Endangered Species Act Status Review Report: Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii)

This report was produced in response to a petition received from the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, and VIVA Vaquita on September 8, 2021, to list the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii) as a threatened or endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Under the ESA, if a petition is found to present substantial scientific or commercial information that the petitioned action may be warranted, a status review shall be promptly commenced (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3)(A)). On December 2, 2021, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced in the Federal Register that the petition presented substantial information in support of the petitioned action and that a status review would be conducted (86 FR 68452). This report summarizes the best available scientific and commercial information on the Atlantic humpback dolphin and presents an evaluation of its status and extinction risk.