WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration today to force the release of public records on a proposed rollback of key Endangered Species Act protections for marine wildlife, including the potential political or industry influences behind the change.

“The public has a right to know who’s attacking protections for endangered whales and sea turtles,” said David Derrick, a staff attorney at the Center. “Marine animals already suffer from warming oceans and constant ship traffic in their habitat. If Trump strips away one of the most important safeguards these vulnerable ocean species have, many more of these beautiful animals will die.”

Today’s lawsuit seeks documents from the Department of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency within Commerce responsible for safeguarding endangered whales, sea turtles, corals and other imperiled ocean life.

The proposed Trump rule would rescind the long-standing regulatory definition of “harm,” which includes “significant habitat modification or degradation” that kills or injures protected species. That definition has been a cornerstone of endangered species protection since it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Babbitt v. Sweet Home in 1995.

The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to ensure their actions do not destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Weakening the definition of “harm” would undermine this obligation, making it harder to protect areas essential to species’ survival and recovery. The Act has a success rate of more than 99% at preventing extinction and is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, follows a similar Center suit earlier this month seeking records from the Department of the Interior, which oversees the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Today’s action broadens the effort to expose potential drivers behind the rollback of habitat protections for both terrestrial and marine species.

More than 150,000 people have submitted comments opposing the proposed rollback. Scientific organizations and legal scholars have also urged the administration to withdraw the rule, warning it would severely impair conservation efforts amid a global extinction crisis.

“Marine animals obviously can’t survive without healthy oceans and intact habitats,” Derrick said. “It’s nonsensical to think you can destroy a species’ home and expect it to be ok, but that’s what this Orwellian definition change implies. We won’t let Trump’s attempted rollback happen in the dark.”