What is Fisheries Habitat

Coastal and marine habitats include salt marshes, tidal flats, wetlands, coral reefs, mangroves, sea grasses, kelp forests and rivers, to name just a few. They are regions of unparalleled beauty and ecological and economic value. They provide homes for marine animals, foraging and nursery grounds for fish and shellfish, nesting areas for birds, and recreation places for people. The commercial and recreational fishing industries and a burgeoning tourism industry depend on healthy, functional, coastal and marine habitats.

But, these valuable habitats are under siege. The nation's coastal and marine habitats have fallen victim to their own desirability and usefulness. Each year thousands of people move to the coast to be near and enjoy these habitats. The number of people living in coastal areas is now over 50% of the population..... and this number is expected to increase dramatically by the year 2010. As a result, these areas face extraordinary problems related to population growth, harvesting and recreation. In addition to these pressures, thousands of oil spills, ship groundings, toxic chemical releases and other disasters befall marine habitats each year.

We can only expect the existing risks facing these habitats to increase. Consequently, the importance of restoring coastal and marine habitats cannot be overstated. Habitat restoration provides the ammunition to replace and repair habitats degraded and lost due to man's activities and natural disturbance events.