Marine Mammals
Species | Status | Conservation | More Info | Reports & Publications
Video What do marine mammals eat? Credit: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Ocean Media Center
Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) Photo: NOAA Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi) Photo: NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center North Atlantic Right Whales (Eubalaena glacialis) Photo: NOAA Bowhead Whale (Balaena mysticetus) Photo: NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Photo: Janice Waite, National Marine Mammal Laboratory Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus) Photo: NOAA's National Marine Mammal Laboratory Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Photo: NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center Beluga Whale (Delphinapterus leucas) Photo: NOAA's National Marine Mammal Laboratory |
Overview
Marine mammals are mammals that are well adapted for life in the marine environment. Two major groups of marine mammals are:
- Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises)
- Pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walruses)
There are approximately 125 marine mammal species worldwide managed under the MMPA. Of those 125, 8 species are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (walrus, polar bear, sea otter, marine otter, West African manatee, Amazonian manatee, West Indian manatee, and dugong).
Status of Marine Mammals
All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA); some marine mammals may be designated as "depleted" under the MMPA. Endangered and threatened marine mammals are further protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The table below includes marine mammals found in U.S. waters and endangered/threatened foreign species. Note: Species listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA are, by default, also considered "depleted" under the MMPA.
(E = "endangered"; T = "threatened"; P = "proposed"; C = "candidate"; S = "species of concern"; D = "depleted"; DL = "delisted"; F = "foreign")
Species | Status |
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P-T |
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P-T (F) |
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E/D |
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E/D |
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D |
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E/D |
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DL |
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E/D (F) |
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P-E |
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E/D |
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E/D (F) |
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DL |
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T/D (F) |
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E/D (F) |
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E/D |
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E/D |
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E/D (F) |
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E/D |
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D |
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E/D (F) |
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E/D |
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E/D |
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D |
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D |
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S |
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P-T P-T (F) P-T (F) P-T (F) |
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E/D (F) |
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T (F) |
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E/D |
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E/D (F) |
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E/D |
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D |
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E/D T/D |
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T/D |
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Marine Mammal Conservation
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources works in collaboration with NMFS' Regional Offices, Science Centers, and partners to develop and implement a variety of programs for the protection, conservation, and recovery of the approximately 160 marine mammal stocks listed under the MMPA, including:
- Developing and implementing Conservation Plans for species designated as depleted
- Establishing cooperative agreements with states and Alaska Natives regarding marine mammal resources
- Identifying important research needs to collect appropriate information for management decisions
- Managing the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program
- Administering the national program for display of captive whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions
- Coordinating with the USFWS on issues concerning the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- Administering various authorizations and permits
- Conservation Plans
- Health and Stranding Response Program
- Marine Mammal-Commercial Fisheries Interactions Program
- Ocean Acoustics Program
- Permits and Authorizations for Marine Mammals
- Responsible Marine Wildlife Viewing
- Right Whale Mandatory Ship Reporting System
- Stock Assessment Reports (SARs)
- Take Reduction Planning
- Tuna-Dolphin Program / Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP)
Note: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implements programs and regulations for manatees, polar bears, sea otters, and walruses.
Updated: May 30, 2012