs and implementation strategies, to share regional updates and perspectives, and to address concerns benefiting from broad group experience. The group includes habitat specialists from all eight Councils as well as NMFS regional offices and headquarters.

Habitat Workshops and Reports

Habitat Climate Resilience Innovations Workshop: In January 2024, the CCC’s Habitat Work Group convened a two day workshop that explored best practices with respect to incorporating climate considerations into fish habitat work. Participants included council staff and NOAA Fisheries staff who are responsible for EFH-related issues, including permit review and consultation.

• Report: Habitat Climate Resilience Innovations Workshop

• Workshop Materials and Presentations:

  • Climate Change Case Study: Machias Dike Bridge Project - Johnson

  • The Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative: Overview Handout - Roskar

  • GARFO Guidance for Integrating Climate Change into Consultations - Johnson

  • Integrating Habitat into Climate Adaptation Work - Bachman

  • Mind the Gaps - Partnerships and West Coast Groundfish - Whitmire

  • North Pacific EFH Designations and Considerations - Pirtle

  • Northeast EFH and Climate - Kentner

  • Northeast Region Habitat Climate Vulnerability Assessment - Johnson

  • Overview of NCCOS Spatial Planning Initiatives - Morris

  • What Could Dynamic EFH Look Like - Hazen

EFH Consultation and Regional Innovations Workshop: In August 2019, the CCC’s Habitat Work Group convened a three-day workshop that focused on best practices for EFH consultations on non-fishing activities. Participants shared current practices and challenges across regions and brainstormed ways to improve collaboration with one another and outside partners in the future. Workshop discussions and outcomes are summarized in the EFH Consultation and Regional Innovations Workshop Report.

National EFH Summit: In recognition of the twentieth anniversary of the inclusion of EFH provisions into the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), NOAA Fisheries, the regional fishery management councils, and their partners convened the National EFH Summit in May 2016. The goal of the summit was to assess and identify opportunities, challenges, and successful approaches for the effective implementation of the MSA-EFH authorities. The findings and outcomes are reflected in the National Essential Fish Habitat Summit Report.

Report: Regional Use of Habitat Areas of Particular Concern: In 2016, CCC Habitat Work Group members developed a joint report on Regional Use of the Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC) Designation. The report synthesizes regional experiences of implementing the HAPC provision, communicates habitat research and conservation priorities, and links habitat protection with fishery management objectives and ecosystem resilience.