The Gulf of America Alliance Habitat Resources Priority Issue Team (HRT)’s Habitat Assessment Focal Area was developed within the Gulf of America Alliance to coordinate development and communication of information on a set of priority Gulf Coast habitats (marsh and mangroves, seagrasses, oysters, and deepwater benthic habitats) needed to make informed management decisions, improve disaster response, and develop restoration strategies.  This working session of the HRT’s Habitat Assessment Focal Area Working Group will discuss how the information and findings presented during multiple habitat-related sessions planned for the first two days of the Gulf Conference apply to the Alliance’s current habitat assessment goals, and how they inform the development of the Alliance HRT’s 2026-2031 Assessment of Priority Habitats Focal Area work plan.  The HRT encourages all conference attendees interested in Gulf habitat assessment to attend and contribute to this conversation.