Peer Review Plans

Title and Description:
Essential Fish Habitat for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
This information product includes updates to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS). The information is needed to consider alternatives for different EFH identifications and descriptions, analyze fishing and non-fishing impacts on any resulting changes to EFH, and consider measures to minimize any adverse fishing and non-fishing impacts on the revised EFH. EFH for Atlantic HMS was originally identified and described in the 1999 Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks, and in the 1999 Amendment 1 to the Atlantic Billfish FMP. As part of the 5-year review and update required by the EFH regulatory guidelines, NMFS reviewed all new and existing EFH data in the Consolidated HMS FMP and determined that changes to existing EFH may be warranted. This rulemaking would constitute the second phase of the 5-year review and update by potentially modifying some of the existing EFH.

ID:  110 Info. Type:  ISI
Estimated Dissemination Date:  9/30/2008
Contact Person:  Rebecca Rootes NOAA Locator

Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda:  06/16/2008

Estimated Peer Review Start Date:  9/19/2008
Review type:  individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers: 3 or fewer
Peer reviewers will be selected by:  the agency

Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers?  no

Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed?  yes

How?  NMFS will publish the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that will be available for public comment.

When?  Publication date is expected to be September 15, 2008.

Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review?  yes

Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review:  Primary disciplines needed in the review include fisheries management, fisheries science, and fisheries ecology, including the study of fish habitat and other aspects of managed fish stocks that include Atlantic tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks. Fisheries management: of or pertaining to the management of commercial or recreational fish stocks or fisheries; Fisheries science: the study of the biology of fish species, fisheries, life history characteristics, stock recruitment, and environmental processes that influence fish populations in marine and coastal ecosystems; Fisheries Ecology: the study of interactions between fish species and their environment, including habitat associations and the study of relationships between fisheries productivity and the coastal environment.

Comments on Peer Review: