Integrating Seafloor Mapping

1
Integrating Seafloor Mapping Benthic Ecology
into Fisheries Management in the Gulf of
MaineApril 15th Breakout Group Summary
Group 23rd Floor Conference rm. Linda Mercer
Ray Grizzle Brad Harris Vincent Guida Vladimir
Kostylev Sarah Walsh Laporte Craig Brown Vin
Malkoski Marissa McMahan
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Summary of fisheries management needs for
seafloor geophsyical habitat information

• Top Priorities
• Refine EFH
• Understand relationships between habitat
  population dynamics
• Evaluate closures
• Evaluate gear impacts
• Uncertainty maps

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What seafloor data related to this need is
currently available and how is it being used in
GOM Fisheries Management?

• Limited multibeam, fish distribution and benthic
  data
• Broadly define habitat closures and EFH

4
What needs remain entirely unmet? In what ways
are available data/products inadequate?

• Biological link species habitat relationships/
  why is a cod where it is what is it doing
• Data that will support causal inferences
• Multibeam mapping of the continental shelf
• Water flow/shear stress/oceanographic modeling
  needs to be connected
• Benthic ecology
• Nested strategy
• Habitat vulnerability by gear type

5
What limits the use of this data in fisheries
management currently?

• Lack of understanding of the relationship between
  habitat and fish distribution and productivity
• Ecological benefits of habitat closures are not
  understood