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Fritz.Rohde@noaa.gov Beaufort, North CarolinaPace.Wilber@noaa.gov Charleston, South Carolina

Habitat Conservation DivisionNOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office

101 Pivers Island RoadBeaufort, NC 28516

Considerations by NOAA Fisheries on Habitat Areas of Particular Concern

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What is Essential Fish Habitat?

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH): Those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity

Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC): Subsets of EFH that are rare, particularly susceptible to human-induced degradation, especially ecologically important, or located in an environmentally stressed area

--Specific locations (e.g., Ten Fathom Ledge)

--Specific habitats that occur at many locations (e.g., SAV)

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EssentialFish

Habitat

Presence

Concentration

Growth, Reproduction or Survival

Fishery Recruitment

Geographic AmountGeographic Amount

Impo

rtan

ce

Impo

rtan

ce

Hig

h

H

ighe

st

Hig

h

H

ighe

st

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

e.g., Estuarine Waters

e.g., Salt Marsh

e.g., Surf Zone

e.g., Sand Shoals

e.g., Hardbottom

e.g., Sand Bottom

e.g., Estuarine Waters

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HAPCs in NC Ocean Waters

Snapper/Grouper FMP: Medium to high profile offshore hardbottoms where spawning normally occurs; localities of known or likely periodic spawning aggregations; The Point, Ten Fathom Ledge, and Big Rock

Hardbottom, Coral and Coral Reef FMP: The Point, Ten Fathom Ledge, and Big Rock

Coastal Migratory Pelagics FMP: Sandy shoals of Capes Lookout, Cape Fear, and Cape Hatteras from shore to the ends of the respective shoals, but shoreward of the Gulf stream; The Point, Ten Fathom Ledge, and Big Rock

Highly Migratory Fish FMP: Nursery and pupping grounds in shallow areas near the Outer Banks and in areas of Pamlico Sound and adjacent to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands and offshore of those islands

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Hardbottom – medium to high offshore (spawning); nearshore

The Point, Ten Fathom Ledge, and Big Rock

Sandy shoals of Capes Lookout, Cape Fear, and Cape Hatteras

Shallow areas near the Outer Banks and in areas of Pamlico Sound and adjacent to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands and offshore of those islands

HAPCs in NC Ocean Waters

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7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

16

17

18

19Sandbar shark

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HAPC

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22

23

24

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Do HAPCs preclude wind energy projects?

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Questions?