{ "currentVersion": 10.41, "id": 69, "name": "NEFMC Coral Protection Areas", "type": "Feature Layer", "description": "NOAA Fisheries designated coral protection areas on Georges Bank and in the Gulf of Maine in June 2021. Under the discretionary provisions for deep-sea coral protection in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) developed this action to reduce the impacts of fishing gear on deep-sea corals after considering long-term sustainable uses of the fishery resources in the area. The NEFMC process took several years and included a high-degree of public input in the development of the final protection areas and associated measures. Deep-sea corals are important sources of habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates, including commercially important fish species. This action:\n