Black sea bass (Centropristis striata)

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Black sea bass:

• Eggs: EFH is the estuaries where black sea bass eggs were identified in the ELMR database as common, abundant, or highly abundant for the "mixing" and "seawater" salinity zones. Generally, black sea bass eggs are found from May through October on the Continental Shelf, from southern New England to North Carolina.
  
  
• Larvae: 1) North of Cape Hatteras, EFH is the pelagic waters found over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the highest 90% of all ranked ten-minute squares of the area where black sea bass larvae are collected in the MARMAP survey. 2) EFH also is estuaries where black sea bass were identified as common, abundant, or highly abundant in the ELMR database for the "mixing" and "seawater" salinity zones. Generally, the habitats for the transforming (to juveniles) larvae are near the coastal areas and into marine parts of estuaries between Virginia and New York. When larvae become demersal, they are generally found on structured inshore habitat such as sponge beds.
  
  
• Juveniles: 1) Offshore, EFH is the demersal waters over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the highest 90% of all the ranked squares of the area where juvenile black sea bass are collected in the NEFSC trawl survey. 2) Inshore, EFH is the estuaries where black sea bass are identified as being common, abundant, or highly abundant in the ELMR database for the "mixing" and "seawater" salinity zones. Juveniles are found in the estuaries in the summer and spring. Generally, juvenile black sea bass are found in waters warmer than 43 ^oF with salinities greater than 18 ppt and coastal areas between Virginia and Massachusetts, but winter offshore from New Jersey and south. Juvenile black sea bass are usually found in association with rough bottom, shellfish and eelgrass beds, man-made structures in sandy-shelly areas; offshore clam beds and shell patches may also be used during the wintering.
  
  
• Adults: 1) Offshore, EFH is the demersal waters over the Continental Shelf (from the coast out to the limits of the EEZ), from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in the highest 90% of all the ranked ten-minute squares of the area where adult black sea bass are collected in the NEFSC trawl survey. 2) Inshore, EFH is the estuaries where adult black sea bass were identified as being common, abundant, or highly abundant in the ELMR database for the "mixing" and "seawater" salinity zones. Black sea bass are generally found in estuaries from May through October. Wintering adults (November through April) are generally offshore, south of New York to North Carolina. Temperatures above 43 ^oF seem to be the minimum requirements. Structured habitats (natural and man-made), sand and shell are usually the substrate preference.