Unsupported Browser Detected

Internet Explorer lacks support for the features of this website. For the best experience, please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.

Recovery of Species Under the Endangered Species Act

Recovery is the process of restoring endangered and threatened species to the point where they no longer require the safeguards of the Endangered Species Act. A recovery plan serves as a road map for species recovery.

More On This Topic

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.