New England coastlines as juvenile cod habitat

On January 3, 2018, the New England Fishery Management Council designated new Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC)for inshore jvenile cod. NOAA  feature article on the HAPC  * **   NOAA's HAPC  IJAC Habitat types defined w/photos (pdf)

The HAPC applies to areas of gravelly, rocky or vegetated habitats and adjacent sandy areas in coastal waters from Maine to Rhode Island, from the high tide line out to the 20 meters depth contour.

INTERTIDAL HAPC HABITATS

1. Pebble-gravel pavement (left) and cobble/boulder pavement with macroalgae (right)

2. Cobble/boulder pavement (not including groin). 

3. Cobble/boulder pavement (borderline “scattered”). 

4. Scattered cobble boulders

5. Pebble-gravel pavement (bottom), scattered cobble left, sand and pebble-gravel (top).

SUBTIDAL HAPC HABITATS                        6. Pebble-gravel pavement

7. Scattered boulders/cobble, but underlying pebble-gravel pavement.

8. Scattered” boulders, with underlying pebble-gravel pavement.

9. “Scattered” boulders/cobble and pebble-gravel patches. 

10. Pebble-gravel pavement (middle), mixed gravel right-top and left-bottom. 

Defined as pavement unless sampling determines less than 10% pebble-gravel content.

11. Pebble-gravel and cobble pavement area.

12. Sand with low percentage pebble-gravel content. 

LAND BASED IMPACTS

2016  NEFMC List of adverse impacts to these shallow waters.

Inshore juvenile atlantic cod habitat area defined

NEFMC staff infolved with HAPCs 

Michelle Bachman (lead)NEFMC fishery analyst  mbachman@nefmc.org   978/465-0492 ext 120

*  Andy Applegate (asst) NEFMC Ecosystem based fishery management   (978) 465-0492 (ext. 114)  email: aapplegate@nefmc.org

While not rare in the Gulf of Maine, these habitats need special protection for three reasons:
* They provide young-of-the-year and year-old cod shelter from predators and important feeding habitat.
* They are particularly sensitive to human activities.
* They are also important habitats for many other fish.

These places need to be located and documented so that govt decisionmakers can block would-be coastal development projects that would send sending polluted runoff and silt into these areas. Join a mapping team this spring and summer!