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WCR_HMS_EFH_20241021_Albacore_tuna
Albacore tuna EFH is defined using a combination of data sources described in in the FMP as well as expert opinion. Combining all age classes, albacore tuna EFH includes the entire U.S. West Coast EEZ seaward of the 12 m depth contour. While albacore tuna may occur in shallow water <12 m, they occur primarily in deeper waters and these shallow regions including bays and estuaries are not considered essential. The high productivity and presence of diverse fish, squid, and crustacean species make the California Current a suitable habitat for feeding and growth to maturity for juvenile albacore tuna.The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requires that regional management councils describe EFH in their fishery management plans (FMPs), that they minimize to the extent practicable adverse effects on EFH from fishing activities, and that federal agencies consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on activities that may adversely affect EFH, among other things. Actions that occur outside of EFH, but that may adversely affect EFH, also warrant an EFH consultation. EFH means those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity (50 CFR 600.10). FMPs must describe and identify EFH in text that clearly states the habitats or habitat types determined to be EFH for each life stage of the managed species, if possible. The text descriptions are ultimately determinative of the limits of EFH. Those text descriptions of HMS EFH can be found in the HMS FMP available on the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) website: https://www.pcouncil.org/. In addition, FMPs must include maps that display, within the constraints of available information, the geographic locations of EFH or the geographic boundaries within which EFH for each species and life stage is found (50 CFR 600.815(a)(1)(v)(A)). This Geographic Information System (GIS) data which depicts the EFH of HMS within the EEZ off the U.S. West Coast, was developed to meet that requirement.
Resources
3 resources available
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https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/application/efhinventory/index.html
TEXT/HTML -
GCMD Keyword Forum Page
TEXT/HTML -
Full Metadata Record
TEXT/HTML
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Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| contactPoint |
{ "fn": "Chavez, Eric", "@type": "vcard:Contact", "hasEmail": "mailto:eric.chavez@noaa.gov" } |
| describedByType | application/octet-steam |
| description | Albacore tuna EFH is defined using a combination of data sources described in in the FMP as well as expert opinion. Combining all age classes, albacore tuna EFH includes the entire U.S. West Coast EEZ seaward of the 12 m depth contour. While albacore tuna may occur in shallow water <12 m, they occur primarily in deeper waters and these shallow regions including bays and estuaries are not considered essential. The high productivity and presence of diverse fish, squid, and crustacean species make the California Current a suitable habitat for feeding and growth to maturity for juvenile albacore tuna.The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) requires that regional management councils describe EFH in their fishery management plans (FMPs), that they minimize to the extent practicable adverse effects on EFH from fishing activities, and that federal agencies consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service on activities that may adversely affect EFH, among other things. Actions that occur outside of EFH, but that may adversely affect EFH, also warrant an EFH consultation. EFH means those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity (50 CFR 600.10). FMPs must describe and identify EFH in text that clearly states the habitats or habitat types determined to be EFH for each life stage of the managed species, if possible. The text descriptions are ultimately determinative of the limits of EFH. Those text descriptions of HMS EFH can be found in the HMS FMP available on the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) website: https://www.pcouncil.org/. In addition, FMPs must include maps that display, within the constraints of available information, the geographic locations of EFH or the geographic boundaries within which EFH for each species and life stage is found (50 CFR 600.815(a)(1)(v)(A)). This Geographic Information System (GIS) data which depicts the EFH of HMS within the EEZ off the U.S. West Coast, was developed to meet that requirement. |
| distribution |
[ { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/application/efhinventory/index.html", "accessURL": "https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/application/efhinventory/index.html", "mediaType": "text/html", "description": "Essential Fish Habitat Mapper", "describedByType": "application/octet-stream" }, { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page", "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords", "mediaType": "text/html", "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2026. GCMD Keywords, Version 24. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords", "describedByType": "application/octet-stream" }, { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "Full Metadata Record", "accessURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/80237", "mediaType": "text/html", "description": "View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset.", "describedByType": "application/octet-stream" } ] |
| identifier | https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/nmfs/wcro/iso/xml/80237.xml |
| keyword |
[ "DOC/NOAA/NMFS/WCRO > West Coast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce", "WCR Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Essential Fish Habitat" ] |
| landingPage | https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/80237 |
| language |
[]
|
| license | https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
| modified | 2026-07-21T19:39:22.000+00:00 |
| publisher |
{ "name": "West Coast Regional Office", "@type": "org:Organization" } |
| spatial | -117.129444,30.541995,-129.162414,48.506117 |
| theme |
[ "geospatial" ] |
| title | WCR_HMS_EFH_20241021_Albacore_tuna |
