Our Team

Staff and Partners

Staff

Simen Kaalstad, Director
Simen began working with the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership in 2023.  He is a Texas native with a Master of Science in Fisheries and Mariculture from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and a Bachelor of Science in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. His previous work and graduate research focused on mangrove ecology and restoration with respect to climate change in areas such as The Bahamas, Mexico, and the northern Gulf of Mexico.

email: skaalstad@asmfc.org

office: (703) 842 0743

Partners

ACFHP is a coast-wide partnership of fish habitat resource managers, scientists, and communications professionals from 38 different state, federal, tribal and non-governmental agencies who have established a commitment to work together for the benefit of aquatic resources.

View our current Memorandum of Understanding here. A list of partner contact information can be found here.

Partners agree to use their best efforts to take the following steps:

  • To carry out their mutual intent to design and implement an ACFHP plan that will
    address on-the-ground coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish habitat
    resource needs throughout the Atlantic states.
  • To work together to facilitate current and future mutually agreed upon joint coastal,
    estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish habitat resource activities for the benefit of
    Atlantic fish habitat resources.
  • To use the resources of their agencies and organizations in a manner consistent with
    their mission and the mission of ACFHP, that avoids duplication and that mutually
    supports the efforts of other parties involved.
  • To collectively pursue funding initiatives to support the ACFHP through private,
    corporate, state, and federal government, and any other means that may be available.
  • To collectively pursue interagency/organization agreements, cooperative agreements,
    grants, and/or contracts to fund approved projects.
  • To encourage and support the participation of other appropriate agencies and
    organizations by mutual agreement of the partners.

Committees

Steering Committee

The ACFHP Steering Committee is a self-directed group of individuals interested in achieving the Partnership’s vision. It is the decision-making body of ACFHP and provides oversight responsibility for all ACFHP activities.

Steering Committee Members

Steering Committee Meetings

Science and Data Committee

The Science and Data Committee guides and carries out ACFHP’s Science and Data initiatives.

Science and Data Committee Members

Science and Data Committee Meetings

Outreach and Communications Committee

The Outreach and Communications Committee guides and carries out ACFHP’s Outreach and Communications initiatives.

Outreach and Communications Committee Members