Coastal Migratory Pelagics Essential Fish Habitat - Habitat Area of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPC)

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI)

Publication_Date: 2005

Title:

Coastal Migratory Pelagics Essential Fish Habitat - Habitat Area of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPC)

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data

Description:

Abstract:

Essential Fish Habitiat (EFH) that is judged to be particularly important to the long-term productivity of populations of one or more managed species, or to be particularly vulnerable to degradation, should be identified as "habitat areas of particular concern" (HAPC) to help provide additional focus for conservation efforts. As a result of the Sustainable Fisheries Act Amendment to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1996 the Councils and the NMFS have been mandated to use an ecosystem approach in managing the Nation's Fisheries. The Council has taken the first step with the approval of the Habitat Plan identifying and describing in detail essential fish habitat (EFH) for species managed throughout the South Atlantic and with the approval of the Comprehensive Habitat Amendment amending all existing FMPs to include descriptions of EFH and EFH-habitat areas of particular concern (EFH-HAPCs).
Due to their important ecological function, areas of the offshore pelagic environments discussed above and the associated benthic habitats represent essential fish habitat-habitat areas of particular concern (EFH-HAPC) and were designated as such though previous Council actions (see SAFMC Comprehensive Habitat Amendment; SAFMC, 1998). These include The Point, The Ten-Fathom Ledge, and Big Rock (North Carolina); The Charleston Bump and the Georgetown Hole (South Carolina); for species in the Snapper Grouper complex, Coastal Migratory Pelagic species including dolphin and Coral and Live/Hard Bottom Habitat. Additional EFH-HAPCs were designated for Coastal Migratory Pelagics including: Amberjack Hole (The Point) off Jupiter Inlet (Florida); The Hump off Islamorada, Florida; The Marathon Hump off Marathon, Florida; and The "Wall" off of the Florida Keys. These areas are productive and highly dynamic oceanic areas. A quasi-permanent, cyclonic eddy with attendant upwelling of nutrient-rich, deep water sets-up in the wake of the Charleston Bump. Upwelling results in persistent primary and secondary production that may well result in an important, if not essential feeding environment for the larvae of fishes that congregate to spawn there. The hydrodynamics of the eddy may well serve in the retention of fish propagules that are lost from local populations elsewhere through entrainment into the Gulf Stream. "The Point" off Cape Hatteras is also highly productive due to the confluence of as many as four water masses. Adults of highly migratory species congregate in this area, while the diversity of larval fishes found there is truly astounding (Table 18b of the Habitat Plan (SAFMC, 1998)). Other water column habitats with high production or dynamic bottom habitats include "Big Rock" and "The Ten Fathon Ledge". Other areas where water flow is affected by bottom habitat concentrating bait and increasing availability of pelagic habitat like Sargassum, include "The Georgetown Hole" off South Carolina.
Section 600.815 (a) (8) of the final rule on essential fish habitat determinations recognizes that subunits of EFH may be of particular concern. Such areas, termed Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPCs), can be identified using identification of habitat areas of particular concern. FMPs should identify specific types or areas of habitat within EFH as habitat areas of particular concern based on one or more of the following considerations: (i) The importance of the ecological function provided by the habitat; (ii) The extent to which the habitat is sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation; (iii) Whether, and to what extent, development activities are, or will be, stressing the habitat type; and (iv) The rarity of the habitat type.

Purpose:

The spatial representation of areas which for dolphin and wahoo ranked high in terms of ecological function, sensitivity, probability of stressor introduction, and/or criteria established for designation of Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPC)

Supplemental_Information:

Prior to July 1, 2004, the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) was known as the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI). The institute name has not been changed in historical data sets or references to work completed by the Florida Marine Research Institute. The institute name has been changed in references to ongoing research, new research, and contact information.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 2005

Currentness_Reference: 2005

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -81.901953

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -74.500000

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 35.833000

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.341458

Keywords:

Access_Constraints: Available without restriction

Use_Constraints:

FWC-FWRI must be credited. This is not a survey data set and should not be utilized as such. These data are not to be used for navigation.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Organization:

FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)

Contact_Position: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast

City: St. Petersburg

State_or_Province: Florida

Postal_Code: 33701

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-896-8626

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-893-1679

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: GISLibrarian@MyFWC.com

Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time

Security_Information:

Security_Classification_System: FWRI-DC

Security_Classification: Available without restriction

Security_Handling_Description: Available without restriction

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.0 (Build 2195) Service Pack 4; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.1.0.722

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report: No logical inconsistencies are known to exist in this data set.

Completeness_Report:

EFH-HAPCs for Coastal Migratory Pelagics [as defined in SAFMC, 1998] are represented within the constraints of available information.

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Digitized by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), Information Science and Management (ISM), Center for Spatial Analysis (CSA) based on data supplied by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector

Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:

SDTS_Terms_Description:

SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: G-polygon

Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 9

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 0.000000

Longitude_Resolution: 0.000000

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: dol_hapcNEW

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: FID

Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Shape

Attribute_Definition: Feature geometry.

Attribute_Definition_Source: ESRI

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain: Coordinates defining the features.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: ID

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: NAME

Attribute_Definition:

Name of Essential Fish Habitat-Habitat Area of Particular Concern (EFH-HAPC).

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: ECO_FUNC

Attribute_Definition: The importance of ecological function provided by the habitat.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: SENSITIV

Attribute_Definition:

The extent to which the habitat is sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: THREAT

Attribute_Definition:

Whether, and to what extent, development activities are, or will be, stressing the habitat type.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: RARITY

Attribute_Definition: The rarity of the habitat type.

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Organization:

FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)

Contact_Position: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast

City: St. Petersburg

State_or_Province: Florida

Postal_Code: 33701

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-896-8626

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-893-1679

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: GISLibrarian@MyFWC.com

Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time

Distribution_Liability:

This data set is in the public domain, and the recipient may not assert any proprietary rights thereto nor represent it to anyone as other than a FWC-FWRI produced data set; it is provided "as-is" without warranty of any kind, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The user assumes all responsibility for the accuracy and suitability of this data set for a specific application. In no event will the staff of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute be liable for any damages, including lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damages arising from the use of or the inability to use this data set.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Transfer_Size: 0.001

Fees:

None. However, persons or organizations requesting information must provide transfer media (CD-ROM only) if FTP is not available and must pay express shipping costs if express shipping is required.

Ordering_Instructions:

Contact GIS Librarian by e-mail, telephone, or letter explaining which products are needed and providing a brief description of how the products will be used. Also, provide name and address of the person or organization requesting the products.

Turnaround:

Usually within 10 business days, although, complex requests may take longer

Custom_Order_Process: Contact GIS Librarian

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20060323

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Organization:

FWC-FWRI (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)

Contact_Position: GIS Data Librarian

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address:

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 100 Eighth Avenue Southeast

City: St. Petersburg

State_or_Province: Florida

Postal_Code: 33701

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 727-896-8626

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 727-893-1679

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: GISLibrarian@MyFWC.com

Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern time

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

Metadata_Access_Constraints: No restrictions on metadata

Metadata_Use_Constraints: Metadata must be distributed with the data set.

Metadata_Security_Information:

Metadata_Security_Classification_System: FWRI-MC

Metadata_Security_Classification: Available

Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: Metadata must be distributed with the data set.