Introduction & Objectives

The Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species (AMAPPS) is a comprehensive multi-agency research program in the U.S. Atlantic Ocean, from Maine to the Florida Keys. Its aims are to assess the abundance, distribution, ecology, and behavior of marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds throughout the U.S. Atlantic and to place them in an ecosystem context. This information can then provide spatially explicit information in a format that can be used when making marine resource management decisions and will provide enhanced data to managers and other users by addressing data gaps that are needed to support conservation initiatives mandated under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Technical Approach

This program is a collaboration with NOAA Fisheries, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service focused on developing models and tools to provide seasonal abundance estimates that incorporate environmental habitat characteristics for marine mammals, turtles, and seabirds in the western North Atlantic Ocean. These models rely on seasonal distribution and abundance data collected over multiple years using aerial and shipboard surveys. They also include dive pattern information from individually-tagged turtles and detections from passive acoustic recording devices.

Progress & Results

Although AMAPPS III officially ends in 2024, the U.S. Navy will continue to partner with NOAA on projects to assess the abundance, distribution, ecology, and behavior of marine mammals on a case by case basis where we have common interests.  In 2025 we will be conducting a comprehensive aerial and shipboard abundance survey covering the U.S. EEZ from roughly Delaware through South Carolina during the winter. 

2023 Annual Report of a Comprehensive Assessment of Marine Mammal, Marine Turtle, and Seabird Abundance and Spatial Distribution in U.S. Waters of the Western North Atlantic Ocean

2022 Annual Report of a Comprehensive Assessment of Marine Mammal, Marine Turtle, and Seabird Abundance and Spatial Distribution in U.S. Waters of the Western North Atlantic Ocean

2021 Annual Report of a Comprehensive Assessment of Marine Mammal, Marine Turtle, and Seabird Abundance and Spatial Distribution in U.S. Waters of the Western North Atlantic Ocean

2020 Annual Report of a Comprehensive Assessment of Marine Mammal, Marine Turtle, and Seabird Abundance and Spatial Distribution in U.S. Waters of the Western North Atlantic Ocean

Final Report - Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species 2015–2019

• Appendix I (Modelled spatiotemporal density distribution maps of cetaceans)
• Appendix II (Distribution plots of other species not modeled in Appendix I)
• Appendix III (Distribution and Abundance Patterns by Wind Energy Areas)

Final Report - Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species 2010–2014

• Appendix I
• Appendices II–V