U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Marine Mammal Program

Branch of Coastal & Marine Resources

Ecological Services

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Marine Mammals

Marine mammals rely on the ocean

for their survival and vary widely in

taxa, habitat, and behavior. Authority

the Marine Mammal Commission. FWS

provides leadership in the conservation

and management of 10 stocks of marine

mammals in U.S. waters.

Overview of the Marine Mammal

Program

The Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA) of 1972 established a morato-

rium on taking and importing marine

mammals, including parts and products.

walruses, sea otters, and manatees -

and the marine ecosystems that support

them.

Our work to conserve and manage ma-

rine mammals includes: (1) managing

the “take” (i.e., hunting, killing, capture,

and/or harassment) of marine mammals

through permits and authorizations, (2)

providing financial assistance to eligible

marine mammal stranding participants

To achieve these goals, FWS surveys

and assesses population status and

trends for marine mammals, maintains

Stock Assessment Reports for marine

mammal stocks under our jurisdiction,

provides financial assistance to strand

ing networks through the Prescott

Grant Program, and facilitates the

development and implementation of

conservation plans.

-

status of marine mammals, section 117

of the MMPA mandates the develop-

ment of Stock Assessment Reports

(SARs). SARs are based on the most

up-to-date scientific information avail-

able and are prepared in consultation

with regional scientific review groups

with input from the public.

Marine Mammal Species

West Indian manatees (Trichechus

as threatened under the Endangered

Species Act (ESA). Threats include

habitat loss, food scarcity, cold stress,

and boat strikes.

Sea otters have the densest fur

of any mammal

Manatees congregating at warm-water

refugia site, Three Sisters Springs

the Arctic and the U.S. manages two

subpopulations: the Chukchi Sea stock

and the Southern Beaufort Sea stock.

These top predators prey mainly on

ringed seals and are protected under

the ESA. Sea ice loss due to climate

change is one of the major threats to

the species.

Southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris

nereis) live and feed in waters along the

prey. Protected under the ESA, major

threats include oil spills, food limita-

tions, pollutants, and pathogens.

Northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris

kenyoni) extend from Alaska’s Aleu-

tian Islands through British Columbia

and Washington. There are four stocks

of Northern sea otters under FWS’

jurisdiction, the Washington stock,

Southeast Alaska stock, Southcentral

eagles.

Similar to the Southern subspecies,

they are threatened by oil spills, food

limitations, pollutants, and pathogens.

Pacific walrus (Odebenus rosmarus

divergens) ranges across the Bering

and Chukchi Seas, inhabiting shallow

continental shelf waters, and foraging

primarily on benthic invertebrates.

Between feeding bouts, they can be

In 2000, the Marine Mammal Rescue

Assistance Act amended the MMPA to

establish the John H. Prescott Marine

Mammal Rescue and Response Grant

Program. The goal of the program is to

improve our nation’s ability to rescue,

rehabilitate, and conserve marine mam

mals. NOAA Fisheries has distributed

Prescott grants since 2001. In 2020,

Congress began appropriating funds to

• Manages and supports Southern

Florida Ecological Services Office

• Manages protection, recovery,

Caribbean Ecological Services Field

Office