Seasonal Closure of the Recreational Sector for SWG Fishery Management Area Map & GIS Data

Map and GIS data representing the seasonal closure of the recreational sector for shallow-water grouper (SWG) to protect Gulf of America* (formerly Gulf of Mexico) reef fish.

Map |

Southeast

Map of seasonal closure of the SWG recreational fishery management area. This map was created prior to Executive Order 14172 and shows the area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico. The name is now Gulf of America. This change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations.

The Southeast Region, Sustainable Fisheries Division is responsible for managing commercial and recreational fisheries in the southeastern United States and the U.S. Caribbean under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act.

These seasonal/area closure maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data represent areas that include the Gulf of America:

Title 50 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), PART 622

For the precise legal definition of the fishery management plan and geographic coordinates, please consult Subpart B:

Section 622.34 Seasonal and area closures designed to protect Gulf reef fish (d) Seasonal closure of the recreational sector for shallow-water grouper (SWG)

THESE MAPS AND DATA ARE FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY.

The CFR should be consulted for the precise legal definition of fishery management areas and geographic coordinates. Esri's ArcGIS software or Google Earth can be used to open GIS shapefiles. Google Earth can also be used to open zipped KML (KMZ) files to view the management areas. Click here to download Google Earth. Metadata (information about the GIS shapefile data) is available in XML or an easy-to-read HTML format, and is included in the zipped shapefile.

For more information or questions about this data please contact the GIS Coordinator at nmfs.ser.gis.coordinator@noaa.gov.

*Executive Order 14172, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” (Jan. 20, 2025), directs that the Gulf of Mexico be renamed the Gulf of America. Gulf of America references in this website refer to the same area as the Gulf of Mexico in the applicable regulations under 50 CFR parts 216–219, 222–226, and 600–699. The name change did not result in any changes to, and had no effect on the applicability or enforceability of, any existing regulations. This website continues to use “Gulf of Mexico” when quoting statutes, existing regulations, or previously published materials.

Last updated by Southeast Regional Office on 05/21/2025

Gulf of America Fisheries Management Map Reef Fish