The Office of Protected Resources (OPR) is a headquarters program office of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service, or NMFS), under the U.S. Department of Commerce, with responsibility for protecting marine mammals and endangered marine life.

NOAA's Office of Protected Resources works to conserve, protect, and recover species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in conjunction with our Regional Offices, Science Centers, and various partners.

Recent News and Hot Topics 01/19/2010   FY2010 NOAA Grant Funds Now Available for Proactive Species Conservation Program 01/19/2010   NOAA Establishes Take Reduction Team to Reduce Bycatch of Hawaiian False Killer Whales in Longline Fisheries 01/14/2010   Freezing Weather Takes a Toll on Florida Sea Turtles  01/06/2010   NMFS Accepts a Petition to List Atlantic Sturgeon under the Endangered Species Act (90-Day Finding on a Petition); Open for Public Input through 02/05/2010 [pdf] 01/05/2010   NOAA Proposes Critical Habitat for Leatherback Turtles; Open for Public Comment through 03/08/2010 01/05/2010   NMFS Initiates Status Review of the Insular Population of Hawaiian False Killer Whales as an Endangered Species (90-Day Finding on a Petition) [pdf] » Hot Topics Archive

False Killer Whale
(Pseudorca crassidens)
Photo: NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center