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Critical Habitat

Once a species is listed under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries evaluates and identifies whether any areas meet the definition of critical habitat. Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rulemaking process.

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Leatherback turtle in the Kei Islands Leatherback turtle in the Kei Islands. Credit: Scubazoo/Jason Isley
A hawksbill sea turtle swimming above a coral reef in western Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Don McLeish. Photo taken under permit #21260. A hawksbill sea turtle swimming above a coral reef in western Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Don McLeish. Photo taken under permit #21260.
Large black and white sea turtle swims in the blue ocean with yellow and black striped fish The Pacific leatherback sea turtles have existed in their current form without scales and a hard shell since the age of the dinosaurs, but threats from bycatch, egg harvesting, and degradation of nesting habit have made this species endangered. Photo credit: Jason Isley, Scubazoo.