| ABC | Acceptable biological catch |
| ACCSP | Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program |
| ACL | Annual catch limits |
| ALS | Accumulated Landings System (commercial fishing statistics) |
| AM | Accountability measures |
| ACT | Annual catch target |
| AP | Advisory panel |
| APAIS | Access Point Angler Intercept Survey |
| ASMFC | Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission |
| B | Biomass (in either weight or other appropriate unit) |
| BAM | Beaufort Assessment Model (stock assessment model for South Atlantic) |
| BB | Briefing book |
| Bi Op | Biological opinion |
| B-MSY | Biomass at maximum sustainable yield |
| B-OY | Biomass at optimum yield |
| B-CURR | Current biomass |
| BRD | Bycatch reduction device |
| CCC | Council Coordination Committee |
| CFR | Code of Federal Regulations |
| CHAPC | Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern |
| CHTS | Coastal Household Telephone Survey |
| CMP | Coastal migratory pelagics |
| CPUE | Catch per unit effort |
| CS | Consumer surplus |
| DEIS | Draft environmental impact statement |
| EA | Environmental assessment |
| EBFM | Ecosystem-based fishery management |
| EC | Ecosystem component species |
| EEJ | Equity and environmental justice |
| EEZ | Exclusive economic zone |
| EFH | Essential fish habitat |
| EFH-HAPC | Essential Fish Habitat- Habitat Area of Particular Concern |
| EIS | Environmental impact statement |
| ELB | Electronic logbook |
| EO | Executive Order |
| ESA | Endangered Species Act |
| F | A measure of the instantaneous rate of fishing mortality |
| F-30% SPR | Fishing mortality at spawning potential ratio (SPR) = 30% |
| F-CURR | Current instantaneous rate of fishing mortality |
| F-MSY | The rate of fishing mortality expected to achieve MSY under equilibrium |
| F-OY | The rate of fishing mortality expected to achieve MSY under an equilibrium |
| FES | Fishing Effort Survey (recreational fishing statistics) |
| FKNMS | Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary |
| FL | Fork length |
| FLEC | Florida East Coast |
| FMP | Fishery management plan |
| FMU | Fishery management unit |
| FPR | Fishery performance reports |
| FR | Federal Register |
| FWC | Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
| GARFO | Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office |
| GMFMC | Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council |
| gw | Gutted weight |
| HMS | Highly migratory species |
| HAPC | Habitat area of particular concern |
| IA | Interim analysis |
| IFQ | Individual fishing quota |
| IOOS | Integrated Ocean Observing System |
| ITQ | Individual transferable quota |
| IPT | Interdisciplinary plan team |
| M | Natural mortality rate |
| lbs | Pounds |
| LAPP | Limited access privilege program |
| LEAP | Law Enforcement Advisory Panel |
| MAFMC | Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council |
| MARMAP | Marine Resources Monitoring Assessment and Prediction Program |
| MFMT | Maximum fishing mortality threshold |
| MMPA | Marine Mammal Protection Act |
| MPA | Marine protected area |
| MRFSS | Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey |
| MRIP | Marine Recreational Information Program |
| MREP | Marine Resources Education Program |
| MSA | Magnuson-Stevens Act |
| MSE | Management strategy evaluations |
| MSST | Minimum stock size threshold |
| MSY | Maximum sustainable yield |
| NCDENR | North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources |
| NEFMC | New England Fishery Management Council |
| NEFSC | Northeast Fisheries Science Center |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act |
| NMFS | National Marine Fisheries Service |
| NMSA | National Marine Sanctuaries Act |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NOR | Net operating revenue |
| NOS | National Ocean Service |
| NS# | National Standard 1-10 (in the Magnuson-Stevens Act) |
| OA | Operational assessment |
| OECA | Oculina Experimental Closed Area |
| OFL | Overfishing limit |
| OHAPC | Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern |
| OLE | Office of Law Enforcement |
| OMB | Office of Management and Budget |
| OST | Office of Science and Technology |
| OSWAG | Other Shallow-water Grouper |
| OY | Optimum yield |
| P* | (P-star; defined as the probability of overfishing) |
| PIMS | Permits Information Management Systems |
| PRA | Paperwork Reduction Act |
| PRD | Protected Resources Division |
| PS | Producer surplus |
| RFA | Regulatory Flexibility Act |
| RIR | Regulatory Impact Review |
| RQ | Regional quotient |
| SADL | South Atlantic Deepwater Longline Survey |
| SAFE Reports | Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Reports |
| SAFIS | Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System |
| SAFMC | South Atlantic Fishery Management Council |
| SBRM | Standardized bycatch reporting methodology |
| SCDNR | South Carolina Department of Natural Resources |
| SDC | Status determination criteria |
| SEAMAP | Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program |
| SECOORA | Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association |
| SEDAR | Southeast Data Assessment and Review |
| SEFSC | Southeast Fisheries Science Center |
| SEP | Socioeconomic Panel (of the Scientific and Statistical Committee) |
| SERFS | Southeast Reef Fish Survey |
| SERO | Southeast Regional Office |
| SG | Snapper grouper |
| SIA | Social impact assessment |
| SMP | System Management Plan (for protected areas) |
| SMZ | Special management zone |
| SOW | Statement of work |
| SPR | Spawning potential ratio |
| SRD | Science and Research Director |
| SSB MSY | Spawning Stock Biomass at Maximum Sustainable Yield |
| SSC | Scientific and Statistical Committee |
| SSMZ | Spawning Special Management Zones |
| SRFS | State Reef Fish Survey |
| SRHS | Southeast Region Headboat Survey |
| SS | Stock synthesis |
| SSB | Spawning stock biomass |
| SWG | Shallow-water grouper |
| TED | Turtle excluder device |
| TIP | Trip Interview Program |
| TL | Total length |
| TOR | Terms of Reference |
| USCG | U.S. Coast Guard |
| VMS | Vessel monitoring system |
| VTR | Vessel Trip Report |
| ww | Whole weight |
| Z | Total mortality |