(a) Definitions. In addition to the definitions in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and § 600.10, the terms in this subpart have the following meanings:

Adverse effect means any impact that reduces quality and/or quantity of EFH. Adverse effects may include direct or indirect physical, chemical, or biological alterations of the waters or substrate and loss of, or injury to, benthic organisms, prey species and their habitat, and other ecosystem components, if such modifications reduce the quality and/or quantity of EFH. Adverse effects to EFH may result from actions occurring within EFH or outside of EFH and may include site-specific or habitat-wide impacts, including individual, cumulative, or synergistic consequences of actions.

Council includes the Secretary, as applicable, when preparing FMPs or amendments under sections 304(c) and (g) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Ecosystem means communities of organisms interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their environment.

Habitat areas of particular concern means those areas of EFH identified pursuant to § 600.815(a)(8).

Healthy ecosystem means an ecosystem where ecological productive capacity is maintained, diversity of the flora and fauna is preserved, and the ecosystem retains the ability to regulate itself. Such an ecosystem should be similar to comparable, undisturbed ecosystems with regard to standing crop, productivity, nutrient dynamics, trophic structure, species richness, stability, resilience, contamination levels, and the frequency of diseased organisms.

Overfished means any stock or stock complex, the status of which is reported as overfished by the Secretary pursuant to section 304(e)(1) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

(b) Word usage. The terms “must”, “shall”, “should”, “may”, “may not”, “will”, “could”, and “can” are used in the same manner as in § 600.305(c).