In celebration of the Endangered Species Act’s 50th Anniversary, NOAA is featuring the marine mammal and sea turtle species found in Alaska that are protected under the ESA.

The Endangered Species Act provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species, habitats, and the ecosystems upon which they depend across Alaska and the country. This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Act.

The Endangered Species Act has put many species on the path to recovery. Since it was enacted in 1973, no marine species has gone extinct. Less than 1 percent of all ESA-listed species (marine, anadromous, and terrestrial) have gone extinct. Others, like the eastern distinct population segment of Steller sea lions and the Eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales, have recovered.

Enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act continues to be a powerful and effective tool for focusing conservation efforts and preserving the diversity of the planet. In celebration of this momentous anniversary, we are highlighting the species we work to protect in Alaska.

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  Alaska, anniversary, endangered, mammal, marine, species, threatened