Government Resources and Information

U S Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/
The principal Federal Agency responsible for protecting endangered and threatened species and restoring them to a secure status in the wild is the primary objective of the endangered species program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior.

National Marine Fisheries Service http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
The National Marine Fisheries Service administers NOAA’s programs which support the domestic and international conservation and management of living marine resources. NMFS provides services and products to support domestic and international fisheries management operations, fisheries development,, trade and industry assistance activities, enforcement, protected species and habitat conservation operations, and the scientific and technical aspects of NOAA’s marine fisheries program.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission; Bureau of Protected Species Management http://myfwc.com/psm/
The Bureau of Protected Species Management (BPSM) is responsible for planning and implementing management activities directed towards the protection and recovery of manatees, other marine mammals (e.g., the endangered right whale), sea turtles and their essential habitats.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration http://www.noaa.gov/
NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts our seas and skies, guides our use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducts research to improve our understanding and stewardship of the environment which sustains us all.

United Nations Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea http://www.un.org/Depts/los/
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is the third in a series of United Nations efforts to codify the rules by which nations utilize over 70% of the earth’s surface. All aspects of the use of the oceans, from the edge of the coast to the bottom of the deepest sea are addressed in this convention. Over three hundred articles in length, this is perhaps the most complex legal agreement ever achieved.