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Quick Links
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Online Mapping
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SAFMC Habitat and Ecosystem IMS
In cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the Council has developed an Internet Map Server (IMS) to provide access to spatial data, imagery, videography and documents related to coral and other habitats of the South Atlantic ecosystem including Essential Fish Habitat and Essential Fish Habitat -Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. The IMS is a living repository of historic and current information to be used by the general public, recreational and commercial fishermen, researchers and resource managers.
This project is ongoing and incorporates GIS data from a variety of federal, state, academic and private sources. Example datasets include fish and habitat distributions (MARMAP/SEAMAP), environmental sensitivity indexes (NOAA ESI), deepwater coral (Oculina and Lophelia), marine protected areas (MPA), special management zones (SMZ) and artificial reefs.
Users may access the "GIS Data" page which provides a short description of each layer with links to metadata and zipped shapefiles for download. Many GIS data layers served through this application have also been converted to Google Earth KMZ files for easy viewing within the free Google Earth viewer.
SAFMC Habitat and Ecosystem IMS
In cooperation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the Council has developed an Internet Map Server (IMS) to provide access to spatial data, imagery, videography and documents related to coral and other habitats of the South Atlantic ecosystem including Essential Fish Habitat and Essential Fish Habitat -Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. The IMS is a living repository of historic and current information to be used by the general public, recreational and commercial fishermen, researchers and resource managers.
This project is ongoing and incorporates GIS data from a variety of federal, state, academic and private sources. Example datasets include fish and habitat distributions (MARMAP/SEAMAP), environmental sensitivity indexes (NOAA ESI), deepwater coral (Oculina and Lophelia), marine protected areas (MPA), special management zones (SMZ) and artificial reefs.
Users may access the "GIS Data" page which provides a short description of each layer with links to metadata and zipped shapefiles for download. Many GIS data layers served through this application have also been converted to Google Earth KMZ files for easy viewing within the free Google Earth viewer.
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SAFMC GIS Data
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Essential Fish Habitat
The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996, identifying the contribution of habitat loss and degradation on fishery declines, amended the Magnuson-Stevens Act to create a program to protect “essential fish habitat.” The statute defined EFH as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.” The legislation authorized a regulatory program to provide detailed identification of such habitat and obligatory consultation regarding all fishery and non-fishery activities receiving federal funding, permitting, or authorization that could impact EFH. The Council has taken the first step with the approval of the Habitat Plan identifying and describing in detail EFH for species managed throughout the South Atlantic and with the approval of the Comprehensive Habitat Amendment amending all existing FMPs to include descriptions of EFH and EFH-habitat areas of particular concern (EFH-HAPCs).
EFH for the SAFMC jurisdictional area INCLUDES:
EFH-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) that is particularly important to the long-term productivity of populations of one or more managed species, or particularly vulnerable to degradation, should be identified as "habitat areas of particular concern" (HAPC) to help provide additional focus for conservation efforts. As a result of the Sustainable Fisheries Act Amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996 the Councils and the NMFS have been mandated to use an ecosystem approach in managing the Nation's Fisheries. The Council took the first step with the approval of the Habitat Plan identifying and describing in detail EFH for species managed throughout the South Atlantic and with the approval of the Comprehensive Habitat Amendment amending all existing FMPs to include descriptions of EFH and EFH-HAPCs. Due to their important ecological function, areas of the offshore pelagic environments discussed above and the associated benthic habitats represent EFH-HAPCs and were designated as such though previous Council actions.
EFH-HAPCs INCLUDE:
Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Coral HAPCs)
Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Deepwater Coral HAPCs) have been designated off the coast of the southern Atlantic states in which the use of specified fishing gear and methods and the possession of coral is prohibited. Within the Deepwater Coral HAPCs, fishing zones have been established that allow continued fishing on the historical grounds for golden crab and deepwater shrimp. This designation protects what is thought to be the largest distribution of pristine deepwater coral ecosystems in the world.
Deepwater Coral HAPCs include:
Restricted Gear
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (SAFMC) role is to develop fishery management plans needed to manage fishery resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending from state waters (three miles in the south Atlantic) to 200 nautical miles. The 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) was passed by Congress to protect marine fish stocks with requirements to prevent and stop overfishing, minimize bycatch, and protect habitat. These layers geographically represents prohibitions on the use of various gear (to fish for and retain snapper grouper species) within the SAFMC EEZ.
Essential Fish Habitat
The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996, identifying the contribution of habitat loss and degradation on fishery declines, amended the Magnuson-Stevens Act to create a program to protect “essential fish habitat.” The statute defined EFH as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity.” The legislation authorized a regulatory program to provide detailed identification of such habitat and obligatory consultation regarding all fishery and non-fishery activities receiving federal funding, permitting, or authorization that could impact EFH. The Council has taken the first step with the approval of the Habitat Plan identifying and describing in detail EFH for species managed throughout the South Atlantic and with the approval of the Comprehensive Habitat Amendment amending all existing FMPs to include descriptions of EFH and EFH-habitat areas of particular concern (EFH-HAPCs).
EFH for the SAFMC jurisdictional area INCLUDES:
EFH-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern
Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) that is particularly important to the long-term productivity of populations of one or more managed species, or particularly vulnerable to degradation, should be identified as "habitat areas of particular concern" (HAPC) to help provide additional focus for conservation efforts. As a result of the Sustainable Fisheries Act Amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996 the Councils and the NMFS have been mandated to use an ecosystem approach in managing the Nation's Fisheries. The Council took the first step with the approval of the Habitat Plan identifying and describing in detail EFH for species managed throughout the South Atlantic and with the approval of the Comprehensive Habitat Amendment amending all existing FMPs to include descriptions of EFH and EFH-HAPCs. Due to their important ecological function, areas of the offshore pelagic environments discussed above and the associated benthic habitats represent EFH-HAPCs and were designated as such though previous Council actions.
EFH-HAPCs INCLUDE:
Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Coral HAPCs)
Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Deepwater Coral HAPCs) have been designated off the coast of the southern Atlantic states in which the use of specified fishing gear and methods and the possession of coral is prohibited. Within the Deepwater Coral HAPCs, fishing zones have been established that allow continued fishing on the historical grounds for golden crab and deepwater shrimp. This designation protects what is thought to be the largest distribution of pristine deepwater coral ecosystems in the world.
Deepwater Coral HAPCs include:
Restricted Gear
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (SAFMC) role is to develop fishery management plans needed to manage fishery resources within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending from state waters (three miles in the south Atlantic) to 200 nautical miles. The 1996 Sustainable Fisheries Act (SFA) was passed by Congress to protect marine fish stocks with requirements to prevent and stop overfishing, minimize bycatch, and protect habitat. These layers geographically represents prohibitions on the use of various gear (to fish for and retain snapper grouper species) within the SAFMC EEZ.
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New Web Applications
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SAFMC Managed Areas
This prototype web application provides users an opportunity to view managed areas in the SAFMC's jurisdiction. The application contains data for the Allowable Golden Crab Fishery Areas, Shrimp Fishery Access Areas, and Deepwater Coral HAPCs. The application also includes SAFMC Restrictions, Marine Protected Areas, Oculina CHAPC, Danger Zones, and other Federal Marine Managed Areas. It requires Flash Player.
SAFMC Fisheries
This prototype application dipslays fishery independent data collected by the SEAMAP - South Atlantic (SA) component and by the Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction (MARMAP) program. The application also contains several base layers and data from EcoGIS.
SAFMC EFH
This prototype application dipslays Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPCs) for several species under SAFMC's jurisdiction. It also displays EFH for Highly Migratory Species (HMS) managed by NOAA Fisheries.
SAFMC Managed Areas
This prototype web application provides users an opportunity to view managed areas in the SAFMC's jurisdiction. The application contains data for the Allowable Golden Crab Fishery Areas, Shrimp Fishery Access Areas, and Deepwater Coral HAPCs. The application also includes SAFMC Restrictions, Marine Protected Areas, Oculina CHAPC, Danger Zones, and other Federal Marine Managed Areas. It requires Flash Player.
SAFMC Fisheries
This prototype application dipslays fishery independent data collected by the SEAMAP - South Atlantic (SA) component and by the Marine Resources Monitoring, Assessment, and Prediction (MARMAP) program. The application also contains several base layers and data from EcoGIS.
SAFMC EFH
This prototype application dipslays Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPCs) for several species under SAFMC's jurisdiction. It also displays EFH for Highly Migratory Species (HMS) managed by NOAA Fisheries.
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SAFMC IMS
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South Atlantic Habitat and Ecosystem Internet Map Server
Start the map server application
Note: Please allow pop-ups on this site for this application to function correctly.
Visit our Map Catalog for dowloadable ready-made maps.
South Atlantic Habitat and Ecosystem Internet Map Server
Start the map server application
Note: Please allow pop-ups on this site for this application to function correctly.
Visit our Map Catalog for dowloadable ready-made maps.
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