CHARM Project Assesses Changes in Northeast Coastal Habitat

One of the missions of the National Marine Fisheries Service is to monitor and comment on development activities in coastal habitats. These habitats- salt marches, aquatic macrophytic beds, and tidal flats- serve as nurseries for many commercially important fish and shellfish (Gunter 1967) and may provide a significant amount of the organic matter produced by nearshore marine ecosystems (Pomeroy and Wiegert 1981) Unfortunately, much of this highly productive habitat is disappearing as a result of direct destruction, such as dredging or filling, and the indirect effects of pollution, herbicides, and fertilizers. And presently, there is little regional or nationwide data delineating and analyzing coastal habitat losses.