Biological Opinions (ESA Section 7)

Overview

Biological opinions document NMFS' opinion as to whether a Federal action is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of an ESA-listed species, or result in the destruction or adverse modification of species' critical habitat.

Opinions Issued

In the Headquarters office, NMFS consults on two general types of Federal Agency actions:

• actions that are large in scale, such as
  • nationwide, or programmatic, consultations - actions that address a Federal Agency's entire program, rather than each specific action
  • incidental harassment - actions that have a large acoustic footprint and may result in incidental harassment
• directed take of ESA-listed species for scientific research - actions that result in directed take of our listed species
• incidental take of ESA-listed species

Regional Offices consult on smaller-scale projects; those Opinions can be found on the regional offices web pages (see below).

Nationwide Consultations

• Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Atlantic Geological and Geophysical Biological Opinion
  (July 19, 2013)
• NOAA/NOS Office of Coast Survey's Nationwide hydrographic survey of coastal waters
  (April 30, 2013)
• EPA: Pesticide Biological Opinions
• Archive of NMFS Headquarters Biological Opinions (since 2010)

Incidental Harassment Authorizations

• Cascadia Thrust Zone northern area and Cascadia Subduction Zone seismic survey
  (July 10, 2012)
• L-DEO Seismic Survey in the Northeast Pacific Ocean: Cascadia Thrust Zone southern survey area
  (June 27, 2012)
• L-DEO Seismic Survey in the Northeast Pacific Ocean: Juan de Fuca Plate study area
  (June 13, 2012)
• Archive of NMFS Headquarters Biological Opinions (since 2010)

Scientific Research on ESA-Listed Species

• Proposal to Issue Permit 13543-01 to SCNDR re Sea Turtles
  (May 15, 2013)
• Proposal to Issue Permit 16388 to Mark Baumgartner
  (April 15, 2013)
• Archive of NMFS Headquarters Biological Opinions (since 2010)

Incidental Take of ESA-Listed Species

• Incidental Take Permit 16230 to NC Division of Marine Fisheries to incidentally take sea turtles in the NC inshore gillnet fishery
  (September 10, 2013)

Archive

• Archive of NMFS Headquarters Biological Opinions (since 2010)

Region-Specific Biological Opinions

• Alaska Region (AKR) Biological Opinions
• Northeast Region (NER) Biological Opinions
• Northwest Region (NWR) Biological Opinions
• Pacific Islands Region (PIR) Biological Opinions
• Southeast Region (SER) Biological Opinions
• Southwest Region (SWR) Biological Opinions

More Information

• Endangered Species Act (ESA)
  • ESA Section 7: Interagency Consultation

Updated: September 20, 2013