Publications

A reference and guidelines for training, sampling, and data entry for the monitoring of coral populations and benthic communities as part of the Pacific Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (Pacific RAMP) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

The 1996 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) mandates that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identify habitats essential for managed species and conserve habitats from adverse effects of fishing and other anthropogenic activities. Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) is defined under the act as ‘those waters and substrates necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding or growth to maturity.’ As part of this mandate, EFH descriptions for all species listed under a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) in Alaska waters are needed. In addition, these descriptions are routinely revisited under a 5-year cycle that reviews and updates EFH information (including species descriptions) with new data and research.

This report describes the results of baseline assessment surveys for coral reef benthic structure, coral community demographics, and health condition conducted in Vatia Bay and Faga‘alu Bay, American Samoa in 2015.

This tech memo examines the wide range of approaches and use of Fishery Ecosystem Plans and shows that each Regional Fishery Management Council has different needs and priorities for approaching Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management.

Climate variability and change may affect marine fisheries by altering ecosystem functions, fish abundance and productivity, species and fishery distributions, bycatch rates, and habitat availability. This tech memo explores the proactive management alternatives that can increase stock, species, ecosystems, and fishing business resiliency.

NOAA Fisheries Procedure 01-120-01

NOAA Fisheries Policy 01-120

The 8th annual IWC-POWER cruise was conducted between 03 July and 25 September, 2017 in the eastern part of the Bering Sea and within the United States exclusive economic zone, or EEZ.

Finalized November 2015

NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-OPR-57 Published Date: 2017