Kathryn Ford, Ph.D., Tay Evans, Eileen Feeney, Frank Germano, Vincent Malkoski, Mark Rousseau, Steve Voss

The Marine Fisheries Habitat Project was created in response to the need to comprehensively understand and assess impacts to marine fisheries habitat. This project is comprised of three objectives: Fisheries Habitat Research, Technical Review, and Technical Guidance.

I. Fisheries Habitat Research

MarineFisheries has been conducting fisheries habitat research since its inception. The goals of Fisheries Habitat Research include better consolidating existing habitat research within the Division and using it to inform management. This program will also aid in the creation of new data products now viewed as necessary in the fisheries management community (e.g. seafloor maps). The main objectives of Fisheries Habitat Research are to 1) serve as a hub for habitat projects and data within MarineFisheries and 2) conduct relevant habitat-related research.       

1. Help support interdisciplinary research, data, and communication needs within MarineFisheries
   
2. Conduct relevant habitat-related research
   
   Each of the links below will connect you with information regarding the latest research efforts that fall within the Marine Fisheries Habitat Project. The key contact people are listed next to the research topic.

• Eelgrass: Tay Evans, Alison Leschen
• Artificial reefs: Mark Rousseau
• Seafloor mapping: Kathryn Ford, Steve Voss

II. Technical Review

The Technical Review team tracks coastal and marine projects, solicits specific resource information from MarineFisheries biologists, writes project comment letters, reviews options for compensatory mitigation and participates in interagency meetings. Technical Review also undertakes directed research such as updates to time of year recommendations and the development of best management practices. The goals of Fisheries Habitat Technical Review include:

1. Provide scientifically defendable technical comments to proposed projects whenever possible and clearly integrate division research into review recommendations.
   
2. Follow a consistent, transparent process to review projects.
   

The key contact people are Tay Evans, Eileen Feeney, Frank Germano and Dr. Kathryn Ford

Permits issued under the U.S. EPA National Pollution Elimination Discharge System (NPDES) include wastewater, chemical, desalination, power plant, and other industrial effluent discharges.  MarineFisheries advises EPA and state agencies through the regulatory process so that discharges to receiving waters can be protective of fishery resources. NPDES permitting is a separate technical review program.

The key contact person is:  Dr. Jack P. Schwartz

III. Technical Guidance

Technical Guidance has two key objectives: 1) to improve the dissemination of resource information and 2) to guide the development of MarineFisheries policy documents. 
Mark Rousseau is the key contact person.

1. Technical Review and Technical Guidance are in the process of developing regional resource packets. These packets are designed to address the marine fisheries resources relevant to each region, such as the temporal and geographic distribution of shellfish and anadromous resources, where feasible.
   
   
2. MarineFisheries is currently in the process of better articulating policies regarding certain management issues. The following policies are in development, and a link to each policy will be provided when it is complete.
   1. Artificial Reef Policy
   2. Marine Protected Area Policy
   3. Striped Bass Policy
   4. Environmental Windows Policy

IV. Partnerships

Fisheries Habitat Project staff participate in several regionally and nationally based partnerships that focus on addressing larger scale marine fisheries and habitat concerns. Click on the links below for more information on some of the partnerships we are currently involved in:

1. Atlantic States Coastal Habitat Partnership
   Press Release: Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership Formalized Through MOU
   ACFHP fact sheet  - October 2008
   Habitat Program Five-Year Strategic and Management Plan 2007-2011
2. Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative

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