When a species is proposed for listing as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must consider whether there are areas of habitat believed to be essential to the species conservation. Those areas may be proposed for designation as - critical habitat. Critical habitat is a term defined and used in the Act. It is a specific geographic area(s) that contains features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and that may require special management and protection. Critical habitat may include an area that is not currently occupied by the species but that will be needed for its recovery. An area is designated as - critical habitat - after the Service publishes a proposed Federal regulation in the Federal Register and receives and considers public comments on the proposal. The final boundaries of the critical habitat are also published in the Federal Register.

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the Federal government to designate critical habitat, areas of habitat essential to the species' conservation, for ESA listed species. This dataset is a compilation of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designated critical habitat in coastal areas of the United States. Critical habitat is defined as: (1) Specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing that contain physical or biological features essential to conservation, which may require special management considerations or protection; and (2) specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species if the agency determines that the area itself is essential for conservation. See metadata for online linkages to reference full listings of proposed and final critical habitat areas.

Several reserves collaborated to develop the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Coastal Habitats. The tool helps decision makers evaluate a habitat’s vulnerability to climate change and prioritize it for conservation or restoration. South Carolina’s North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve and the Chesapeake Bay Virginia Reserve worked with local partners to refine and pilot this tool and share it with the national reserve system.

Critical habitat is identified for species listed as Endangered or Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and where federal critical habitat protection orders are in effect. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the responsible authority for the protection, recovery and conservation of all listed aquatic species at risk in Canada. Critical habitat is defined as the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as such in the recovery strategy or action plan for the species (https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry.html). SARA makes it illegal to destroy any part of the critical habitat of a listed species and may impose restrictions on development and construction. Species in this layer have federal protection of critical habitat under a Critical Habitat Order pursuant to subsections 58(4) and (5) of SARA, which brings into force the subsection 58(1) prohibition against the destruction of any part of critical habitat. This dataset delineates an area or extent in which the species and its critical habitat may be found. Exterior extent polygons are derived from the detailed data provided in DFO's Fisheries and Oceans Canada Species at Risk dataset, reproduced under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Fish and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS) Hydrology Arc and Polygons data, and a surrounding larger buffer. This dataset communicates to users the following information: the proximity of aquatic critical habitat. the prohibition against the destruction of any part of aquatic critical habitat. directs users to DFO to ensure compliance with federal legal instruments. and ensures that any activities which may result in the destruction of critical habitat are managed to the extent required under SARA. Users must consult Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Projects Near Water webpage: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/index-eng.html. Fisheries Protection Program: FisheriesProtection@dfo-mpo.gc.ca) in relation to the application of the Species at Risk Act and published Critical Habitat Orders (SARA Public Registry).

In this project, National Estuarine Research Reserves in North and South Carolina worked to improve local understanding of climate change effects on southeastern salt marsh and provide decision makers with the information and skills they need to address these vulnerabilities. North Carolina Reserve staff members were trained in the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Tool for Coastal Habitats (CCVATCH) by their colleagues from North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve. This decision support tool incorporates existing information on climate change impacts with knowledge of local conditions to help users develop vulnerability scores for specific areas. The project team used CCVATCH to conduct habitat vulnerability assessments for seven estuaries in North and South Carolina, summarized regional findings to help managers in the Southeast improve salt marsh resilience, and developed guidance and outreach products. This science transfer project was funded by NOAA through the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative to promote the use of science. It did not produce any new data.

Essential Fish Habitat means those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. Waters include aquatic areas and their associated physical, chemical, and biological properties that are used by fish and may include aquatic areas historically used by fish where appropriate. Substrate includes sediment, hard bottom, structures underlying the waters, and associated biological communities. Necessary means the habitat required to support a sustainable fishery and the managed species' contribution to a healthy ecosystem. Highly migratory species managed by NOAA Fisheries include tunas, some sharks, swordfish, billfish, and other highly sought-after fish such as Pacific mahi mahi.

The Species at Risk (SAR) Program is responsible for carrying out DFO’s mandate under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to protect, recover and conserve all listed aquatic SAR in Canada. Critical habitat is identified for species listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). This mapping tool is for general guidance only. “Mapped” representations of waterbodies and watercourses are based on authoritative provincial geospatial products, guidance and standards. Due to the nature of dynamic systems and the resolution/accuracy of these data sets, areas within which critical habitat is found as displayed on the mapping tool may not align exactly with natural watercourses. If discrepancies occur, refer to the relevant species recovery strategy and/or action plan for additional information on critical habitat. If additional guidance is required, please contact the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/contact-eng.html Critical habitat is defined under section 2 of SARA as: "the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species' critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species". Section 49(1)(a) of SARA requires that a species' Recovery Strategy/Action Plan include an identification of the species' critical habitat to the extent possible, based on the best available information, including information provided by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). SARA makes it illegal to destroy any part of the critical habitat of SAR and may impose restrictions on development and construction. Critical habitats were assembled by SARA regional biologists and recovery teams. They are designed to support the protection and recovery of species listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Species at Risk Act. They are also described and displayed in species' Recovery Documents and Action Plans.

These data represent the critical habitat for Right Whale as designated by Federal Register Vol. 59, No. 28805, May 19, 1993, Rules and Regulations. This rule was updated by Federal Register Vol. 81, No. 4838, January 27, 2016.

Critical habitat in the Caribbean Sea area includes the waters adjacent to Sandy Point, St. Croix from the 100 fathom curve shoreward to the level of mean high tide.Critical habitat in the Pacific Ocean areas includes marine waters to a depth of 80 meters from the ocean surface and is delineated along the shoreline at the line of extreme low water, except in the case of estuaries and bays where COLREGS lines (defined at 33 CFR part 80) are used as the shoreward boundary. The seaward boundary of the nearshore Washington/Oregon area (from Cape Flattery south to Cape Blanco) is defined along the 2,000 meter isobath. The seaward boundary of the nearshore California area (from Point Arena south to Point Arguello) is defined along the 3,000 meter isobath.