To better evaluate impacts to endangered and threatened species, while enhancing conservation and creating efficiencies and improvements.

U.S. fisheries are classified under the Marine Mammal Protection Act according to the level of incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals.

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, NOAA is supporting habitat restoration efforts that will help strengthen the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities.

Once a species is listed under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries evaluates and identifies whether any areas meet the definition of critical habitat. Those areas may be designated as critical habitat through a rulemaking process.

Cooperative conservation partnerships between NOAA Fisheries and States can be formalized by entering into agreements under section 6 of the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA Fisheries annually prepares marine mammal stock assessment reports for all marine mammals in U.S. waters.