38 Feeding guilds by management bodies

Description: Classification of species guild membership by management bodies.

Indicator family:

Contributor(s): Sarah Gaichas and Sean Lucey.

Affiliations: NEFSC

38.1 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 [69,70], and see NEFSC food habits online

38.2 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.

38.2.1 MidAtlantic

38.2.2 NewEngland

#> [1] "Same figure for both regions"

38.3 Indicator statistics

Spatial scale: Coastwide

Temporal scale: N/A

Synthesis Theme:

38.4 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.

38.5 Get the data

Point of contact:

ecodata name: ecodata::species_groupings

Variable definitions

  1. SOE.24 = Feeding guild definitions for State of the Ecosystem report (2024-2025)

  2. MAFMC = Mid Atlantic Fishery Management Council - list of managed species by feeding guild

  3. NEFMC = New England Fishery Management Council - list of managed species by feeding guild

  4. Joint = Jointly managed species by feeding guild

  5. State or Other = Species managed by other bodies listed by feeding guild

  6. FMP = Fishery Management Plan for Council managed species

Indicator Category:

38.6 Public Availability

Source data are publicly available.

38.7 Accessibility and Constraints

No response

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

References

69.
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
70.
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/