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"Species in the Spotlight"

Species in the Spotlight Results

82 results match your filter criteria.

Hawaiian Monk Seal Updates

Get the latest monk seal updates from NOAA Fisheries in the Pacific Islands.
Pacific Islands

Workshop Targets High-Tech Ways to Assess Endangered Whale Health

Advanced technology can give us more complete data on the health of endangered whale populations, which helps us figure out how to most effectively support their recovery.
August 14, 2025 - Feature Story ,
Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
West Coast
A black and white Southern Resident killer whale leaping out of the water. The fin of another whale is visible and a boat and mountains are in the background. Southern resident killer whales. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Candice Emmons

Rice’s Whales Spotted in the Western Gulf of Mexico

NOAA Fisheries scientists had the rare opportunity to observe two Rice’s whales during aerial surveys in the western Gulf of Mexico.
April 30, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Southeast
A gray whale with ridges on its rostrum (top of the head between the blowhole and snout_ One of two Rice’s whales observed by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center in the western Gulf of Mexico during an aerial survey on April 11, 2024. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Paul Nagelkirk (Permit #21938)

Meet Makana—One of the First Hawaiian Monk Seal Pups of 2024

Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response partnered with Kahuku Elementary School to name the first Hawaiian monk seal pup of Oʻahu in 2024.
March 15, 2024 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
A mother Hawaiian monk seal and her pup lay side by side on a sandy beach. Hawaiian monk seal RK80 (Keolakai) gave birth to her first pup, Makana, in February 2024 on Oʻahu. Credit Hawaiʻi Marine Animal Response (NOAA Fisheries Permit #24359)

A Game-Changing Effort for Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

An update from our experts on the status of North Atlantic right whales, and our plans to use Inflation Reduction Act funds for right whale conservation.
February 15, 2024 - Podcast ,
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast
Horton NARW with her calf North Atlantic right whale Horton and newborn calf. Credit: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute, taken under NOAA permit #26919.

New Hawaiian Language Video Series: He Moʻolelo ʻĪliokai

Join us on a journey through the Hawaiian archipelago to learn more about the charismatic and endangered Hawaiian monk seal through He Moʻolelo ʻĪliokai, the Story of the Hawaiian Monk Seal.
September 25, 2023 - Feature Story ,
Pacific Islands
A Hawaiian monk seal swims in blue-green water near a gray rocky cliff A seal dives off the coast of Nihoa. Credit: NOAA Fisheries (Permit #22677)

2023 Partners in the Spotlight Awards

In 2023, we recognized these partners who have expanded and enhanced recovery of our most imperiled marine species.
National

Inbreeding: A Conservation Challenge for Iconic Killer Whales

New genome sequencing reveals the reason behind Southern Resident killer whales' failure to thrive.
March 30, 2023 - Podcast ,
West Coast
A black and white Southern Resident killer whale leaping out of the water. The fin of another whale is visible and a boat and mountains are in the background.

North Atlantic Right Whale Calving Season 2026

There are approximately 380 right whales remaining, including about 70 reproductively active females. With so few of these whales left, researchers closely monitor the Southeast for new offspring during the annual right whale calving season.​
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Southeast

Celebrating 50 Years of Marine Mammals in the Spotlight

NOAA Fisheries celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This landmark legislation protects all marine mammals in U.S. waters, including four Species in the Spotlight.
October 19, 2022 - Feature Story ,
National
5184x3456-mom with twins.jpg Hawaiian monk seal Mom (GV18) with rare twin pups in May 2019 on Lisianski Island. Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Pete Leary.