A Petition to List Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus Pompilius) As Endangered Or Threatened Species Under the Endangered Species Act
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CENTER for BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Because life is good. A Petition to List Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) as Endangered or Threatened Species Under the Endangered Species Act Photo: Gregory J. Barord Submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service May 31, 2016 Center for Biological Diversity 1212 Broadway Suit 800, Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510-844-7103 [email protected] 1 Alaska . Arizona . California . Florida . Minnesota . Nevada . New Mexico . New York . Oregon . Vermont . Washington, DC Abel Valdivia, PhD, Ocean Scientist, Oceans Program . 1212 Broadway, Suite 800 . Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510-844-7100 x 303 . Fax: 919-932-0199 . Twitter@AbelValdivia . [email protected] Petition to list chambered nautilus under the ESA ____________________________________________________________________________________ Notice of Petition Penny Pritzker Secretary of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave, NW Washington, D.C. 20230 Email: [email protected] Dr. Kathryn Sullivan Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator Office of Administrator National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration 1401 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, DC 20230 Email: [email protected] Eileen Sobeck Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East West Highway Silver Spring, MD 20910 Email: [email protected] Petitioners Dr. Abel Valdivia on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity 1212 Broadway #800, Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510-844-7103 [email protected] 2 Petition to list chambered nautilus under the ESA ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b), Section 553(e) of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 533(e), and 50 C.F.R. § 424.14(a), the Center for Biological Diversity (“the petitioner”) hereby petitions the Secretary of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), through the National Marine Fisheries Service (“NMFS” or “NOAA Fisheries”), to list the chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) as a threatened or endangered species. The Center for Biological Diversity (“the Center”) is a non-profit, public interest environmental organization dedicated to the protection of native species and their habitats through science, policy, and environmental law. The Center has more than one million members and online activists. The Center and its members are concerned with the conservation of endangered species and the effective implementation of the ESA. NMFS has jurisdiction over this petition. This petition sets in motion a specific process, placing definite response requirements on NMFS. Specifically, NMFS must issue an initial finding as to whether the petition “presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.” 16 U.S.C. § 1533(b)(3)(A). NMFS must make this initial finding “[t]o the maximum extent practicable, within 90 days after receiving the petition.” Id. § 1533 (b)(3)(A). The petitioner does not need to demonstrate that the petitioned action is warranted, rather, the petitioner must only present information demonstrating that such action may be warranted. While the petitioner believes that the best available science demonstrates that listing the chambered nautilus as threatened or endangered is in fact warranted, there can be no reasonable dispute that the available information indicates that listing this species as either threatened or endangered may be warranted. As such, NMFS must promptly make a positive initial finding on the petition and commence a status review as required by the ESA. 3 Petition to list chambered nautilus under the ESA ____________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 2. Governing Provisions of the Endangered Species Act ............................................................ 5 2.1. Species Definition under the ESA ....................................................................................... 6 2.2. Significant Portion of the Species’ Range ........................................................................... 6 2.3. Listing Factors ..................................................................................................................... 7 2.4. 90-Day and 12-Month Findings ........................................................................................... 7 2.5. Reasonable Person Standards .............................................................................................. 8 2.6. Best Available Scientific and Commercial Data ................................................................. 8 3. Species Description ................................................................................................................. 9 3.1. Common Names .................................................................................................................. 9 3.2. Taxonomy ............................................................................................................................ 9 3.1. Synonyms ........................................................................................................................... 10 3.2. Evolutionary Origin ........................................................................................................... 10 3.3. Morphological Characteristics ........................................................................................... 11 3.4. Geographic Distribution .................................................................................................... 13 3.5. Habitat ................................................................................................................................ 14 3.6. Genetic Structure ............................................................................................................... 16 3.7. Feeding ............................................................................................................................... 18 3.8. Growth, Reproduction, and Lifespan ................................................................................. 19 3.9. Importance of Chambered Nautilus in its Ecosystem ........................................................ 20 3.10. Population Abundance ................................................................................................... 20 3.11. Population Trend ............................................................................................................ 21 4. Threats to the Species and Factors for Listing ...................................................................... 25 4.1. Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of its Habitat or Range25 4.1.1. Habitat degradation ........................................................................................................ 25 4.1.2. Pollution and Sedimentation .......................................................................................... 27 4.2. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational Purposes ........ 28 4.2.1. Overfishing ..................................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2. International Trade ......................................................................................................... 31 4.2.3. Ecotourism ..................................................................................................................... 39 4.3. Diseases or Predation ......................................................................................................... 40 4.4. Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms .............................................................. 41 4.4.1. Domestic Protections...................................................................................................... 41 4.4.2. International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List Criteria .......................... 42 4.4.3. Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) ...................... 43 4.4.4. Potential Conservation Strategies................................................................................... 44 4.5. Other Natural or Manmade Factors, Affecting its Continued Existence ........................... 45 4.5.1. Small Population Size .................................................................................................... 46 4.5.2. Climate Change and Ocean Acidification ...................................................................... 46 5. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 47 6. References ............................................................................................................................. 47 4 Petition to list chambered nautilus under the ESA ____________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction The chambered nautilus or pearly nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) is a charismatic cephalopod