Marine Mammals
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
Credit: Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Ocean Media Center
|
After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) |
Marine mammals are mammals that are well adapted for life in the marine environment. Two major groups of marine mammals are:
- Cetaceans:
- Pinnipeds:
There are approximately 217 marine mammal species worldwide managed under the MMPA.
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 also protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Stocks of marine mammals may also be considered "strategic" under the MMPA. A list of strategic/ non-strategic stocks [pdf] can be found in the summary tables of the Stock Assessment Reports.
The following list of marine mammals includes those under our jurisdiction, which includes marine mammal species found in U.S. waters, as well as endangered/ threatened species worldwide.
(The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages walrus, polar bear, otter, manatee, and dugong.)
Dolphins
- Atlantic spotted dolphin
- Atlantic white-sided dolphin
- bottlenose dolphin
- Chinese river dolphin / baiji
- clymene dolphin
- long-beaked common dolphin
- Fraser's dolphin
- Hector's dolphin
- Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin
- Indus River dolphin
- Northern right whale dolphin
- Pacific white-sided dolphin
- pantropical spotted dolphin
- risso's dolphin
- rough-toothed dolphin
- short-beaked common dolphin
- spinner dolphin
- striped dolphin
- white-beaked dolphin
Porpoises
Whales
- Baird's beaked whale
- Blainville's beaked whale
- Cuvier's beaked whale
- Gervais' beaked whale
- Longman's beaked whale
- Sowerby's beaked whale
- Stejneger's beaked whale
- True's beaked whale
- beluga whale
- blue whale
- bowhead whale
- Bryde's whale
- dwarf sperm whale
- false killer whale
- fin whale
- gray whale
- humpback whale
- killer whale
- long-finned pilot whale
- melon-headed whale
- minke whale
- North Atlantic right whale
- northern bottlenose whale
- North Pacific right whale
- pygmy killer whale
- pygmy sperm whale
- sei whale
- short-finned pilot whale
- Southern right whale
- sperm whale
Sea Lions
Seals
- bearded seal
- Caribbean monk seal
- gray seal
- Guadalupe fur seal
- harbor seal
- harp seal
- Hawaiian monk seal
- hooded seal
- Mediterranean monk seal
- Northern elephant seal
- Northern fur seal
- ringed seal
- ribbon seal
- saimaa seal
- spotted seal
Marine Mammal Conservation
We work in collaboration with our 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
- Reducing and mitigating bycatch in U.S. commercial fisheries
More Information
- Conservation Plans
- Health and Stranding Response Program
- Marine Mammal-Commercial Fisheries Interactions Program
- MMPA Fact Sheet
- Ocean Acoustics Program
- Permits and Authorizations for Marine Mammals
- Reports & Publications
- Responsible Marine Wildlife Viewing
- Right whale Mandatory Ship Reporting System
- Stock Assessment Reports (SARs)
- Take Reduction Planning
- Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP)
Updated: September 6, 2016
