Essential Fish Habitat
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12/12/16 Final Report 5-Year Review of Essential Fish Habitat Requirements Including Review of Habitat Areas of Particular Concern and Adverse Effects of Fishing and Non-Fishing in the Fishery Management Plans of the Gulf of Mexico December 2016 This is a publication of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA15NMF4410011. This page intentionally blank 5-Year Review of EFH i COVER SHEET Name of Action Essential Fish Habitat 5-Year Review Responsible Agencies and Contact Persons Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council 813-348-1630 2203 North Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 813-348-1711 (fax) Tampa, Florida 33607 [email protected] Claire Roberts ([email protected]) http://www.gulfcouncil.org National Marine Fisheries Service 727-824-5305 Southeast Regional Office 727-824-5308 (fax) 263 13th Avenue South http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 David Dale ([email protected]) Type of Action ( ) Administrative ( ) Legislative () Draft (X) Final 5-Year Review of EFH ii ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS DOCUMENT AP Advisory Panel CL Carapace length CMP Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Region Council Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council DO Dissolved oxygen EA Environmental Assessment EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EFH Essential Fish Habitat FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement ER Eco-region F Instantaneous fishing mortality rate FL Fork length FMC Fishery management council FMP Fishery Management Plan Gulf Gulf of Mexico FGBNMS Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary FMP Fishery Management Plan GMFMC Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council HAPC Habitat Areas of Particular Concern HAT Habitat association table K Instantaneous growth rate L Life History M Instantaneous natural mortality rate MPA Marine Protected Area MSA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson- Stevens Act) NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ppt Parts per thousand (salinity) SAFMC South Atlantic Fishery Management Council SE Standard error SEAMAP Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program SEDAR Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review SL Standard length SSC Science and Statistical Committee TL Total length Z Instantaneous total mortality rate 5-Year Review of EFH iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Sheet ..................................................................................................................................... ii Abbreviations Used in this Document ........................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 History of Management ........................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Previous Designations and Measures.................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Previous EFH Designations ........................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Previous EFH-HAPC Designations ............................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Previous Measures to Minimize Fishing Impacts to EFH ............................................. 4 1.3 Approach ............................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2. Brief Review of Existing EFH Descriptions and Designations ................................... 6 Chapter 3. Results of Review ......................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Species Profiles ..................................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Coastal Migratory Pelagics .......................................................................................... 10 3.1.2 Coral ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.1.3 Red Drum ..................................................................................................................... 22 3.1.4 Reef Fish ...................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.5 Shrimp ........................................................................................................................ 111 3.1.6 Spiny Lobster ............................................................................................................. 122 3.2 Fishing and Non-fishing Impacts ...................................................................................... 125 3.2.1 Fishing Impacts .......................................................................................................... 125 3.2.2 Non-Fishing Impacts .................................................................................................. 126 3.3 Addition or removal of HAPCs and Changes in Regulations .......................................... 132 3.4 HAPC Recommendations ................................................................................................. 132 3.5 Artificial Reefs .................................................................................................................. 133 Chapter 4. Web Resources ......................................................................................................... 137 4.1 Searchable References ...................................................................................................... 137 4.2 Interactive Essential Fish Habitat Maps ........................................................................... 137 4.3 Interactive Habitat Areas of Particular Concern Map ....................................................... 137 4.4 Habitat Association Tables ............................................................................................... 138 4.5 Species Profiles ................................................................................................................. 138 5-Year Review of EFH iv Chapter 5. Recommendations on updating the EFH information .............................................. 139 Chapter 6. References ................................................................................................................ 143 Appendix A. .............................................................................................................................. 172 Appendix B. .............................................................................................................................. 360 5-Year Review of EFH v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Gulf of Mexico eco-regions and the corresponding NOAA Statistical Grids. ............... 7 Table 2. Twelve habitat types used throughout the species profiles and terms related to those habitat types. ................................................................................................................................... 9 Table 3. Summary of estimated areas (sq. km and acres) of known artificial structures and naturally-occurring rocky substrate in the Gulf of Mexico. ....................................................... 135 5-Year Review of EFH vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of eco-regions textually described in the table above and referenced in the habitat association tables ............................................................................................................................ 8 Figure 2. Spatial depiction of habitat zones: estuarine (inside barrier islands and estuaries), nearshore (60 feet (18m) or less in depth) and offshore (greater than 60 feet (18m) in depth. .... 10 Figure 3. Predicted length at age for all king mackerel collected in the Gulf. ........................... 12 Figure 4. Predicted length at age for all Spanish mackerel collected from the Gulf. ................. 14 Figure 5. Map of benthic habitat use by all life stages of cobia ................................................. 17 Figure 6. Predicted length at age for all cobia collected in the Gulf. .......................................... 18 Figure 7. Map of benthic habitat use by all life stages of red drum............................................ 24 Figure 8. Predicted length at age for all red drum collected in the Gulf. .................................... 25 Figure 9. Map of benthic habitat use by all life stages of queen snapper. .................................. 27 Figure 10. Map of benthic habitat use by all life stages of mutton snapper. .............................. 29 Figure 11. Predicted length at age for all mutton snapper collected in the south Atlantic and Gulf. .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Figure 12. Map of benthic habitat use by all life stages of blackfin snapper .............................. 32 Figure 13. Map of benthic habitat