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.

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