Biological Opinions (ESA Section 7)
Biological Opinions document NOAA Fisheries' opinions on how Federal agency actions affect
ESA-listed species and critical habitat.
Opinions of note
- U.S. Military Mariana Islands training and testing activities
(June 12, 2015) - U.S. Navy training exercises and testing activities in Hawaii / Southern California (reinitiated)
(April 2, 2015) - EPA's Issuance of Multi Sector General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity
(March 23, 2015) - EPA's registration of pesticides diflubenzuron, fenbutatin oxide, and propargite
(January 7, 2015) - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit Program (reinitiated)
(November 24, 2014)
Biological Opinions issued since 2014 by the NOAA Fisheries Headquarters Office of Protected Resources are listed on this page, by action agency. Opinions specific to pesticide consultations with EPA can be found on the Pesticide Consultations page.
Older Biological Opinions (issued since 2010) can be found on the archived Biological Opinions page. Opinions issued by NOAA Fisheries Regional Offices can be found on those Offices' respective web pages. The Public Consultation Tracking System can also be used to search for Biological Opinions issued by NOAA Fisheries Headquarters and Regional Offices.
Army Corps of Engineers
- Nationwide Permit Program (reinitiated)
(November 24, 2014)
Environmental Protection Agency
- EPA reissuance of the Pesticides General Permit for discharge of Pesticide pollutants into waters of the United States (October 17, 2016)
- EPA approval of Florida water quality standards under section 303(c) of the Clean Water Act (August 2, 2016)
- Multi Sector General Permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity
(March 23, 2015) - EPA's regulations for Section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act
(May 19, 2014) - Assorted Pesticides Biological Opinions
U.S. Military
- U.S. Air Force operational evaluations of live long range strike weapons and other munitions in the Barking Sands Underwater Range Expansion Area of the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai (September 28, 2016)
- U.S. Navy training exercises and testing activities in the Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) Study Area (CA, OR, WA, and AK)
(November 9, 2015) - U.S. Navy Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS) Low Frequency Active Sonar training, testing and operations for 2015-2016 (August 10, 2015)
- U.S. Military training exercises & testing activities in the Mariana Islands (June 12, 2015)
- U.S. Navy training exercises & testing activities in Hawaii / Southern California (reinitiated)
(April 2, 2015)
National Science Foundation
- Seismic survey by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the South Atlantic Ocean and issuance of an IHA pursuant to section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA
- Seismic survey by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (October 16, 2015)
- Seismic survey by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory along New Jersey coast[reinitiated] (June 23, 2015)
- Seismic survey by NSF along New Zealand (May 15, 2015)
- Seismic survey by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory along New Jersey coast (May 7, 2015)
- Geophysical survey by NSF in Scotia Sea and South Atlantic Ocean
(September 19, 2014) - Seismic survey by NSF/ Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory along Outer Banks, North Carolina
(September 12, 2014) - Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Seismic Survey in Atlantic Ocean off New Jersey
(July 1, 2014)
U.S. Geological Survey
NOAA Fisheries: Scientific Research Permits
- Issuance of permit Nos. 20197 and 19627 to NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Southeast Fisheries Science Center for Sea turtle research. (December 29, 2016)
- Issuance of permit Nos. 19674 and 19315 to New England Aquarium and Center for Coastal Studies, respectively, for research on North Atlantic Right Whales pursuant to Section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. (October 21, 2016)
- Issuance of permit No.18529 to Jan Straley for research on marine mammals in the Gulf of Alaska, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (August 8, 2016)
- Issuance of permit No. 18786-01 for implementation of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program pursuant to sections 109(h), 112(c), 104(c) and Title IV of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and section 10(a(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (July 28, 2016)
- Issuance of permit No. 19116 to Dr. Brandon Southall (Southall Environmental Associates) for behavioral response studies of Pacific marine mammals using Controlled Sound Exposure pursuant to section 10(a)(1) of the Endangered Species Act (July 8, 2016)
- Issuance of permit No. 19091 for research on pinnipeds, Cetaceans, and Sea turtles, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (May 2, 2016)
- Permit 19331 to Harold Brundage of Environmental Research and Consulting, Inc., for research on Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the Delaware River; and Permit 19642 to Jason Kahn for research on Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the in the York, Rappahannock, Potomac, and Susquehanna Rivers, their tributaries, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Coast pursuant to section 10 (a)(l )(A) of the ESA (June 24, 2016)
- Issuance of a permit to Tasha Metz (Texas A&M University at Galveston)(Permit No. 18029) (May, 2016)
- Issuance of permit amendments to Raymond Carthy (University of Florida)(Permit 17183-02) (March 18,2016)
- Issuance of permit 18636 to Ocean Alliance for research on cetaceans within U.S. waters and on the high seas (February 12, 2016)
- Permit 19255 for research on Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon in the Delaware River and Estuary (February 5, 2016)
- Permit 19288 for Issuance of permit to Mark Flint (University of Florida)
- Issuance of permit amendments to Bruce Mate (Oregon State University) (Permit 14856-04) and Doug Nowacek (Duke University) (Permit 14809-02)
- Permit 18824 for research on marine mammals in the Gulf of Alaska (November 19, 2015)
- Permit 18786 to the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program and appendices
(June 29, 2015) - Permit 18688 to PIRO for research on sea turtles incidentally captured in longline fisheries
(May 15, 2015) - Permit 18604 for research on green and hawksbill sea turtles in Guam
(March 18, 2015) - Permit 15324-01 for research on ice seals in Alaska
(October 30, 2014) - Permit 16087 (modification) for research on Guadalupe fur seals
(September 11, 2014) - Permit 17344 for research on Southern Resident Killer Whales
(July 8, 2014) - Permit 932-1905-01 to the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program [1 year permit extension]
(June 30, 2014) - Permit 18069 for research on sea turtles in Gulf of Mexico and off Florida
- (June 6, 2014)
- Permit 18016 for Cook Inlet beluga whale research in Cook Inlet, AK
(May 29, 2014) - Permit 16632 to Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center for research on Hawaiian monk seals
(February 27, 2014) - Permit 17787 to Southeast Fishery Science Center for Smalltooth Sawfish research in Florida
(February 12, 2014)
NOAA Fisheries' Office of Protected Resources: Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Conservation Division
Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Land Management Vegetation Treatments using Aminopyralid, Fluroxypyr, and Rimsulfuron on Bureau of Land Management Lands in 17 Western States (October 14, 2015)
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Lease Issuance for Wind Resources Data Collection on the Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Georgia (March 11, 2016)
Biological Opinions Issued by NOAA Fisheries Regional Offices
NOAA Fisheries Regional Offices issue Biological Opinions on a wide range of actions including Federal fisheries, offshore oil and gas leasing and exploration activities, seismic surveys, dredging, offshore wind, and hydroelectric activities, among others. Biological Opinions issued by Regional Offices can be found on the web sites below:
- Alaska Region Biological Opinions
- Greater Atlantic Region (formerly the Northeast Region) Biological Opinions
- Pacific Islands Region Biological Opinions
- Southeast Region Biological Opinions
- West Coast Region Biological Opinions
More Information
- Learn more about the Endangered Species Act
- Learn more about ESA Section 7: Interagency Consultation
- Archive of NMFS Headquarters Biological Opinions (since 2010)
- Search for Biological Opinions via the Public Consultation Tracking System (PCTS) (Note: PCTS works best in Mozilla Firefox)
Updated: August, 2016
