The Marine Protected Areas Group is responsible for conducting fishery and habitat research on designated and proposed marine protected areas (MPAs) in the southeastern United States. The major project areas are:

• West Florida MPAs.

• South Atlantic Bight MPAs.

• Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern.

• Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern.

• South Atlantic Bight Deep-Sea Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern.

We also conduct annual surveys for juvenile reef fish in local seagrass nursery areas and provide support for other projects at the Panama City Laboratory.

Map of 5 major project areas are shown. The West Florida Shelf MPAs are located off the west coast of Florida along the 100 m isobath. Pulley Ridge HAPC is located off the southwest coast of Florida along the 60 - 70 m isobaths. The Oculina HAPC is off the east coast of Florida at depths of 70-100 m. The South Atlantic MPAs extend from North Carolina to the southern tip of Florida at depths of 50-250 m. The Deep-Sea Coral HAPC also extends from North Carolina to the southern tip of Florida but is located in deeper waters of 200 - 600 m.

 

Mapping and GIS

• USGS Mapping of West Florida Shelf

• NOAA Coral Reef Information System

• GIS Compilation of Data Collected from the Pulley Ridge Deep Coral Reef Region (includes multibeam mapping)

Regional Management Councils

• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

• South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

Related Links

• NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

• NOAA Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program

• USGS Bottom Photographs of Pulley Ridge

• Undersea Vehicles Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington

More Information

• Juvenile Reef Fish Study.

• Related Publications.

• Marine Protected Area Economics Research. 

This research is lead out of the Panama City Laboratory.