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 
 
 > ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ long-term conservation and management 
 
 ♦ • * * 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 THREATENED 1 
 
 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) ENDANGERED 1 
 
 (ALL OTHER POPULATIONS) THREATENED' 
 
 HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED' 
 
 KEMP'S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED" 
 
 LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE ENDANGERED 1 
 
 LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE THREATENED' 
 OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE 
 
 (MEXICAN BREEDING POPULATION) ENDANGERED 1 
 
 (ALL OTHER POPULATIONS) THREATENED 1 
 
 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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