OCT 11 1994

DOCUMENTS COLLE*
U.S. Depository Co(F^

Protecting

the Nation's

Marine
Species

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
» » » « 4 Office of Protected Resources

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National Marine Fisheries Service

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
protects, conserves and restores populations of marine
mammals and other endangered marine species. NMFS is
a component of the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The agency's authority to carry out its important
mission of protection and conservation comes from two
pivotal environmental laws passed in the early 1970s: the
Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal
Protection Act. A brief explanation of these two laws
appears at the end of this brochure.

Specialists in marine resources and ecology, fishery
biology, and veterinary medicine protect endangered
species and marine mammals; manage a marine mammal
stranding network and a scientific tissue sample bank;
monitor scientific research and enhancement of endangered
species and marine mammals; monitor public display of
marine mammals; and restore marine habitat.

These programs are administered by the Office of
Protected Resources in Silver Spring, Maryland and by
regional management offices and science centers located in
coastal areas of the United States from New England to the
Atlantic coastal states, the Gulf of Mexico, California, the
Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.

Endangered Species Protection:

Under the Endangered Species Act, if NMFS has
information that a marine species may need protection, it
must first determine whether the species qualifies for
listing, and, if so, whether it should be listed as endangered
or threatened. NMFS also determines the extent of critical
habitat necessary to sustain the survival of each species and
to provide for its recovery.

After a species is listed, NMFS coordinates the
development and implementation of a plan to recover the
species to sustainable population levels. A major portion of
this recovery effort includes reviewing Federal activities to
ensure that they do not have a significant impact on
endangered or threatened species and their critical habitat.

Sea Turtles - NMFS and the Department of the Interior's
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service share responsibility for
endangered and threatened sea turtles. NMFS protects sea
turtles through conservation regulations that reduce threats
to sea turtles in the ocean (i.e. during activities such as
dredging and commercial fishing).

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Fish - NMFS is responsible for the recovery of salmon and
sturgeon species that are listed under the ESA. Hydroelectric power
operations, commercial fishing, fish hatchery operations, water
diversions and other habitat management programs have been
modified as a result of actions taken by NMFS to conserve and
recover these species.

Marine Mammal Protection:

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NMFS protects and
conserves all whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions.
NMFS scientists monitor these species to make sure their
populations stay at optimum levels. If a population falls below this
optimum level, it is designated as "depleted," and a conservation
plan is developed to guide research and management actions to
restore the population to healthy levels. If a marine mammal
population is endangered or threatened, it also receives protection
under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, 11 species of marine
mammals that occur in U.S. waters, including most of the large
whales, are listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA.

NMFS also manages the interaction between marine mammals
and commercial fishing, the taking of marine mammals incidental to
other activities and the taking of marine mammals for subsistence
needs by Alaskan natives.

Research/Public Display Permit Program:

NMFS issues permits for scientific research and enhancement of
endangered marine species and for public display of marine
mammals in marine parks and aquariums. Before issuing a permit,
NMFS requests public comment through publication of a notice in
the Federal Register. Also, NMFS maintains an inventory of
marine mammals held for public display and scientific research/
enhancement.

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Habitat Restoration:

NMFS's Restoration Center is the focal point for
marine and estuarine habitat restoration in NOAA. Its
main objectives are to restore degraded coastal and
estuarine habitats, advance the science of coastal habitat
restoration, develop technology for successful restoration,
and transfer this technology to the private sector and
other government agencies.

Marine Mammal Health and
Stranding Response Program:

The Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response
Program generates information on factors that may affect
the health of marine mammal populations. The program
incorporates the Marine Mammal Stranding Networks,
the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank, and responses
to unusual mortality events.

Volunteer Stranding Networks in each coastal state
respond to both live and dead strandings. Sick and
injured animals are rescued and rehabilitated. Dead
animals provide basic biological information to assist in
managing populations and identifying potential problems
such as disease and human interactions.

The National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank preserves
tissue in liquid nitrogen for future contaminant analysis.
As a first step, contaminant levels are monitored to
determine whether they are having an impact on marine
mammals.

For additional information about protected species
programs conducted by NMFS, write to:

Office of Protected Resources (F/PR)
National Marine Fisheries Service
1335 East-West Highway, 6th Floor
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-3226

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Laws Protecting Marine Species:

Endangered Species Act of 1973: The ESA

protects plants and animals whose
survival is in jeopardy by prohibiting the
taking (harassment, injury or death) of
endangered or threatened species or
commerce of such species. The act
requires the designation of critical habitat
and the development and implementation
of recovery plans. Also, Federal
agencies must ensure that their actions are
not likely to jeopardize listed species or
adversely modify their critical habitat.

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972:

The MMPA prohibits the taking and

importing of any marine mammal, or

marine mammal product, unless an

exception has been made. It establishes

policy, sets guidelines for marine
» * ♦ » mammal protection, and provides for the

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♦ • * * of marine mammals.

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DOMESTIC ENDANGERED,

THREATENED, AND DEPLETE!

SPECIES UNDER NMFS

JURISDICTION:

SPECIES
CETACEANS

BLUE WHALE
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

(MID-ATLANTIC COASTAL)
BOWHEAD WHALE
FIN WHALE
GRAY WHALE

(EASTERN NORTH FACIFIC)
HUMPBACK WHALE
NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE
SEI WHALE
SPERM WHALE

STATUS

ENDANGERED

DEPLETED
ENDANGERED
ENDANGERED

RECOVERED
ENDANGERED
ENDANGERED
ENDANGERED
ENDANGERED

FISH

CHINOOK SALMON

(SACRAMENTO RIVER WINTER-RUN) ENDANGERED

(SNAKE RIVER FALL-RUN) THREATENED

(SNAKE R. SPRING/SUMMER-RUN) THREATENED

GULF STURGEON THREATENED1

SHORTNOSE STURGEON ENDANGERED

SOCKEYE SALMON (SNAKE RIVER) ENDANGERED

PINNIPEDS

CARIBBEAN MONK SEAL ENDANGERED'

GUADALUPE FUR SEAL THREATENED

HAWAIIAN MONK SEAL ENDANGERED

NORTH PACIFIC FUR SEAL DEPLETED

STELLER SEA LION THREATENED

TURTLES

GREEN SEA TURTLE

(FLORIDA BREEDING POPULATION) ENDANGERED1

(ALL OTHER POPULATIONS) THREATENED'

HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED'

KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED"

LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED1

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE THREATENED'
OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE

(MEXICAN BREEDING POPULATION) ENDANGERED1

(ALL OTHER POPULATIONS) THREATENED1

1 This species is generally assumed to be extinct,
the last known sighting was in 1952.

2 Jurisdiction for these species is shared with the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,
June, 1994

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