The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) today announced the release of a new interactive ArcGIS StoryMap that showcases its coastwide efforts to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance fish habitats along the US Atlantic coast – from Maine to the Florida Keys.

The StoryMap, titled “Making the Connection: From Headwaters to Coral Reefs,” highlights how the Atlantic coast is a living network of habitats where healthy rivers, estuaries, wetlands, and nearshore marine habitats are deeply connected – and how collaborative conservation efforts support fish, communities, and coastal economies. Through maps, photos, project examples, and conservation tools, the StoryMap illustrates ACFHP’s work across four ecologically distinct subregions: the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and South Florida.

“Fish habitat doesn’t stop at state lines, and neither does our work,” said Simen Kaalstad, ACFHP Director. “This StoryMap shows how partnerships, science, and on-the-ground restoration come together to reconnect habitats and communities across the entire Atlantic coast.”

ACFHP is one of 20 regional partnerships within the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) and brings together state, federal, tribal, academic, and nonprofit partners to address shared conservation challenges. Since 2010, ACFHP has supported more than 50 on-the-ground habitat restoration projects, reconnecting hundreds of miles of rivers, restoring access to thousands of acres of fish habitat, and leveraging millions of dollars in partner funding.

In addition to highlighting restoration success stories, the StoryMap features ACFHP’s science and data tools, including habitat prioritization resources that help partners target conservation efforts where they can have the greatest impact. It also emphasizes the role of local communities and collaborative partnerships in sustaining healthy fisheries and resilient coastal ecosystems.

The StoryMap launch comes as ACFHP and its partners prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Fish Habitat Partnership in 2026, marking two decades of nationwide collaboration to protect and restore fish habitats across the US.

The ACFHP StoryMap is publicly available and designed for a wide audience, including resource managers, conservation partners, eductors, policymakers, and community members interested in learning more about fish habitat conservation along the Atlantic coast.

Explore the StoryMap here: Making the Connection: From Headwaters to Coral Reefs

About the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership

ACFHP works from Maine to the Florida Keys to conserve, protect, restore, and enhance habitat for Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fishes. ACFHP is part of the National Fish Habitat Partnership and collaborates with diverse partners to support healthy ecosystems, sustainable fisheries, and vibrant coastal communities.