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NOAA Fisheries
Office of Protected Resources
Acropora palmata thicket on Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Andy Bruckner, 1996Coho salmon painting, Canadian Dept of Fisheries and OceansMonk seal, C.E. BowlbyHumpback whale, Dr. Lou Herman
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Species
Marine Mammals
Cetaceans
Pinnipeds
Marine Turtles
Marine & Anadromous Fish
Marine Invertebrates & Plants
Species of Concern
Threatened & Endangered Species
Critical Habitat Maps
  Contact OPR
Glossary
OPR Site Map

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Species Information

North Atlantic Right Whale
Marine Mammals

Green sea turtle
Marine
Turtles

Chum Salmon
Marine & Anadromous Fish

staghorn coral
Marine Invertebrates & Plants

Photo Credits (clockwise from top left)
North Atlantic right whale: NOAA
Green turtle: Peter Bennett & Ursula Keuper-Bennett This link is an external site.
Staghorn coral: NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Chum salmon: NOAA

How You Can Help
Responsible Wildlife Viewing
Report a Beached Marine Mammal
Report a Stranded Sea Turtle
Report Wildlife Harassment
Call NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement 24-hour hotline:
(800) 853-1964

Learn More about Protecting Wildlife

After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Dr. Brian Stacy, a NOAA veterinarian, cleans a young Kemp's ridley turtle aboard vessel before the captured turtles were taken to Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans for rehabilitation. (photo courtesy NOAA, Georgia DNR)
Dr. Brian Stacy, NOAA veterinarian, cleans a young Kemp's ridley turtle
Photo: NOAA/GADNR

· Sea Turtles, Dolphins, and Whales and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

· Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA)

 

for kids and teachers

The Office of Protected Resources works to conserve and recover species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in partnership with NOAA Fisheries Regions and Science Centers, environmental organizations, industry groups, other Federal and state agencies, and the academic community.

Species Numbers, Types, and Status
The Office of Protected Resources manages mostly marine and anadromous species, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the remainder of the listed species, mostly terrestrial and freshwater species.

There are approximately 1,990 species listed under the ESA as endangered or threatened. Of these species, approximately 1,380 are found in part or entirely in the U.S. and its waters; the remainder are foreign species.

There are approximately 125 marine mammal species worldwide managed under the MMPA. Of those 125, 8 species are under the jurisdiction of the USFWS (walrus, polar bear, sea otter, marine otter, West African manatee, Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and dugong).

The Office of Protected Resources manages approximately 300 total species*:

* Note: The total number of OPR species does not double count ESA-listed marine mammals. For example, the sperm whale is protected under both the ESA and the MMPA, but is only counted once.

Threats
Key threats to marine species are largely due to human impacts, including accidental capture in fishing gear, habitat destruction, pollution, overharvest, and ship strikes. These threats may contribute to a species' status as threatened or endangered.

More Information

Updated: November 29, 2011

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