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Fisheries Science Centers

Alaska The Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries oversees sustainable fisheries that produce about half the fish caught in US waters with responsibilities covering 842,000 square nautical miles off Alaska...

Southwest The SWFSC is the research arm of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service in the Southwest Region. Center scientists conduct marine biological, economic and oceanographic research...

Southeast The Southeast Fisheries Science Center conducts multi-disciplinary research programs to provide management information to support national and regional programs of NMFS...

Pacific Islands The Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)...

Northwest The Northwest Fisheries Science Center studies living marine resources (e.g., salmon, groundfish, and killer whales) and their habitats in the Northeast Pacific Ocean...

Northeast The Center plans, develops, and manages a multidisciplinary program of basic and applied research to: (1) better understand living marine resources of the Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem...

Capability 6 - Habitat Monitoring and Assessments Capability

The Habitat Monitoring and Assessment Capability conducts surveys, observations, analyses and investigations to: (1) understand the nature, extent, and quality of habitat available for use by living marine resources managed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), (2) evaluate the nature of variation in these habitats and the natural and human-associated drivers for such changes, (3) elucidate how managed species and their forage utilize and benefit from specific habitats, and how these vary with habitat change,  (4) reveal how changes to habitats impact fish production and sustainability, and how such information can be used to inform or be incorporated into stock assessments, and (5) determine how enhanced habitat understanding (including an appreciation of the value of habitats to society) is translated into improved habitat management (i.e., protection and restoration) and can create a citizenry with a strong stewardship ethic.  Potential approaches include mapping, characterization, field and laboratory observational studies, modeling, assessment and prediction, technique development, long-term monitoring, and follow-up evaluations. 
 
Habitat Monitoring and Assessment Capability efforts align with work being done within other EAP capabilities—most  notably Fishery Monitoring, Assessments and Forecasts (Capability 1), Protected Species Monitoring and Assessments (Capability 2) and Ecosystem Monitoring, Assessment and Forecasts (Capability 3).  HMA activities also complement efforts undertaken as part of other Ecosystem Goal Team programs, including the Habitat Program (HAB) and the Coral Program (COR)—both tropical and deep-water components. 

Results from Habitat Monitoring and Assessment Capability activities inform a variety of constituencies.  Primary users include staff of the NMFS Regional Habitat Conservation Divisions, regional Fishery Management Councils and their staffs, Regional Fish Commissions, state and local fisheries and natural resource management agencies, academia, industry, and major non-governmental environmental organizations.

The relevance of science and management-related activities envisioned for the Habitat Monitoring and Assessment Capability has been identified by multiple reports and studies including the Report of the Pew Oceans Commission, America’s Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change (2003); the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century (2004); the Heinz Center, Filling the Gaps: Priority Data Needs and key Management Challenges for National reporting on Ecosystem Condition (2006), NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade (2007), and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Atlantic Coast Diadromous Fish Habitat: A Review of Utilization, Threats, Recommendations fro Conservation and Research Needs (2009).