Marine Protected Species of the Hawaiian Islands

Marine Mammals

All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Those identified under the endangered species listing are also protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Common Name	Scientific Name	ESA Listing Status
Blue Whale	Balaenoptera musculus	Endangered
False Killer Whale - Hawaiian Insular	Pseudorca crassidens	Endangered
Fin Whale	Balaenoptera physalus	Endangered
North Pacific Right Whale	Eubalaena japonica	Endangered
Sei Whale	Balaenoptera borealis	Endangered
Sperm Whale	Physeter macrocephalus	Endangered
Hawaiian Monk Seal	Neomonachus schauinslandi	Endangered

All sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Common Name	Scientific Name	ESA Listing
Green Turtle, Central North Pacific DPS	Chelonia mydas	Threatened
Hawksbill Turtle	Eretmochelys imbricata	Endangered
Leatherback Turtle	Dermochelys coriacea	Endangered
Loggerhead Turtle, North Pacific DPS	Caretta caretta	Endangered
Olive Ridley Turtle	Lepidochelys olivacea	Threatened

Common Name	Scientific Name	ESA Listing
Giant Manta Ray	Manta birostris	Threatened
Oceanic Whitetip Shark	Carcharhinus longimanus	Threatened

There are currently no known ESA-listed coral species found in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

Find A Species and learn more about their biology and population status, where they live, the threats they face, and how we are conserving and studying each species.
Marine protected species of American Samoa.
Marine protected species of the Mariana Islands.