What are NOAA trust resources?

NOAA acts on behalf of the U. S. Department of Commerce as a trustee for natural resources. NOAA protects and restores aquatic organisms and their habitat on behalf of current and future generations of Americans. Some state government agencies and Native American tribes also are natural resource trustees.

NOAA is a trustee for coastal and marine resources, including:

• Commercial and recreational fishery resources;
  
• Anadromous species (fish, like salmon, that spawn in fresh water and then migrate to the sea);
  
• Catadromous species (species, like the American eel, that spawn in sea water and then migrate to fresh water);
  
• Marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, and seals;
  
• Endangered and threatened marine species and their habitats (salmon, steller sea lions, and sea turtles, for example);
  
• Marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal habitats; and
  
• Resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research Reserves.

Overall, NOAA is guided by three goals in carrying out its responsibilities as a trustee:

• Reducing threats to coastal resources and human health through planning and prevention;
  
• Protecting coastal resources and human health by recommending and implementing appropriate response actions; and
  
• Restoring injured trust resources.