Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership

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Making the Connection from Headwaters to Coral Reefs

BEFORE

Degraded coastal wetland area with muddy ground, sparse vegetation, and standing water in a New Jersey marsh habitat restoration site. — A degraded coastal wetland in New Jersey prior to habitat restoration efforts aimed at improving marsh health, water flow, and wildlife habitat.

AFTER

Restored coastal wetland with healthy marsh grasses and open water habitat in a New Jersey marsh restoration area. — A restored New Jersey coastal wetland showing improved marsh habitat, healthy vegetation, and enhanced water flow following restoration efforts.

Before and after of the Great Meadows Marsh restoration project in Stratford, CT.

Photo credit: Audubon CT

The Atlantic Coast is home to some of the most iconic and productive fish habitats in the U.S. — from cold New England rivers, full of river herring and shad, to the vast marshes of Chesapeake Bay and the vibrant coral reefs of South Florida. The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) works across all of them.

Stretching from Maine to the Florida Keys, ACFHP unites 39 state, federal, tribal, academic, and nonprofit partners with one shared goal: to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance habitat for Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, and migratory fish.

Supporting On-the-Ground Restoration

Since 2010, ACFHP has supported more than 50 habitat restoration projects that have:

Restored or protected nearly 170 acres of estuarine habitat
Enhanced 20 acres of oyster reef and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
Reconnected ~450 miles of river habitat
Reopened more than 14,500 acres of spawning habitat for migratory fish

These efforts span dam removals in Maine and New Jersey, wetland and oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay, SAV recovery in the Indian River Lagoon, and coral and hardbottom projects in the Florida Keys. With partner match, ACFHP has leveraged more than $30 million in conservation impact. For more information, visit: On the Ground Projects – Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership.

Investing in Science & Data

Beyond funding projects, ACFHP creates tools that help partners put their efforts where they matter most, including:

The Species–Habitat Matrix, which evaluates how 131 fish and invertebrate species rely on 26 habitat types
Fish Habitat Conservation Area Prioritization Maps, developed with SARP and The Nature Conservancy, identifying priority areas for restoration and protection.

These tools ensure limited resources are used where they have the greatest benefit. For more information, visit Science and Data Projects – Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership.

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership works to protect, restore, and enhance coastal fish habitats and marine ecosystems along the Atlantic coast.