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Northeast US Ecosystem Indicator Catalog

40 Feeding guilds by management bodies

Last updated July 23, 2026

Description: Classification of species guild membership by management bodies.

Contributor(s): Sarah Gaichas, Sean Lucey

Affiliations: NEFSC

Indicator Family:

Indicator Category:

Synthesis Theme:

40.1 Introduction to Indicator

Feeding guilds are groups of species that feed similarly. At the ecosystem level, the food web is likely stable if overall biomass of feeding groups is stable over time, even if populations of species within the groups may be changing.

We defined feeding guilds for fish and invertebrates captured by bottom trawl surveys using diet similarity, either from diet analysis or from literature [61,62], and see NEFSC food habits online

40.2 Key Results and Visualizations

Each management body (MAFMC, NEFSC, State etc) has its managed species associated with different feeding guilds. This data set shows which managed species for each management body are in which guilds.

Mid-Atlantic, 2024

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New England, 2024

#> NULL


40.3 Implications

We changed species groupings in response to comments over the years. The table shows feeding guilds used in the 2024-2025 reports. In 2025 an FMP column was added in response to Council requests.

40.4 Indicator statistics

Spatial scale: Coastwide

Temporal scale: N/A

Variable definitions

40.5 Get the data

Point of contact: EDAB,

ecodata dataset: ecodata::species_groupings

Tech Doc link: https://noaa-edab.github.io/tech-doc/species_groupings.html

40.5.1 Public Availability

Source data are publicly available.

References

61.
Garrison L, Link J. Dietary guild structure of the fish community in the Northeast United States continental shelf ecosystem. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 2000;202: 231–240. doi:10.3354/meps202231
62.
Smith BE, Link JS. The Trophic Dynamics of 50 Finfish and 2 Squid Species on the Northeast US Continental Shelf. NOAA Technichal Memorandum NMFS-NE-216 [Internet]. National Marine Fisheries Service, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1026; 2010. Available: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/publications/tm/tm216/