Special Status Species
The populations of some species - such as krill and jellies - are thriving in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. However, other species have population sizes that are reduced or declining. Reduced or declining populations may be the result of human exploitation, habitat degradation, disease, environmental change or a combination of these factors. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Sanctuary), through its research, education, and resource management programs, has the ability to improve the status of species with reduced or declining populations.As a necessary first step, the Sanctuary identified the species of special status based on listings by other state, federal, and international agencies and organizations. This information will be used to determine which management actions the Sanctuary can implement to support the recovery of each species. SIMoN staff compiled this information as part of the "Special Status Species Project".
The first phase of this project involved compiling a list of all the species occurring in Sanctuary waters that are designated by a variety of resource management agencies and conservation groups as having special status. For example, species that have been designated as Endangered or Threatened under the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, or species that have been added to the watch lists of organizations such as Audubon Society or the World Conservation Union. The tables below provide a list of special status species in the Sanctuary as well as information about which agencies and organizations have included the species (or the local population/stock) on their watch lists. If you would like to know more about the listing agencies and terms used, click on the "?" symbols in the table.
A second, on-going phase of this project involves creating status reports for each species. A species status report covers a variety of topics including geographic range, abundance, migration patterns, threats, current research projects, conservation efforts and management actions the Sanctuary can implement to improve species recovery. The recommended actions may include supporting additional research projects to fill knowledge gaps or providing education outreach programs with information to increase public awareness of at risk populations and the habitats they utilize. All the material compiled for this project, including status reports, links to maps, photos, videos, and educational materials, are available by clicking on the species names in the table below. Status reports are continually being added to this site, so please check back periodically.
| Federal | State | NGO | International | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | ESA (?) | MMPA (?) | CESA; DFG (?) | IUCN (?) | CITES (?) | CMS (?) |
| Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis (E. North Pacific stock) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic |
-- | Endangered (world-wide) |
App.I | App.I, App.II |
| Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus musculus(Eastern N. Pacific stock) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Endangered | App.I | App.I |
| Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus (CA-OR-WA stock) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Endangered (world-wide) |
App.I | App.I, App.II |
| Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae (Eastern N. Pacific stock) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.I | App.I |
| Gray whale Eschrichtius robustus (Eastern N. Pacific stock) |
Delisted (06-15-94) |
Non-strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.I | -- |
| North Pacific right whale Eubalaena japonica |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | Fully Protected |
Endangered | App.I | App.I |
| Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus (CA-OR-WA stock) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Vulnerable (world-wide) |
App.I | App.I, App.II |
| Killer whale Orcinus orca (Eastern N. Pacific Southern Resident population) |
Endangered | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Data Deficient |
App.II | App.II |
| Short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus (CA/OR/WA stock) |
-- | Strategic | -- | Data Deficient |
App.II | -- |
| Baird's beaked whale Berardius bairdii (CA-OR-WA stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Data Deficient |
App.I | App.II |
| Beaked whales Mesoplodon spp. (CA-OR-WA stocks) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Data Deficient (world-wide) |
App.II | -- |
| Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris (CA-OR-WA stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.II | -- |
| Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena (San Francisco-Russian River stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.II | |
| Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena (Monterey Bay stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.II | |
| Harbor Porpoise Phocoena phocoena (Morro Bay stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Least Concern |
App.II | |
| Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus (Eastern stock) |
Threatened | Depleted; Strategic | -- | Endangered (world-wide) |
-- | -- |
| Guadalupe fur seal Arctocephalus townsendi |
Threatened | Depleted; Strategic | Threatened; Fully Protected |
Near Threatened |
App.I | -- |
| Northern fur seal Callorhinus ursinus (San Miguel Island stock) |
-- | Non-strategic | -- | Vulnerable (world-wide) |
-- | -- |
| Northern elephant seal Mirounga angustirostris |
-- | Non-strategic | Fully Protected | Least Conern |
-- | -- |
| Southern sea otter Enhydra lutris nereis |
Threatened | Depleted; Strategic | Fully Protected | Endangered | App.I | -- |
| Federal | State | NGO | International | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | ESA; FWS (?) | CESA; CDFG; CDF (?) | IUCN (?) | Audubon WatchList (?) | CITES (?) | CMS (?) |
| Common Loon Gavia immer |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Clark's Grebe Aechmophorous clarkii |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Short-Tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus |
Endangered | Spp. Special Concern |
Vulnerable | Red | App.I | App.I |
| Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis |
-- | -- | Vulnerable | Red | -- | App.II |
| Black-Footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes |
BCC | -- | Endangered | Red | -- | App.II |
| Buller's Shearwater Puffinus bulleri |
-- | -- | Vulnerable | Yellow | -- | -- |
| Pink-footed Shearwater Puffinus creatopus |
BCC | -- | Vulnerable | Red | -- | App.I |
| Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus |
-- | -- | Near Threatened |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Black-Vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas |
BCC | -- | Near Threatened | Red | -- | -- |
| Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma furcata |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Ashy Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma homochroa |
BCC | Spp. Special Concern |
Endangered | Red | -- | -- |
| Black Storm-petrel Oceanodroma melania |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
Red | -- | -- |
| American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| California Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis californicus |
Delisted 12-17-09 |
Delisted; Fully Protected |
Least Concern (full species) |
-- | -- | -- |
| Least Bittern Ixobrychius exilis |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Great Egret Ardea alba |
-- | Sensitive | Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias |
-- | Sensitive | Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- | California Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus |
BCC | Threatened; Fully Protected |
Near Threatened (full species) |
Red | -- | -- |
| California Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris obsoletus |
Endangered | Endangered; Fully Protected |
Least Concern (full species) |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Western Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus |
Threatened | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern (full species) |
Yellow | -- | App.II |
| Surfbird Aphriza virgata |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Sanderling Calidris alba |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Red Knot Calidris canutus |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | App.I, App.II |
| Western Sandpiper Calidiris mauri |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Short-Billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Long-Billed Curlew Numenius americanus |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus |
BCC | -- | Least Concern |
-- | -- | App.II |
| Heermann's Gull Larus heermanni |
-- | -- | Near Threatened | Yellow | -- | -- |
| California Least Tern Sterna antillarum browni |
Endangered | Endangered; Fully Protected |
Least Concern (full species) |
Red (full species) | -- | -- |
| Elegant Tern Sterna elegans |
-- | -- | Near Threatened | Yellow | -- | -- |
| Black Skimmer Rynchops niger |
BCC | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
Yellow | -- | -- |
| Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus |
Threatened | Endangered; Sensitive |
Endangered | Yellow | -- | -- |
| Rhinoceros Auklet^ Cerorhinca monocerata |
-- | -- | Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Cassin's Auklet Ptychoramphus aleuticus |
BCC | Spp. Special Concern |
Least Concern |
-- | -- | -- |
| Xantus's Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus |
Candidate; BCC | Threatened | Vulnerable | Red | -- | -- |
| * All species on this list are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. ^ This species is abundant world-wide. However, the breeding population in central California is recovering from extermination. |
||||||
| Federal | State | NGO | International | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | ESA (?) | CESA (?) | IUCN (?) | CITES (?) | CMS (?) | |
| Leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea |
Endangered | -- | Critically Endanged |
App.I | App.I, App.II |
|
| Federal | State | NGO | International | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | ESA; NMFS (?) | CESA; CDFG (?) | IUCN (?) | AFS (?) | CITES (?) | CMS (?) |
| Coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch (Central California Coast ESU) |
Endangered | Endangered; No Take |
-- | -- | -- | -- |
| Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus (Central California Coast DPS) |
Threatened | Limited Take (2) |
-- | Threatened | -- | -- |
| Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus (South Central California Coast DPS) |
Threatened | Limited Take (2) |
-- | Threatened | -- | -- |
| Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Central Valley Spring ESU) |
Threatened | Threatened | -- | Threatened | -- | -- |
| Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Central Valley Fall and Late Fall ESU) |
Spp. Concern | Spp. Special Concern; Limited Take (2) |
-- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Sacramento River Winter ESU) |
Endangered | Endangered; Limited Take (2) |
-- | Endangered | -- | -- |
| River lamprey Lampetra ayresii |
-- | Spp. Special Concern |
-- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Green sturgeon Acipenser medirostris (Southern DPS) |
Threatened | Spp. Special Concern; No Take |
Near Threatened (full species) |
Vulnerable | App. II | App. II |
| White sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus |
Endangered | Limited Take (1) |
Least Concern |
Endangered* | App. II | -- |
| Longfin smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys |
-- | Threatened | -- | Threatened | -- | -- |
| Eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus (Southern DPS) |
Threatened | Spp. Special Concern |
-- | Threatened | -- | -- |
| Tidewater goby Eucyclogobius newberryi |
Endangered | Spp. Special Concern |
Vulnerable | Endangered | -- | -- |
| Darkblotched rockfish Sebastes crameri |
Overfished | -- | -- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Widow rockfish Sebastes entomelas |
Overfished | -- | -- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Cowcod Sebastes levis |
Spp. Concern; Overfished |
No Take | -- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Black rockfish Sebastes melanops |
-- | -- | -- | Vulnerable* | -- | -- |
| Blue rockfish Sebastes mystinus |
Precautionary zone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bocaccio Sebastes paucispinis |
Spp. Concern; Overfished |
Limited Take (2) |
Critically Endangered |
Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Canary rockfish Sebastes pinniger |
Overfished | No Take | -- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Yelloweye rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus |
Overfished | No Take | -- | Vulnerable* | -- | -- |
| Shortspine thornyhead Sebastolobus alascanus |
-- | -- | Endangered | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Cabezon Scorpaenichthys marmoratus |
Precautionary zone | Limited Take (2) |
-- | -- | -- | -- |
| Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus |
-- | Limited Take (2) |
-- | Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Greenlings Hexagrammos spp. |
-- | Limited Take (2) |
-- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus (Pacific stock) |
-- | -- | Vulnerable | -- | -- | -- |
| Great white shark Carcharodon carcharias |
-- | No Take | Vulnerable | Conservation Dependent |
App. II | App. I, App. II |
| Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus (N. Pacific subpopulation) |
-- | Endangered | Vulnerable | Vulnerable | App. II | App.I, App.II |
| Soupfin shark Galeorhinus galeus |
-- | Limited Take (1) |
-- | -- | -- | -- |
| Bluntnose sixgill shark Hexanchus griseus |
-- | Limited Take (1) |
Near Threatened |
-- | -- | -- |
| Shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus |
-- | Limited Take (2) |
Vulnerable^ | -- | -- | App.II |
| Broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus (Eastern Pacific subpopulation) |
-- | Limited Take (1) |
Lower Risk/near threatened | -- | -- | -- |
| Blue shark Prionace glauca |
-- | Limited Take (2) |
Near Threatened |
-- | -- | -- |
| Big skate Raja binoculata |
-- | -- | Near Threatened |
Vulnerable | -- | -- |
| Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias |
-- | -- | Vulnerable^ | -- | -- | -- |
| Pacific angel shark Squatina californica |
-- | -- | Near Threatened |
-- | -- | -- |
| Leopard shark Triakis semifasciata |
-- | Limited Take (3) |
Least Concern^ |
-- | -- | -- |
| Sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria |
Precautionary zone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Petrole sole Eopsetta jordani |
Precautionary zone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| *Status level based on nearby locations because population in MBNMS not assessed ^ IUCN status based on abundance world-wide; population in NE Pacific appears to be healthy (Bob Lea, pers. comm.) |
||||||
| Federal | State | NGO | International | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organism | ESA (?) | CESA (?) | CDFG | IUCN (?) | CITES (?) | |
| Black corals Order Antipatharia |
-- | -- | -- | -- | App. II | |
| Stony corals Order Scleractinia |
-- | -- | -- | -- | App. II | |
| Lace corals Order Stylasteridae |
-- | -- | -- | -- | App. II | |
| Black abalone Haliotis cracherodii |
Endangered | -- | No Take | Critically Endangered |
-- | |
| Pinto abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana |
Spp. Concern |
-- | No Take | Endangered | -- | |
| Red abalone Haliotis rufescens |
-- | -- | No Take/ Limited Take (3)^ |
-- | -- | |
| California brackishwater snail* Tryonia imitator |
-- | -- | -- | Data Deficient |
-- | |
| Olympia oyster* Ostrea lurida/conchaphila |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| *A species of concern for the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve due to low or declining abundance in Elkhorn Slough (Kerstin Wasson, ESNERR, pers. comm.) ^ No take south of the mouth of San Francisco Bay; north of the mouth of San Francisco Bay, take of up to 3 red abalone per person per day is allowed during a restricted time period (e.g., April 1 to June 30, 2005). |
||||||
