Section 7: Endangered and Threatened Species in the New England/Mid-Atlantic Region
Species listed under the Endangered Species Act under the jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries' Greater Atlantic Region (GAR) from Maine to Virginia.
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Fish
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) (Gulf of Maine DPS)
- Year listed: 2000; More recent listing for Gulf of Maine Atlantic salmon as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) encompassing a wider range in the state of Maine in 2009; Atlantic salmon are listed jointly with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: The distribution of endangered Atlantic salmon extends from the Androscoggin River in South Western Maine to the Dennys River in Eastern Maine.
- Critical habitat in GAR: Critical habitat for Atlantic salmon was designated in 2009. Forty-five specific areas containing over 19,000 kilometers of rivers and streams and 799 square kilometers of lakes and ponds were identified as having the physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the species, which may require special management or protections.
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Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) (5 DPSs)
- Year listed: 2012 (Effective April 6, 2012)
- Status: Five Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) designated along the U.S. East Coast. The Gulf of Maine population is listed as threatened while the New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina, and South Atlantic populations are listed as endangered.
- General distribution: Atlantic sturgeon belonging to each of the five DPSs occur in marine and estuarine habitat, including freshwater reaches of large rivers with access to the sea, from Hamilton Inlet, Labrador, Canada to Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. The range of all five DPSs overlap.
- Critical habitat in the GAR: Proposed in select rivers from Maine through Virginia.
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Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
- Year listed: 1967
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: Shortnose sturgeon occur in marine and estuarine habitat, including freshwater reaches of large rivers with access to the sea, which extends from the Minas Basin, Nova Scotia to the St. Johns River, Florida. There have been documented coastal movements between some of the major rivers.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Giant Manta Ray (Manta birostris)
- Year listed: 2018 (Effective February 21, 2018)
- Status: Threatened throughout its range
- General distribution: The giant manta ray is found worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate oceanic waters and productive coastlines. Off the U.S. East Coast, giant manta rays are commonly found in waters from 19 to 22°C.
- Critical habitat in the GAR: None
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Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)
- Year listed: 2018 (Effective March 1, 2018)
- Status: Threatened throughout its range
- General distribution: The oceanic whitetip shark is found throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical waters. It is a pelagic species, generally remaining offshore in the open ocean, on the outer continental shelf, or around oceanic islands in water depths greater than 600 feet.
- Critical habitat in the GAR: None
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Marine Mammals
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus musculus)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: The distribution of the blue whale in the western North Atlantic generally extends from the Arctic to at least mid-latitude waters. The blue whale is best considered as an occasional visitor in U.S. Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters, which may represent the current southern limit of its feeding range (CETAP 1982; Wenzel et al. 1988). The actual southern limit of the species’ range is unknown.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: Fin whales are common in waters of the U. S. Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), principally from Cape Hatteras northward. Fin whales are migratory, moving seasonally into and out of high-latitude feeding areas, but the overall migration pattern is complex, and specific routes have not been documented. However, acoustic recordings from passive-listening hydrophone arrays indicate that a southward "flow pattern" occurs in the fall from the Labrador-Newfoundland region, past Bermuda, and into the West Indies (Clark 1995).
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
- Year listed: 1970; Listed as two separate, endangered species in 2008 - the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica) and North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis)
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: Population ranges primarily from calving grounds in coastal waters of the southeastern United States to feeding grounds in New England waters and the Canadian Bay of Fundy, Scotian Shelf, and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
- Critical habitat in GAR: Expanded to include the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank.
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Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: The range of the Nova Scotia stock includes the continental shelf waters of the northeastern U.S., and extends northeastward to south of Newfoundland. Indications are that, at least during the feeding season, a major portion of the Nova Scotia sei whale stock is centered in northerly waters, perhaps on the Scotian Shelf (Mitchell and Chapman 1977). The southern portion of the species' range during spring and summer includes the northern portions of the U.S. Atlantic Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) — the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank. Spring is the period of greatest abundance in U.S. waters, with sightings concentrated along the eastern margin of Georges Bank and into the Northeast Channel area, and along the southwestern edge of Georges Bank in the area of Hydrographer Canyon (CETAP 1982).
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General distribution: Sperm whales feed on larger organisms that inhabit the deeper ocean regions (Whitehead 2002). Calving for the species occurs in low latitude waters. The distribution of the sperm whale in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) occurs primarily on the continental shelf edge, over the continental slope, and into mid-ocean regions.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Sea Turtles
While sea turtles occur year-round off the southeastern United States, they are generally present in marine and estuarine waters of the GAR from April through November. As water temperatures warm in the spring, sea turtles begin to migrate to nearshore waters and up the U.S. Atlantic coast, occurring in Virginia as early as April/May and in the Gulf of Maine in June. The trend is reversed in the fall with some animals remaining in the GAR until late fall. Outside of these times, sea turtle presence in GAR waters is considered unlikely, although juvenile sea turtles routinely strand on GAR beaches during colder months (i.e., from October to January) as a result of cold-stunning. Nesting is extremely limited in the GAR. Typically, juveniles and, to a lesser extent, adults are present in the GAR. Sea turtles are listed jointly with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Learn more about sea turtle distribution, references, and other information
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) (North Atlantic DPS)
- Year listed: 1978; Eleven Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) designated in 2016
- Status: The Central North Pacific, East Indian-West Pacific, East Pacific, North Atlantic, North Indian, South Atlantic, Southwest Indian, and Southwest Pacific DPSs are listed as threatened. The Central South Pacific, Central West Pacific, and Mediterranean DPSs are listed as endangered. Only the North Atlantic DPS is present in the GAR.
- General Distribution: In the U.S. Atlantic, green turtles are occasionally found as far north as New England, but are more commonly seen from New York south. They occur seasonally in GAR waters, including but not limited to the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound, which serve as foraging and developmental habitats.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General Distribution: Hawksbill turtles are circumtropical. In the U.S. Atlantic, they are found primarily in Florida and Texas, though they have been recorded along the east coast as far north as Massachusetts. Hawksbills are rare visitors to the waters of the GAR.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Kemp’s Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General Distribution: Kemp’s ridleys typically occur only in the Gulf of Mexico and the northwestern Atlantic. In the U.S. Atlantic, they are found as far north as New England seasonally. Foraging areas in the GAR include, but are not limited to, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Cape Cod Bay, and Long Island Sound.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Year listed: 1970
- Status: Endangered
- General Distribution: Leatherback sea turtles are globally distributed. They range farther than any other sea turtle species. Although frequently thought of as an oceanic species, they are also known to use coastal waters of the U.S. continental shelf. Juveniles and adults are present in the GAR seasonally and are distributed as far north as Canada.
- Critical habitat in GAR: None
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Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) (Northwest Atlantic DPS)
- Year listed: 1978; Nine Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) designated in 2011
- Status: The Northwest Atlantic, South Atlantic, Southeast Indo-Pacific, and Southwest Indian Ocean DPSs are listed as threatened. The Northeast Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Indian, North Pacific, and South Pacific Ocean DPSs are listed as endangered. Only the Northwest Atlantic DPS is present in the GAR.
- General Distribution: Loggerheads, the most abundant species of sea turtle in U.S. waters, have a temperate and subtropical distribution, including offshore waters, continental shelves, bays, estuaries, and lagoons. In the U.S. Atlantic, their range extends north to southern Canada. They most commonly occur throughout the inner continental shelf from Florida to Massachusetts. As with other sea turtle species, their presence in the GAR varies seasonally.
- Critical habitat in GAR: Sargassum critical habitat in offshore waters associated with the Gulf Stream current off Maryland and Virginia.
- Additional Information:
References Cited
CETAP 1982. A characterization of marine mammals and turtles in the mid- and North Atlantic areas of the U.S. outer continental shelf, final report, Cetacean and
Turtle Assessment Program, University of Rhode Island. Bureau of Land Management, Washington, DC. #AA551-CT8-48 576 pp.
Clark, C.W. 1995. Application of U.S. Navy underwater hydrophone arrays for scientific research on whales. Rep. Int. Whal. Comm. 45: 210-212.
Mitchell, E. and D.G. Chapman 1977. Preliminary assessment of stocks of northwest Atlantic sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis). Rep. Int. Whal. Comm.
(Special Issue) 1: 117-120.
Wenzel, F., D. K. Mattila and P. J. Clapham 1988. Balaenoptera musculus in the Gulf of Maine. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 4(2): 172-175.
Whitehead, H. 2002. Estimates of the current global population size and historical trajectory for sperm whales. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 242: 295-304.
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