CCMA: Biogeography Team: South Atlantic Essential Fish Habitat

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South Atlantic Essential Fish Habitat

The content of this web page was developed in 1998 to assist with the identification of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) in coastal waters of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. These and other products were used by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) to amend their fishery management plans in accordance with the EFH requirements of the re-authorized Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act. Current information on EFH is available from NMFS' Office of Habitat Conservation, and from SAFMC. Current information on the Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction (MARMAP) Program is available at South Carolina MMRI. Current information on NOAA's Estuarine Living Marine Resources (ELMR) project is available at http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/estuaries/elmr.html.

Description of South Atlantic Essential Fish Habitat Products(1998) 234k

ELMR Life History Tables

South Atlantic ELMR Relative Abundance Tables424k

Offshore Products

¹Ray et al., 1980
²MARMAP

Inshore Products

North Carolina

**Salinity**
Increasing Salinity High Salinity Decreasing Salinity Low Salinity	Albemarle Sound Pamlico Sound Pamlico/ Pungo Rivers Neuse River Bogue Sound New River Cape Fear River

Brown Shrimp	Pink Shrimp	White Shrimp	Cobia	Gray Snapper	Red Drum	Spanish Mackerel
Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low

South Carolina

**Salinity**
Increasing Salinity High Salinity Decreasing Salinity Low Salinity	Winyah Bay North/ South Santee River Charleston Harbor St. Helena Sound Broad River

Brown Shrimp	Pink Shrimp	White Shrimp	Cobia	Gray Snapper	Red Drum	Spanish Mackerel
Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low

Georgia

**Salinity**
Increasing Salinity High Salinity Decreasing Salinity Low Salinity	Savannah River Ossabaw Sound St. Catherine/ Sapelo Sound Altamaha River St. Andrew/ St. Simon Sound

Brown Shrimp	Pink Shrimp	White Shrimp	Cobia	Gray Snapper	Red Drum	Spanish Mackerel
Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low

Florida

**Salinity**
Increasing Salinity High Salinity Decreasing Salinity Low Salinity	St. John's River Indian River Biscayne Bay

Brown Shrimp	Pink Shrimp	White Shrimp	Cobia	Gray Snapper	Red Drum	Spanish Mackerel
Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low	Increasing High Decreasing Low

Salinity Color Sample

Biological Color Sample

References

Salinity
Orlando, S.P., Jr., P.H. Wendt, C.J. Klein, M.E. Pattillo, K.C. Dennis, and G.H. Ward. 1994. Salinity Characteristics of South Atlantic Estuaries. Silver Spring, MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment. 117p.

Biology: Estuary
Nelson, D.M., E.A. Irlandi, L.R. Settle, M.E. Monaco, and L. Coston-Clements. 1991. Distribution and Abundance of Fishes and Invertebrates in Southeast Estuaries. ELMR Rep. No. 9. NOAA/NOS Strategic Environmental Assessments Division, Silver Spring, MD. 167p.

Biology: Offshore
Ray, G.C., M.G. McCormick-Ray, J.A. Dobbin, C.N. Ehler, D.J. Basta. 1980. Eastern United States Coastal and Ocean Zones: Data Atlas. Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Coastal Zone Management, NOAA.

Shoreline
Research Planning Inc. 1996. Sensitivity of Coastal Environments and Wildlife to Spilled Oil, North Carolina Atlas: Volumes 1-3. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment Division (Seattle, WA), Coastal Services Center (Charleston, SC), and Strategic Environmental Assessments Division (Silver Spring, MD).

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This page was last updated on August 10, 2009 .
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