NOAA Fisheries shares responsibility for implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Both agencies are charged with conserving endangered and threatened species and their critical habitats. NOAA Fisheries is responsible for most marine and anadromous species, including most marine mammals and all large whales listed under the ESA. Once a species is listed under the ESA, we are required to review its status every five years to determine whether the classification is still accurate through the 5-year review process.
This internship will provide an opportunity for a student to learn about and contribute to the 5-year review process and recovery of ESA-listed large whale species. The intern will review the best available scientific literature and commercial information relative to the current status of threats to the species, trends in a species’ demography, gaps in knowledge, and synthesize information for a 5-year review and evaluation on whether a species should be delisted or reclassified. The internship will take place with the Cetacean and Pinniped Conservation Program in NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources, and the intern will gain an understanding of the ESA and how we evaluate a protected species’ progress towards recovery.