MRAG Proposal for 5-Yr EFH Review

Bob TrumbleErika Zollett

MRAG Americas, Inc.

Roles of Council and NOAA Fisheries

• MRAG will assist coordination of the EFH review by providing information to both the Council and NMFS

• Identify points of contact at NMFS, Council

Scope of 5-yr Review• Identification and description of EFH• Minimization of adverse effects of fishing• Measures to conserve EFH, and • HAPC• MRAG will consider climate change,

lionfish invasions, and use of habitat models.

• MRAG will consider effectiveness of EFH regulations and descriptions

Climate Change Impacts

• Declines in fish production• Species/ecological shifts• Distribution changes• Reduced reproductive capacity• Local extinctions• Coral bleaching and mortality• Increased sea levels

Normal Reef

Bleached Reef

Predictions for Warming Water

Lionfish Invasions

• Native to tropical coral reefs in waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans

• In the Atlantic Ocean beginning in 1992• Bermuda and the Bahamas in early 2000s• Expand southward through Mexican,

Central, and South American waters• Voracious predators w/o native predators • Vegetation overgrowing coral

Habitat Models

• Habitat suitability model for PFMC/NWRO– Identified habitat distribution and usage– Model determined probability that any parcel

is EFH• Find other potentially appropriate models• Determine which, if any, model would work

for US Caribbean

13Adult Juvenile Larvae

HSP Contour Plots: Arrowtooth Flounder

14Aurora rockfish AdultsDover sole Adults Lingcod Adults

EFH Model Output: Multiple Species

15

ShortspineThornyhead

Threshold:0.60

Threshold:0.00

EFH Model Output: HSP Threshold

Best Available Science

• SSC to determine– SSC– Habitat Advisory Panel– Experts– General public

MRAG will use SSC, HAP for info and review

Documentation

• Report on changes in EFH information– Considerations that influenced review– Description of process used to review– Obsolete or new information– Effectiveness of Caribbean EFH regulations

• Letter from NMFS (RA) to CouncilMRAG will gather the information and

prepare a report for the Council to submit to SERO

Plans and Logistics

• Meeting 1 with Council• Meeting 1 with SSC/HAP

– Report of errors, obsolete information– Obtain new information– Draft Climate Change, Models

• Meeting 2 with SSC/HAP– Review report

• Meeting 2 with Council

EFH Review ScheduleMeeting Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Council 1 X

SSC 1 - Distribution X

SSC 1 - Meeting X

SSC 2 - Distribution X

SSC 2 - Meeting X

Council 2 - Distribution X

Council 2 - Meeting X