"The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSFCMA) mandates NOAA to identify habitats essential for managed species and conserve habitats from adverse effects on those habitats. These habitats are termed "Essential Fish Habitat" or EFH, and are defined as "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity". Further, the MSFCMA requires federal agencies to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) when their actions may adversely affect EFH. These consultations occur for both fishing and non-fishing activities.1 The recently revised National Standard 1 guidelines add several provisions to facilitate the incorporation of ecosystem-based fisheries management into federal fisheries management. National Standard 2 of the MSFCMA requires NMFS to conserve and manage fishery resources based upon the best available scientific information. To meet these mandates, NOAA's research must identify habitats that contribute most to the survival, growth, and productivity of managed fish species and determine science-based measures to best manage and conserve these habitats from adverse effects of human activities"--Introduction. [doi:10.7289/V5AFSC-PR-2017-05 (http://dx.doi.org/10.7289/V5/AFSC-PR-2017-05)]