4.2 Aquatic Communities
bass, herring species, and sturgeon species that migrate to freshwaters to reproduce (SAFMP 1998) . Te CHPP and South Atlantic Fisheries Management Plans describe fve EFH compo- nents of the estuarine aquatic communities in North Carolina and are described below: • Soft Bottom is the unconsolidated, unvegetated sediment that occurs in freshwater, estuarine, and marine systems. It is an important component of designated Primary Nursery Areas (PNAs), Anadramous Fish Spawning Areas (AFSA), and Anadramous Nursery Areas (ANA) (Street et al. 2005) . • Shell Bottom habitats are the oyster beds, rocks, reefs, and bars found in estuarine intertidal or subtidal areas. It is composed of surface shell concentrations of living or dead oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ), hard clams ( Merceneria merceneria ), and other shellfsh (Street et al. 2005) . • Ocean Hard Bottom varies in topographic relief from a relatively fat, smooth surface to a scarped ledge with vertical, sloped, or stepped relief. It is formed of exposed rock, con- solidated sediments, or relic reef, and may be covered by algae, sponges, corals, other live animals, and live plants attached to the hard surface ( Street et al. 2005 ). • Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) is defned as bottom vegetated by living structures of submerged, rooted vascular plants, (i.e., roots, rhizomes, leaves, stems, propagules), as well as temporarily unvegetated areas between vegetated patches. Native aquatic grasses are the primary species and can occur in fresh, brackish, and saline waters. SAV beds can be transient communities comprised of a few plants or many and cover small patches or extensive areas. Tey provide important habitat for most fsh and shellfsh species in the sounds, while also creating oxygen and removing excess nutrients in the water ( APNEP 2012 ).
• Water Column is an aquatic environment and its physical, chemical, biological charac- teristics, and connectivity to other habitats will determine which species use it.
4.2.14.2 Location of Habitat Te Albemarle–Pamlico estuary system is comprised of eight sounds, including Back, Bogue, Core, Croatan, Currituck, and Roanoke sounds, and is located along the Atlantic coast of North Carolina and southern Virginia.Te Albemarle Sound is located at the confuence of several freshwater rivers, with the largest being the Chowan and Roanoke rivers. Te sound is separated from ocean saltwaters by the northern Outer Banks barrier islands and freshwater drainages help maintain the fresh to brackish waters in the sound. Te Pamlico Sound is located between the mainland and Outer Banks barrier islands and hydrologically connects the freshwaters of the Neuse and Tar–Pamlico river basins to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north end it is linked with Albemarle Sound and joins the
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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