50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This act was signed on December 28, 1973, and:

establishes protections for fish, wildlife, and plant species listed as threatened or endangered; provides for adding species to and removing them from the list of threatened and endangered species, and for preparing and implementing plans for their recovery;

provides for interagency cooperation to avoid take of listed species and for issuing permits for otherwise prohibited activities;

provides for cooperation with States, including authorization of financial assistance;

implements the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

Under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries is responsible for the protection, conservation, and recovery of over 160 marine and anadromous (born in freshwater, live part of their lives in the sea and return to rivers to spawn) species that are endangered or threatened.

The Island Based Fishery Management Plans (IBFMP) feature several species listed under ESA, including the following:

Fish (reef and pelagic fishes and rays):

Nassau grouper/ Mero cherna (Epinephelus striatus)

Giant manta ray/ Mantarraya (Manta birostris)Only in Puerto Rico’s IBMFP

Stony corals

Elkhorn coral/ Coral cuerno de alce (Acropora palmata)

Staghorn coral/ Coral cuerno de ciervo (Acropora cervicornis)

Boulder star coral/ Coral estrella masivo (Orbicella franksi)

Mountainous star coral/ Coral estrella laminar (Orbicella faveolata)

Lobed Star coral/ Coral estrella lobulado (Orbicella annularis)

Rough cactus coral / Coral cactus áspero (Mycetophillia ferox)

Pillar coral/ Coral de pilar (Dendrogyra cylindrus)

Note: We would like to thank Dr. Graciela García-Moliner, Fishery and Habitat Management Plan Specialist, and Liajay Rivera García, Technical Assistant for Fishery Management Plans and Ecosystem Based Fishery Management, for their scientific advisory for this article.