NOAA Fisheries, SFD, West Coast Region, Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabases
Data Set (DS) | West Coast Regional Office (WCRO)GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:80206 | Updated: August 28, 2026 | Published / External
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Summary
Short Citation
West Coast Regional Office, 2026: NOAA Fisheries, SFD, West Coast Region, Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabases, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/80206.
Full Citation Examples
These data sets compile the spatial boundaries for marine salmon Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) located within the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, EFH is defined as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. These data sets provides the consolidated spatial representations of these designated areas.
These data sets (geodatabases) were developed to fulfill the federal mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, specifically 50 CFR § 600.815(a)(1)(v)(A), which outlines the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) mapping requirements for Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). This regulation mandates that FMPs must include maps displaying the geographic locations or boundaries of EFH for every managed species and life stage.
Data Access & Downloads
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ESRI File Geodatabase
Essential Fish Habitat Mapper
Although the data was originally created in a geodatabase to maintain unique metadata for each species, the EFH Administrator reformats it to align with regional data when it is loaded into the EFH Mapper. As a result, current downloads are only available in shapefile format. Please check back at this URL [https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/essential-fish-habitat-groundfish-and-salmon], where the geodatabases will eventually become available.
Controlled Theme Keywords
biota, boundaries, FISHERIES
Child Items
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Data Set | WCR Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabase |
| Data Set | WCR Marine Salmon Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabase |
Contact Information
Point of Contact
Eric Chavez
eric.chavez@noaa.gov
Metadata Contact
Stephani Onisko
stephani.onisko@noaa.gov
Metadata Contact
Eric Chavez
eric.chavez@noaa.gov
Item Identification
| Title: | NOAA Fisheries, SFD, West Coast Region, Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabases |
|---|---|
| Status: | On Going |
| Creation Date: | 2024 |
| Abstract: |
These data sets compile the spatial boundaries for marine salmon Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) and Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) located within the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, EFH is defined as those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity. These data sets provides the consolidated spatial representations of these designated areas. |
| Purpose: |
These data sets (geodatabases) were developed to fulfill the federal mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, specifically 50 CFR § 600.815(a)(1)(v)(A), which outlines the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) mapping requirements for Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). This regulation mandates that FMPs must include maps displaying the geographic locations or boundaries of EFH for every managed species and life stage. |
Keywords
Theme Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > AQUATIC SCIENCES > FISHERIES
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
biota
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
boundaries
|
| UNCONTROLLED | |
| None | Albacore tuna |
| None | Bigeye tuna |
| None | Blue shark |
| None | chinook |
| None | coho |
| None | Common thresher shark |
| None | Dolphinfish |
| None | essential fish habitat |
| None | highly migratory species |
| None | marine salmon |
| None | Pacific bluefin tuna |
| None | puget sound pink |
| None | salmon |
| None | Shortfin mako shark |
| None | Skipjack tuna |
| None | Striped marlin |
| None | Swordfish |
| None | west coast region |
| None | Yellowfin tuna |
Spatial Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords |
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN
|
Data Set Information
| Data Set Scope Code: | Data Set |
|---|---|
| Data Set Type: | GIS Files |
| Maintenance Frequency: | As Needed |
| Data Presentation Form: | geodatabase |
| Data Set Credit: | NOAA Fisheries |
Support Roles
Data Steward
| Date Effective From: | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Person): | Onisko, Stephani |
| Address: | |
| Email Address: | stephani.onisko@noaa.gov |
Distributor
| Date Effective From: | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Person): | Habitat Mapper, Essential Fish |
| Address: | |
| Email Address: | nometadatacontact@noaa.gov |
| Contact Instructions: |
https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/application/efhinventory/index.html ESRI File Geodatabase Essential Fish Habitat Mapper Although the data was originally created in a geodatabase to maintain unique metadata for each species, the EFH Administrator reformats it to align with regional data when it is loaded into the EFH Mapper. As a result, current downloads are only available in shapefile format. Please check back at this URL [https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/essential-fish-habitat-groundfish-and-salmon], where the geodatabases will eventually become available. |
Metadata Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Person): | Onisko, Stephani |
| Address: | |
| Email Address: | stephani.onisko@noaa.gov |
Metadata Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Person): | Chavez, Eric |
| Address: | |
| Email Address: | eric.chavez@noaa.gov |
Point of Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Person): | Chavez, Eric |
| Address: | |
| Email Address: | eric.chavez@noaa.gov |
Distribution Information
Distribution 1
| Download URL: | https://www.habitat.noaa.gov/application/efhinventory/index.html |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | |
| Description: |
Essential Fish Habitat Mapper Although the data was originally created in a geodatabase to maintain unique metadata for each species, the EFH Administrator reformats it to align with regional data when it is loaded into the EFH Mapper. As a result, current downloads are only available in shapefile format. Please check back at this URL [https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/map/essential-fish-habitat-groundfish-and-salmon], where the geodatabases will eventually become available. |
| Distribution Format: | ESRI File Geodatabase |
Child Items
Rubric scores updated every 15m
|
Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Data Set | WCR Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabase | |
| Data Set | WCR Marine Salmon Essential Fish Habitat Geodatabase |
Catalog Details
| Catalog Item ID: | 80206 |
|---|---|
| GUID: | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:80206 |
| Metadata Record Created By: | Stephani Onisko |
| Metadata Record Created: | 2026-07-17 19:11+0000 |
| Metadata Record Last Modified By: | Stephani Onisko |
| Metadata Record Last Modified: | 2026-08-28 16:15+0000 |
| Metadata Record Published: | 2026-07-21 |
| Owner Org: | WCRO |
| Metadata Publication Status: | Published Externally |
| Do Not Publish?: | N |
| Metadata Last Review Date: | 2026-07-21 |
| Metadata Review Frequency: | 1 Year |
| Metadata Next Review Date: | 2027-07-21 |