South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Public Meeting
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Habitat and Ecosystem Advisory Panel (AP) on June 30 and July 1, 2026.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION:
Notice of meeting.
SUMMARY:
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold a meeting of the Habitat and Ecosystem Advisory Panel (AP) on June 30 and July 1, 2026.
DATES:
The Habitat and Ecosystem AP meeting will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT on June 30, 2026, and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT on July 1, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Council address:
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, N Charleston, SC 29405.
Meeting Address:
The meeting will be held at the Town and Country Inn and Suites, 2008 Savannah Hwy., Charleston, SC 29407; phone: (843)571-1000. The meeting will also be available via webinar. Webinar registration, an online public comment form, and briefing book materials will be available 2 weeks prior to the meeting at:
https://safmc.net/advisory-panel-meetings/.
See
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathleen Howington, Habitat and Ecosystem Scientist, 4055 Faber Place Drive, Suite 201, North Charleston, SC 29405; phone: (843) 571-4366 or toll-free (866) SAFMC-10; FAX (843) 769-4520; email:
Kathleen.howington@safmc.net.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Habitat and Ecosystem AP will discuss and recommend revisions to the Council's “Alterations to Riverine, Estuarine and Nearshore Flows Policy” and discuss the integration plan for the prey and predator information from the “Fishery Ecosystem Plan II” into the “Food Webs and Connectivity Policy”. The AP will also discuss life history updates for four fishery management plans' essential fish habitat designations. The AP will receive an update on the Council's Resilient Fisheries Projects with a focus on the guidance developed during the Ecosystem Workshop and other resilient fisheries project recommendations. The AP will also receive an update on the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Inflation Reduction Act projects that may have an impact on South Atlantic fisheries. The AP will discuss new data on the impacts on habitat from activities related to space exploration off the Florida coast. The AP will receive a summary of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center Gulf Region's Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's IEA processes and discuss the South Atlantic Council's potential goals and methods for an IEA in the region. The AP will receive an update from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on offshore developments, including but not limited to offshore wind, oil and gas exploration. The AP will receive a summary of Manomet Conservation Science's beneficial use project site selection process and its associated habitat impacts. The AP will review the Habitat Program's Outreach and Communication Plan including a frequently asked question document. Finally, the AP will review the Habitat and Ecosystem AP Work Plan, the upcoming appointment process for agency seats, and elect a chair and vice chair. The AP will provide recommendations to the Council on other topics as needed.
Special Accommodations
These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aid should be directed to the Council office (see
ADDRESSES
) 5 days prior to the meeting.
Note:
The times and sequence specified in this agenda are subject to change.