Status Review of the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) under the Endangered Species Act

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) were listed as endangered in 1970 under the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, the precursor to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). When the ESA was enacted in 1973, humpback whales were included in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (the List) as endangered and were considered as 'depleted' under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). In May 2010, NOAA Fisheries convened the Humpback Whale Biological Review Team (BRT) to conduct a comprehensive review of the status of humpback whales as the basis for considering revisions to this species' listing status.