Chapter 3 North Carolina’s Species
3.12.4 Knowledge Gaps There is great need to continue cooperative efforts among regulatory and management agencies to expand our understanding of and protection for those species. Surveys, monitoring, and research of estuarine and marine species are difficult, making the collection of data, the synthesis of information, and the protection of those species much more challenging. The results of a peer-review journal database search indicate there have been few recent publications of systematic status surveys or accounts of species rarity or distribution for marine or estuarine fish species in the state. The work by Trindade-Santos et al. (2022) uses rarity metrics to assess rarity of bony and cartilaginous marine fish species in general, considering the extent to which species exhibit rare combinations of traits and being geographically restricted (Trindade-Santos et al. 2022) . The IUCN Redlist (IUCN 2025) includes several data-deficient marine animals, primarily cephalopods and pipefish species. 3.12.5 Management Needs The FMPs developed by regional Fishery Management Councils (FMCs) for species commercially and recreationally harvested are implemented by NOAA Fisheries Regional Offices. North Carolina is a member of two fishery management councils: the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC). • The MAFMC is responsible for management of fisheries in federal waters that occur predominantly off the mid-Atlantic coast from North Carolina to New York. The FMPs for North Carolina marine resources can be found on the MAFMC website http://www.mafmc.org • The SAFMC is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic, off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (east coast only to Key West). The SAFMC resource library provides FMPs for species managed by the Councils, including coastal migratory pelagics (mackerels), bluefish, flounder, and shrimp, as well as marine habitats. https://safmc.net/ North Carolina’s DMF is also responsible for preparing interstate FMPs for adoption by the state Marine Fisheries Commission (MFC) for all commercially and recreationally significant species or fisheries that comprise state marine or estuarine resources. The goal of these plans is to ensure long-term viability of these fisheries. The NCDMF has reviewed the FMP (NCDMF 2024) , which updated FMPs for managed species. The NCDMF Habitat Protection Section is responsible for the development of the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) (NCDEQ 2021) to conserve and protect important marine fisheries habitat (see Chapter 4 for more information on estuarine habitats).
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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