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Our Living : Southeast

The Southeast Region encompasses about 12% (1.34 million km2 [391,000 nmi2]) of the U.S. (EEZ). It includes nine inland states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New , Oklahoma, and Tennessee) and eight coastal states (North Carolina, , , , Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas). It also includes the Commonwealth of , the Territory of the U.S. Virgin , and Navassa (located in the Wildlife Refuge).

“One of the greatest long-term threats to the viability of commercial and recreational is the continuing loss of marine, estuarine, and other aquatic . Habitat considerations should receive increased attention for the conservation and management of resources of the .”

- Magnuson-Stevens Act

Gray snapper in habitat, upper left. Coastal Louisiana , lower left. in a habitat, right. To download an electronic copy of Habitat types in the Southeast Region include freshwater, estuarine, shallow marine the OLO: Habitat, visit: (including barrier islands, coral reefs, and the ), and oceanic http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ (including the Continental Slope, , and Gulf ) habitats. /habitat/plans/ The Southeast Region is host to almost half (47%) of all freshwater and brackish olohabitat/index wetlands in the continental United States. As freshwater flows through watersheds, it passes through a series of habitats that partially cleanse and slow the water’s flow. These habitats are impartant economically, environmentally, and ecologically. While they vary in physical composition; they host a diverse array of fauna and flora. Our Living Oceans: Habitat are found along the where freshwater from the terrestrial STATUS OF THE HABITAT OF U.S. LIVING MARINE RESOURCES environment mixes with from the in a dynamic interplay between the , , and coastal topography. These highly variable habitats support some of the most productive and commercially valuable fishery in the U. S. Shallow marine habitats in the Southeast Region include a diverse set of habitats from the shallow coral reefs of Florida and the Caribbean, to the barrier islands that boarder the Atlantic and Gulf , to the of the Continental Shelf. Thousands of species rely on these habitats for survival, growth, and reproduction, highlighting the importance of protecting and conservating these habitats. Oceanic habitats in this region are dominated by two large oceanographic features:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the Loop Current in the , and the in the Atlantic. Deep- National Marine Fisheries Service are important features of oceanic habitats that provide critical habitats for numerous species of and .

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service Habitat Issues Southeast Region Map On 20 April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank, giving rise to the largest in U.S. history. US EEZ Millions of barrels of oil were released directly into the 0-200 m Gulf of Mexico and the response included the use of over > 200 m Mississippi 1 million gallons of chemical dispersants. Other issues for South Atlantic the Southeast Region habitats: Bight • Wetland loss due to sea-level rise, subsidence, and coastal development. Gulf of Mexico

Puerto Rico and • control structures that alter anadromous fish U.S. migrations.

loss due to bleaching, disease, and physical damage. Navassa Island • Agricultural, industrial, and domestic discharge of nutrients and other pollutants that contaminate freshwater habitats and cause harmful algal blooms and in offshore marine habitats. Southeast Highlights Habitat Needs The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) created the Final Habitat Plan for the South Atlantic Region. Research is particularly needed on species- This document details essential fish habitat (EFH) requirements habitat associations, habitat quality and habitat for Fishery Management Plans (FMP) for multiple fisheries quantity. Managers need to know how species managed by the Council. The habitat plan focuses on estuarine use habitat, the condition of habitats, and the and inshore habitats of North Carolina, South Carolina, best practices to conserve and restore critical Georgia, and the Florida east coast, as well as adjacent and habitats. Specific regional needs include: offshore marine habitats (e.g. coral, coral reefs, and live/hard bottom habitat, artificial reefs, habitat, and the water • Characterizing and monitor habitat column). condition. The SAFMC also developed the Fishery Plan for • Ecological studies for coral reefs and deep- the South Atlantic Region. Building on the Habitat Plan, the sea corals. Ecosystem Plan provides a more in-depth characterization of the overall South Atlantic ecosystem. • Delineating and mapping important habitats. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council developed an FMP to maximize benefits to the Nation by • Determining habitat requirements of early establishing a regional permitting process to manage the life stages (e.g. habitat type, quantity, and development of an environmentally and economically quality). sustainable industry in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). • Determining impacts of severe and . A long-term, multi-billion-dollar restoration program known as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) was • Improving methods to determine efficacy initiated to restore the Everglades watershed to approximate of habitat restoration, and determine the pre-industrial conditions. economic and sociological benefits of conserving and restoring habitats. Florida’s Biscayne , located in the southeast of the state between and the Everglades, and Puerto Rico’s • Improving understanding of transboundary Northeast Reserves and Culebra Islnd were designated as two biological and hydrological linkages. of NOAA’s Habitat Focus Areas in 2015. • Improving understanding of the effects of The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient underwater sound. Task Force, established in 1997, was established to reduce • Studying to determine human impacts and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Since this time, on habitat and any subsequent effects on they have undertaken several actions and developed a plan biology and behavior. to address, reduce, mitigate, and manage hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico as well as improve water quality in the Mississippi River Basin.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service