Project selection for essential fish habitat (EFH) research is based on research priorities from the
EFH Research Implementation Plan for Alaska (.pdf, 147 KB).

Approximately $500,000 is spent on about ten EFH research projects each year, but funding dropped substantially in 2012 because of budget reductions.

The Habitat and Ecological Processes Research (HEPR) team completed a scientific rating of the 2012 proposals last fall. Alaska Regional Office Habitat Conservation Division Assistant Regional Administrator Jon Kurland and HEPR Program Leader Mike Sigler agreed on rankings based on the scientific review and management priorities. Like last year, habitat recovery rate proposals were given higher management priority.

The management prioritization this year followed the science ranking. Separately, the Regional Office and Center successfully pursued an additional $70K in one-time national EFH funding to support a project by Lindeberg, Johnson, Thedinga, and Eagleton to document seasonal distribution and habitat use of near-shore fishes in upper Cook Inlet.