With climate change comes myriad impacts to ocean habitats and species, including increased sea surface temperatures, altered circulation, decreasing pH, and loss of sea ice. These changing conditions will likely have profound impacts on the health and survival of numerous marine species, including those that are already threatened or endangered. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act provides an important mechanism to protect and recover vulnerable species and their habitats. In this seminar, expert panelists discussed how the Endangered Species Act programs can be best implemented in order to provide long-term protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species in a time of rapid and profound change.
PANELISTS:
- Dr. Nancy Knowlton, Sant Chair for Marine Science, Smithsonian Institution
- William Snape, Senior Counsel, Center for Biological Diversity
- Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, NOAA
- (Moderator) Jordan Diamond, Deputy Director, Ocean Program, Environmental Law Institute
MATERIALS:
RELATED DEVELOPMENTS:
- NMFS releases Proposed Policy on Interpretation of the Phrase "Significant Portion of its Range" (comment period open through Feb. 7, 2012)
- Obama Administration releases Draft National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (comment period open through Mar. 5, 2012)
- See NMFS' list of all actions currently open for comment
The 2011 Ocean Seminar Series is generously supported by the
Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation.
Click here for more information on ELI's Ocean Seminar Series