National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration August 9, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, NMFS, designate critical habitat for five threatened Caribbean coral species, Orbicella annularis, O. faveolata, O. franksi, Dendrogyra cylindrus, and Mycetophyllia ferox, pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Twenty-eight mostly overlapping specific occupied areas containing physical features essential to the conservation of these coral species are designated as critical habitat. These areas contain approximately 16,830 square kilometers (km\2\; 6,500 square miles (mi\2\)) of marine habitat. We have considered economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of designating these areas as critical habitat, and we exclude one area from the designations due to anticipated impacts on national security.

NMFS is holding a public meeting via webinar session for the Advisory Committee to the U.S. Section to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and all interested stakeholders to receive an update and provide input on the development of the management strategy evaluation (MSE) for North Atlantic swordfish.

Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) staff and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) staff will present a briefing on two September Pacific Council meeting agenda items, the Chumash Sanctuary Designation and the Coral Restoration and Research Plan, to interested Pacific Council members, advisory body members, and the public.