Saving Seafood

ASMFC Habitat Hotline Atlantic 2025 Issue Now Available

February 25, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commissions’ (ASMFC) Habitat Committee is pleased to present the 2025 Issue of Habitat Hotline Atlantic, which is now available at https://heyzine.com/flip-book/99ee5642fb.html. You will notice that this issue is in a new digitally-interactive flipbook format, though it can also be found in PDF format athttps://asmfc.org/news/newsletters/habitat-hotline-atlantic/2025-annual-issue/. We welcome your feedback on the flipbook format!
 
The focal point of this issue is habitat restoration updates from the East Coast states. From Maine to Florida, state agencies and partners have shared their restoration successes, and ongoing conservation efforts. The 2025 issue also details Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) updates, including: updates on restoration projects, science tools, and collaborations advancing fish habitat conservation across the region. Additionally, the issue highlights the comings and goings of ACFHP Steering Committee members over the past year.
 
Past issues of Habitat Hotline Atlantic can be found at https://asmfc.org/search/-/-/Habitat-Hotline

ASMFC 76th Annual Meeting Supplemental Materials Now Available

October 11, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Supplemental materials for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 76TH Annual Meeting have been posted at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-annual-meeting for the following Boards/Committees (click on “Supplemental” following each relevant committee header to access the information).

American Lobster Management Board – Draft Addendum XXVI to the American Lobster FMP; Draft Addendum III to the Jonah Crab FMP; Technical Committee Report on Harvester Reporting and Biological Sampling; American Lobster and Jonah Crab Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks;  2017 American Lobster FMP Review

 Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee – ACFHP Science and Data Meeting Summary

Tautog Management Board – Public Comment; Long Island Sound Proposal; Tautog Draft Amendment 1 Decision Tree; Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 Spiny Dogfish Management Board – Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

Atlantic Herring Section – Technical Committee Tasks

 Shad & River Herring Management Board – Technical Committee Review of Shad Sustainable Fishery Management Plans (SFMPs); South Carolina and Georgia SFMPs; Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 Horseshoe Crab Management Board – Public Comment; Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 Coastal Sharks Management Board – NOAA Fisheries Request for Complementary Measures for Dusky Sharks

American Eel Management Board – Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 ACCSP Coordinating Council – Draft ACCSP Integrated Reporting Workshop Report and Operations Committee Letter to Coordinating Council FY18 Dogfish Proposal

 Habitat Committee – Draft Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Policy Update; Draft Aquaculture Habitat Management Series; Draft Climate Change Gaps and Recommendations

 Atlantic Sturgeon Management Board – Status of Incidental Take Permits for Atlantic Sturgeon by State;Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 Business Session – Revised Draft Agenda; Draft 2018 Action Plan; Draft Amendment 3 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Northern Shrimp

 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Management Board – Black Sea Bass Recreational Working Group Call Summary; Revised Draft Addendum XXX; MAFMC Memo on Reconsideration of the 2018 Wave 1 Recreational Black Sea Bass Fishery – February 1 – 28 Open Season; Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

 Atlantic Striped Bass Management Board – Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee MemoRequesting Board Guidance on Atlantic Striped Bass FMP Goals and Objectives

 ISFMP Policy Board – Revised Meeting Overview; Draft White Paper: Management, Policy and Science Strategies for Adapting Fisheries Management to Changes in Species Abundance and Distribution Resulting from Climate Change; Habitat Committee Update Draft Climate Change Report

 South Atlantic State/Federal Fisheries Management Board – Draft Cobia FMP Public Hearing Summaries; Technical Committee Memo on Maryland Black Drum Commercial Fishery Proposal; Fishery management Plan Reviews for Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout; Technical Committee and Stock Assessment Subcommittee Tasks

For ease of access, supplemental meeting materials have combined into one PDF –http://www.asmfc.org/files/Meetings/76AnnualMeeting/76AnnualMeetingSupplementalCombined.pdf.

As a reminder, Board meeting proceedings will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning October 16th at 10:15 a.m. and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 3:00 p.m.) onThursday, October 19th. The webinar will allow registrants to listen to board/section deliberations and view presentations and motions as they occur. No comments or questions will be accepted via the webinar. Should technical difficulties arise while streaming the broadcast the boards/sections will continue their deliberations without interruption. We will attempt to resume the broadcast as soon as possible. Please go to https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8911027556606824449 to register. Board/Section summaries, presentations, and audio files will be available at http://www.asmfc.org/home/2017-annual-meeting the week of October 23rd.

March/April 2017 Issue of ASMFC Fisheries Focus Now Available

May 2, 2017 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has released the 14th report in its Habitat Management Series entitled, Atlantic Sciaenid Habitats: A Review of Utilization, Threats and Recommendations for Conservation, Management and Research. Prepared by ASMFC staff, sciaenid experts, and a subset of the Commission’s Habitat Committee, the report is the most comprehensive compilation of habitat information to date on Commission-managed and other common sciaenid species found throughout the Western Atlantic. These species include Atlantic croaker, black drum, red drum, spot, spotted seatrout, weakfish, northern kingfish, southern kingfish and Gulf kingfish. The report provides a habitat description for all stages of each species’ life cycle, their associated Essential Fish Habitats and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (when applicable), threats and uncertainties to their habitats, and recommendations for habitat management and research. It was developed to serve as a resource for fisheries managers to use when amending existing fishery management plans.

Sciaenids are found throughout the Western Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Mexico, in shallow coastal waters and larger bays and estuaries, including their tributaries. They utilize a variety of habitats throughout their life stages, including estuaries, salt marshes, freshwater marshes, oyster reefs, sea grasses and mud banks/shores. Because of the way different species of sciaenids use various types of habitats throughout their life, several different habitats are key for maintaining healthy populations.

Read the full release here