Roger Pugliese

Roger Pugliese, Senior Fishery Biologist with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has, for the last 21 years been staff responsible for, or participated in, the development of fishery management plans for red drum, dolphin wahoo, pelagic Sargassum, shrimp, billfish, snapper grouper, mackerel and coral, coral reefs and live hard bottom habitat. He is responsible for meeting the Essential Fish Habitat mandates as specified in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and coordinated the development of the first Habitat Plan and Habitat Amendment for the South Atlantic Region. Building on this effort, he is now the South Atlantic Fishery Ecosystem Plan development coordinator and facilitating the Council’s transition to ecosystem management in the region. To support this bigger effort, Roger is also responsible for Council activities pertaining to ecological modeling, fisheries oceanography through SEACOOS and SECOORA, fishery independent research as Chairman of the Southeast Monitoring and Assessment Program, technical oversight of the South Atlantic Habitat and Ecosystem Internet Mapping System and web portal, habitat mapping and characterization, implementation of the National Fish Habitat Plan through the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership and use of GIS in fisheries research and management to support Council actions in designation of Essential Fish Habitat, Essential Fish Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, Special Management Zones, Marine Protected Areas and Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern.