Protected and Endangered Species, Gulf of Mexico

8/9/2019 Protected and Endangered Species, Gulf of Mexico

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An Overview of ProtectedSpecies Commonly Found

in the Gulf of Mexico

NOAA Fisheries ServiceSoutheast Regional Office

Protected Resources Division

Revised December 2006


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What are protected species?

Any species under jurisdiction of NOAA Fisheries Service that isprotected by either the EndangeredSpecies Act (ESA) or the MarineMammal Protection Act (MMPA). Thisincludes threatened and endangeredspecies, candidate species, and all

marine mammals.

NOAA Fisheries Service is responsiblefor protecting the nations living

marine resources and their habitat.

PROTECTED SPECIESIntroduction


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Endangered SpeciesEndangered Species : any species in dangerof extinction throughout a significantportion of its range.

Threatened Species Threatened Species : any species likely tobecome endangered in the foreseeable

future throughout a significant portion of its range.

Candidate SpeciesCandidate Species : any species that are

being considered for listing as threatened orendangered.

Species of ConcernSpecies of Concern : any species that NOAAFisheries Service has concerns regardingstatus and threats.

PROTECTED SPECIESDefinitions


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Marine Mammals Marine Mammals : all marine mammals areprotected from take (injury or harassment)under the MMPA regardless of status.

Threatened and endangered marine Threatened and endangered marine

mammals mammals are protected under both the ESAand MMPA.

PROTECTED SPECIESDefinitions


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There are 28 different species of marinemammals known to occur in the Gulf of Mexico. All 28 species are protected underthe MMPA and six are also listed asendangered under the ESA (sperm, sei, fin,blue, humpback and North Atlantic right

whales).Endangered Marine Mammals

Of the six ESA-listed whales, onlyendangered sperm whales are consideredto commonly occur. There is a residentpopulation of female sperm whales in the

Gulf of Mexico, and whales with calves aresighted frequently.

MARINE MAMMALSGulf of Mexico


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Threatened and Endangered Sea Turtles

Kemps ridley sea turtles

Hawksbill sea turtles

Green sea turtles

Loggerhead sea turtles

Leatherback sea turtles

Threatened and Endangered Fish Gulf sturgeon

Smalltooth sawfish

SEA TURTLES AND FISHGulf of Mexico


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Species of Concern

Dusky sharks

Night sharks

Tiger sharks

Warsaw grouper Nassau grouper

Speckled hind (grouper)

Candidate Species

Currently, there are no candidate species no candidate species

in the Gulf of Mexico.

SPECIES OF CONCERNCANDIDATE SPECIES

Gulf of Mexico


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Animals are not randomlydistributed in the oceans.Species inhabit areas thatprovide life-supporting needssuch as shelter, feeding, andreproduction. Many species

seasonally migrate or inhabitlarge home ranges to meetbiological needs.

Oceanic features affect the distribution and abundance of protected species. Some important features includeseafloor relief (e.g., shelf edges and canyons), watertemperature, ocean currents (e.g., the Loop Current), andcyclonic and anti-cyclonic eddies.

Sea surface height from satellite data. Sea surface heightcan indicate areas of upwelling and downwelling.

ANIMAL DISTRIBUTIONGulf of Mexico


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Protected species are often found near oceanographicfeatures in the Gulf of Mexico. For example, areas of mixing and upwelling near the shelf edge, oceanic fronts,and currents and cyclonic eddies are areas where many

species find foraging opportunities or hunt theirpreferred prey.

The continental shelf extendsseaward until it reaches a depth

of approximately 200m. At theedge of the shelf, the seafloordescends down a slope to much

greater water depths.

CONTINENTAL SHELFGulf of Mexico


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The Gulf of Mexico is home to a highdiversity of organisms. Species may begenerally grouped according to waterdepths where they most often occur.

Nearshore = Estuarine waters tocontinental shelf edge (0m - 200m).

Offshore = Beyond shelf edge (> 200m).

Nearshore and offshores occurrences areapproximations of distribution, and manyspecies in the Gulf of Mexico may migratebetween these areas during their life cycleor seasonally (e.g., for reproduction, water

temperature, currents, and preyavailability).

NEARSHORE andOFFSHORE SPECIES

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NEARSHORE SPECIES


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Typically, no threatened or endangered species of no threatened or endangered species of whales whales occur in the nearshore waters occur in the nearshore waters over thecontinental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico.

Occasionally, North Atlantic right whales andhumpback whales may be found in nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, usually during the winter season.However, sightings of these species are relativelyuncommon.

Of the 28 species of marine mammals known to occurin the Gulf of Mexico, only three protected species of only three protected species of dolphins commonly occur in nearshore waters dolphins commonly occur in nearshore waters .

MARINE MAMMALSNearshore Species


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Bottlenose dolphins inhabit the Gulf of Mexico year-round. They are blue-gray with lighter sides andbellies and have a robust body and head. This speciesis the most commonly observed dolphin in nearshore

waters, and travel alone or in groups up to 20.

Atlantic spotted dolphins prefer tropical to warm-temperate waters over the continental shelf, edge, andupper reaches of the slope. These dolphins havevariable spotting. They are very active at the surfaceand often breach while feeding. Group size is usuallybetween 5-15.

Rissos dolphins are typically found around thecontinental shelf edge and steep upper sections of theslope (>100 m depths). They are light gray and oftenexhibit extensive scarring. These dolphins travel aloneor in groups of >100, and may be observed with otherspecies.

Dolphin Ecology Project

DOLPHINSCommon Nearshore Species

d d d h d


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Sea turtles may be observed breathing, basking, swimming,or feeding at the surface. Sea turtles may migrate long

distances and are able to dive to great depths.Leatherback sea turtles (not pictured above) typicallyinhabit pelagic waters, but can also be found in nearshore

waters during the nesting season while feeding on jellyfishconcentrations, or in deep nearshore waters.

Loggerhead Green Kemps ridely Hawksbill

threatened endangered threatened; Florida

nesting population isendangered

endangered

C a t

H o

l l o w a y

SEA TURTLESEndangered and ThreatenedNearshore Species

E d d d Th d


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Nesting: between May and October,

Nests: several clutches (groups of

eggs) each nesting season.Eggs: Between 50-70 ping-pong ball-sized eggs are deposited in a nestcavity and buried with sand.

Hatching: Eggs hatch after 8-10 weeks of incubation.

Females return to lay eggs on the beach from which they hatchedand swam offshore as hatchlings.

Generally, sea turtles are found in higher abundances innearshore coastal waters off nesting beaches and foraging areas.Nearshore coastal areas are also important foraging habitats for

juvenile sea turtles.

Nesting Kemps ridley sea turtle

NPS Photo, Cynthia Rubio

SEA TURTLESEndangered and ThreatenedNearshore Species

SMALLTOOTH


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The endangered endangered smalltooth sawfishinhabits coastal areas near mangrovesand estuaries. Larger animals may befound further offshore. Sawfish havea long flat snout edged with pairs of teeth used to locate, stun, and killprey. They swim into schools of fishand thrash their saw from side to side,

wounding and killing the fish whichthey then recover and eat. Smalltoothsawfish usually grow to about 18 feetin length and are related to sharks,skates, and rays.

SMALLTOOTHSAWFISH

Endangered Nearshore Species


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The Gulf sturgeon is a threatened species. threatened species. This speciesrepresents one of the oldestlineages of living fish. They arean anadromous fish thatmigrates from marine habitatsinto freshwater rivers tospawn. They reside in riversduring summer and in marineenvironments during winter.

Gulf sturgeon have rows of armored plates along their sides andback, called scutes, and a vacuum-like mouth to forage on benthicinvertebrates. Sturgeon are light colored to dark brown and havea white under-belly. They can grow to 8 feet in length and weigh200 pounds.

GULF STURGEONThreatened Nearshore Species


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The Endangered Species Act(ESA) requires the federal

government to evaluate anypotential critical habitat critical habitat thatexists for a species. Criticalhabitat is an area deemed

essential to the conservation of aspecies.

For Gulf sturgeon many coastal waters east of the mouth of theMississippi to the SuwanneeRiver in Florida are designatedcritical habitat.Areas shaded yellow are designated as Gulf sturgeon critical habitat.

GULF STURGEONThreatened Nearshore Species

ELKHORN dThreatened


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Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals are threatened species. threatened species. These stony corals were once the most abundantand most important species on Caribbean coral reefs.

Elkhorn coral is the largest of all species of Acropora . Colonies are flattened to near round

with frond-like branches. Branches typically

radiate outward from a central trunk. Elkhorncoral generally grows in water 3 to 15 feet deepon the seaward face of the reef.

Staghorn coral colonies are antler-like withcylindrical, straight, or slightly curvedbranches. Staghorn coral typically grows infore- and back-reef areas with water 15 to 45feet deep.

ELKHORN andSTAGHORN CORALS

ThreatenedNearshore Species


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Sand tiger sharks are a species of concern species of concern . They are lightgrey/brown in color and have a white belly with yellow blotches.

They have two dorsal fins of similar size, a very short snout, andsmall eyes. They generally occupy the surf zone down to depths of about 25m. However, they may also be found in shallow bays,around coral reefs, and to depths of 200m on the continental shelf.

They usually live near the bottom, but have been found throughoutthe water column. These sharks are primarily active at night, andtravel alone or in small schools.

SHARKSNearshore Species of Concern


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The Nassau grouper is a species of species of concern concern and can be found in coastal waters to depths of about 100m.Adults are generally found nearshallow high-relief coral reefs androcky bottoms to a depth of at least90m. Juveniles are known to inhabitseagrass beds and areas around coralclumps covered with macroalgae.Nassau grouper are characterized by5 dark brown vertical bars on a paletan or gray body with black spotsaround the eyes.

GROUPERNearshore Species of Concern


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OFFSHORE SPECIES


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The endangered endangered leatherback sea turtleis the only sea turtle with a softleathery shell. They are the largest of the sea turtles, measuring 4 to 8 feetlong and weighing 650 to 1,300pounds. They can dive to greatdepths in search of jellyfish, whichcomprise their main diet.

Leatherbacks make long-distance migrations from feeding

grounds to nesting beaches. They spend their entire lives inoffshore waters, coming inshore only to mate and nest. They areoften observed alone at sea, but adults sometimes congregate off nesting beaches or while feeding on concentrations of prey.

SEA TURTLESEndangered Offshore Species


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Sperm whales are endangered endangered and foundin offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico

(>200m). They typically dive deep for 40-45 minutes and rest at the surface for 8-10 minutes between dives. Their square-shaped head comprises a significant

portion of their body length and theyhave a small dorsal fin. Sperm whalesare often seen resting log-like at thesurface. Females and young form smallgroups, and immature males often formbachelor groups.

SPERM WHALEEndangered Offshore Species


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Brydes whales (pronounced BREW-days) areperhaps the only baleen whale that regularlyinhabit the Gulf of Mexico. This species has

been regularly sighted in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and may be found elsewhere seawardof the shelf edge. They have dark gray, slenderbodies and long ventral throat grooves. Theytravel alone or in small groups.

Cuviers beaked whales are cryptic andrarely seen at the surface, which is whytheir population status is unknown.

These whales vary in coloration fromrusty-brown, dark gray, or tan. Theyprefer deep water, avoid shallow coastalareas, and are known to travel in groupsof 2 to 7.

WHALESCommon Offshore Species


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Pantropical spotted dolphins occur along thecontinental slope. Juveniles are gray, spotting asthey age. These dolphins are extremely active,frequently breaching the surface as they travel.Group sizes range from a few to 1000s.

Rough-toothed dolphins are deep-waterdolphins. They have cone-shaped heads andlarge pointed flippers. These dolphins are fastswimmers and sometimes breach with a low, arc-shape at the surface. They travel in groups of 10s to 100s.

Clymene dolphins are found seaward of thecontinental shelf edge. They are tri-colored with adark gray back, gray sides, and a white belly. They

are often observed in groups of up to 50. They arefrequently observed making full spins whenbreaching at the surface.

DOLPHINSCommon Offshore Species

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pygmy sperm whale dwarf sperm whale melon-headed whale pygmy killer whale

false killer whale short-finned pilot

whale Frasers dolphin Atlantic spotted

dolphin

spinner dolphin striped dolphin bottlenose dolphin killer whale (orca)

Blainvilles beaked whale

Sowerbys beaked whale

Gervais beaked whale minke whale

Other Offshore Species of Marine Mammals In TheGulf Of Mexico Include

MARINE MAMMALSOffshore Species

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Night sharks are a species of concern species of concern andare typically found near the continental

shelf edge in depths between 275m and365m during the day, and 185m at night.

They have a very long, pointed snout, largegreen eyes, and two small dorsal fins.

They are usually observed traveling inschools.

Dusky sharks are a species of concern species of concern andcan be found from the surf zone to offshoredepths of about 400m. These sharks are

bluish gray with white on the belly. Theyhave a long pointed snout, long pectoralfins and a low ridge between the dorsalfins. Juvenile dusky sharks form large

feeding schools or aggregations.

SHARKSOther Species of Concern

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Warsaw groupers are a species of concern. species of concern. They are deep-water groupers that inhabitreefs on the continental shelf break, in

waters 76-219m deep. Color varies fromreddish brown or brownish grey to almostblack, with dull reddish grey on the belly.Mature animals are usually found onrough, rocky bottoms in depths of 55 to525m; juveniles are occasionally seen on

jetties and shallow-water reefs.

The speckled hind is a species of concern species of concern andis classified as a deep-water grouper: adultsinhabit offshore rocky bottoms usually indepths of 60 and 120m. Their reddish-brown

head, body, and fins are flecked with tiny white spots.

GROUPEROther Species of Concern

PROTECTED SPECIESG lf f M i


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Many protected species can beattracted to oil and gas structuresplatforms. These structures serveas underwater islands thatsustain a marine oasis providingartificial habitat to a high diversityof species, shelter from predators,stability in currents, and foragingopportunities for a variety of species.

Because many oil and gasactivities occur in the habitats of protected species, they serve as aconstant reminder the importanceof being active stewards of theenvironment is to our living marineresources.

A typical offshore platform provides2-3 acres of living space for a highdiversity of marine life.

PROTECTED SPECIESGulf of Mexico


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For a complete list of protected species in

the Gulf of Mexico and additionalinformation on these species, please visitthe NMFS Southeast Regional Office

Web site at:

http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/protres.htm

or

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr

Documents

Protected and Endangered Species, Gulf of Mexico