Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

Final 2022 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

• Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessments (PDF, 325 pages)
• U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessment (PDF, 262 pages)
• U.S. Pacific Marine Mammal Stock Assessment (PDF, 409 pages)

NOAA Fisheries prepares marine mammal stock assessment reports annually, as directed by the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The reports are prepared in consultation with one or more of three regional Scientific Review Groups.

NOAA Fisheries currently tracks 261 stocks of marine mammals and have an associated Stock Assessment Report for each species. The final 2022 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports are published in the Federal Register.

In these 2022 reports, we updated information for 25 stocks. Key updates from these reports
include:

• The status of one Western North Atlantic common bottlenose dolphin stock, the Northern
  South Carolina Estuarine Stock, changed from “strategic” to “non-strategic.”
• Based on new genetic information and other data, the stock structure of North Pacific
  humpback whales was revised from three stocks to five. Four of the five new humpback
  whale stocks are considered “strategic” due to their status as threatened or endangered
  under the Endangered Species Act.
• The stock structure of Southeast Alaska harbor porpoise was revised, splitting one stock
  into three. One of these three Southeast Alaska harbor porpoise stocks, the Southern
  Southeast Alaska Inland Waters stock, is considered “strategic” because total human-
  caused mortality and serious injury exceeds its potential biological removal level.
• Updating the abundance estimate for the western North Atlantic right whale to 338
  individuals, a decrease from the 2021 estimate of 368 individuals. This decline reflects
  the documented impacts of the ongoing unusual mortality event for the species.

Strategic Stock is defined by the MMPA as a marine mammal stock:

• for which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the potential biological removal level;
• which, based on the best available scientific information, is declining and is likely to be listed as a threatened species under the ESA within the foreseeable future; or
• which is listed as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA, or is designated as depleted under the MMPA.

More Information

• Federal Register Notice for 2022 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports
• Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports by Region
• Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports by Species/Stock 
• Marine Mammal Stock Assessments Overview
• Population Assessments
• Marine Mammal Protection