Endangered and Threatened Species
Agency-wide, NASA is located in diverse ecosystems ranging from deserts to the coasts. This results in NASA being home to a wide variety of both endangered and threatened plant and animal species. Not only does NASA strive to protect listed species, but also to limit adverse effects on state-specific and local species of concern. NASA strives to be proactive in species management, helping to protect the ecological integrity of critical habitat and promote populations of endangered and threatened species.
NASA's Endangered and threatened species
Plant Species
Animal and Marine Species
Ames Research Center Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– Bank Swallow (ST)
– California Clapper Rail (FE/SE)
– California Least Tern (FE/SE)
– California Black Rail (FT)
– Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse (FE/SE)
– Swainson’s Hawk (ST)
– Western Snowy Plover (FT)
– Desert Tortoise at Armstrong Flight Research Center
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Armstrong Flight Research Center Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Western Joshua Tree (SE)
Animal and Marine Species
– Desert Tortoise (FT/ST)
– Mohave Ground Squirrel (ST)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Glenn Research Center Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Ashy Sunflower (ST)
– Bayberry (SE)
– Deer’s-tongue Arrowhead (ST)
– Field Sedge (SE)
– Great Lakes Goldenrod (ST)
– Greene’s Rush (ST)
– Least St. John’s Wort (SE)
– Lindheimer’s Panic Grass (ST)
– Purple Triple-awned Grass (ST)
– Rough Rattlesnake Root (ST)
– Shorts Hedge-Hyssop (ST)
– Showy Goldenrod (ST)
– Thin-lead Sedge (SE)
Animal and Marine Species
– Bald Eagle (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act)
– Black-Crowned Night Heron (ST)
– Blanding’s Turtle (ST)
– Cattle Egret (SE)
– Indiana Bat (FE/SE)
– Northern Long Eared Bat (FT/ST)
– Spartina Moth (SE)
– Smooth Green Snake (SE)
– Upland Sandpiper (SE)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Lane Mountain Milk-Vetch (FE)
Animal and Marine Species
– Desert Tortoise (FT)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Johnson Space Center Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (FE/SE)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Big Bear Valley Woollypod (ST)
– Lane Mountain Milk Vetch (FE)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Kennedy Space Center Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– American Oystercatcher (ST)
– Atlantic Green Turtle (FT)
– Bald Eagle (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act)
– Black Skimmer (ST)
– Eastern Indigo Snake (FT)
– Florida Sandhill Crane (ST)
– Florida Scrub-jay (FT)
– Gopher Tortoise (ST)
– Least Tern (ST)
– Leatherback Sea Turtle (FE)
– Little Blue Heron (ST)
– Loggerhead Sea Turtle (FT)
– Reddish Egret (ST)
– Roseate Spoonbill (ST)
– Rufa Red Knot (FT)
– Smalltooth Sawfish (FE)
– Southeastern American Kestrel (ST)
– Southeastern Beach Mouse (FT)
– Tricolored Heron (ST)
– West Indian Manatee (FE)
– Wood Stork (FT)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Langley Research Center Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– Gull-billed Tern (ST)
– Henslow’s Sparrow (ST)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Marshall Space Flight Center Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Harper’s Umbrella Plant (FT)
– Price’s Potato-bean (FT)
Animal and Marine Species
– American Alligator (FT)
– Alabama Cave Shrimp (FE)
– Gray Bat (FE)
– Indiana Bat (FE)
– Northern Long Eared Bat (FT)
– Whooping Crane (FT)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Stennis Space Center Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– Bald Eagle (Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Wallops Flight Facility Endangered Species
Animal and Marine Species
– Atlantic Green Sea Turtle (FT/ST)
– Atlantic Sturgeon (FE/SE)
– Bald Eagle (ST)
– Blue Whale (FE/SE)
– Eastern Black Rail (FT/SE)
– Fin Whale (FE/SE)
– Florida Manatee (FT/SE)
– Giant Manta Ray (FT)
– Hawksbill Sea Turtle (FE/SE)
– Henslow’s Sparrow (ST)
– Humpback Whale (FE/SE)
– Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (FE)
– Leatherback Sea Turtle (FE/SE/ST)
– Loggerhead Sea Turtle (FT/ST)
– Loggerhead Shrike (ST)
– North Atlantic Right Whale (FE/SE)
– Peregrine Falcon (ST)
– Piping Plover (FT/ST)
– Red Knot (FT/ST)
– Sei Whale (FE/SE)
– Sperm Whale (FE/SE)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
White Sands Test Facility Endangered Species
Plant Species
– Night-blooming Cereus (SE)
Key
FE: Federally Endangered
FT: Federally Threatened
SE: State Endangered
ST: State Threatened
Endangered Species Act
Under the ESA, species may be listed as endangered or threatened. Endangered means “any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range”. Threatened means “any species which is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future”. Aside from the Endangered Species Act of 1973, NASA is also obligated to follow the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. For additional information, visit the Regulatory Drivers page.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) is a Federal law that provides protection to threatened and endangered plants and animals along with their habitats. The Endangered Species Act was enacted by Congress after the determination that plants and animals were of ecological, recreational, aesthetic, educational, and scientific value to the nation’s public. The key regulators for the Endangered Species Act are the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to complete consultation with U.S. FWS and/or NOAA Fisheries Service to ensure actions are unlikely to jeopardize any listed species or cause adverse effects on the critical habitat of these species. Listed threatened and endangered species include; grasses, flowers, trees, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, insects (excluding pests), birds, and mammals.
