For about 1 penny per American per year, the Marine Mammal Commission has met its Congressional mandate to conserve marine mammals for almost 50 years.
We work to ensure that marine mammal populations are restored and maintained as functioning elements of healthy marine ecosystems in the world's oceans.
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The Commission Surveys Federal Agency Research Funding
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The Commission launched its new and improved Survey of Federally Funded Marine Mammal Research in 2019. This online survey and data repository aids the Commission in fulfilling its duties under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by illuminating areas of strength and gaps in federal research investment, helping to identify overlaps in marine mammal research efforts or funding, and informing recommendations on agency actions and budget priorities.
The preliminary fiscal year (FY) 2022 results summary is now available on our website. The Commission thanks participating federal agencies for providing their information. Requests for additional information or details about federal marine mammal research and funding reported in FY 2022 can be made to the Commission at surveyffr@mmc.gov. The fiscal year 2023 data call will begin in November 2023.
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Commission Workshop on Health Surveillance
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Scientists have predicted that climate change will result in a multitude of changes to ocean and coastal ecosystems, many of which could affect marine mammals. Increasing harmful algal blooms, changes in pathogen exposure, and shifting distribution of marine mammals, their prey, and human activity in response to environmental change all have the potential to impact marine mammal health. Detecting changes in marine mammal health can serve as an early warning system for broader ecosystem changes and potential threats to human health. Early detection is also essential if we hope to mitigate the negative impacts on marine mammal populations.
In April, the Commission hosted a marine mammal health monitoring workshop. Veterinarians and epidemiologists from NOAA, FWS, and the National Wildlife Health Center, along with subject matter experts from the U.S. and abroad, discussed approaches and priorities for monitoring pathogens, toxins, and health parameters that are likely to be influenced by a changing climate. The Commission is now working to synthesize information from the workshop into a report, which will be posted on the Commission website once complete, and will outline a vision for a national Marine Mammal Health Monitoring Plan. The plan will serve as a resource for researchers and organizations to identify priorities for sample collection and testing that contribute to an integrated plan for systematic health monitoring of marine mammals nationwide.
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Recent Strandings of Atlantic Large Whales
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Humpback whale floating offshore of Delaware (Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute)
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More than 20 large whales have stranded along the Atlantic coast this winter, including 16 humpback whales and two endangered North Atlantic right whales. These strandings are part of the ongoing Humpback Whale and North Atlantic Right Whale Unusual Mortality Events (UMEs) that were declared by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The primary threats to humpback and right whales along the U.S. East Coast are entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strike. Susceptibility to these threats has likely been exacerbated by shifting prey distributions from changing ocean conditions. There continues to be no evidence to link these large whale strandings to offshore wind energy development, including no evidence to link them to sound emitted during wind development-related site characterization surveys, known as high-resolution geophysical (HRG) surveys. Although HRG surveys have been occurring off New England and the mid-Atlantic coast, HRG devices have never been implicated or causatively-associated with baleen whale strandings.
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Regarding the recent whale strandings, the Commission has been:
- working to help reduce the threat of entanglement and vessel strikes, especially for the North Atlantic right whale;
- encouraging timely release of necropsy results and supporting efforts for timely response to large whale strandings; and
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emphasizing the importance, and the need to ensure the solvency of the UME Contingency Fund that is used to compensate persons or entities for marine mammal stranding response.
The Commission remains committed to working with our federal partners on this issue while providing independent, science-based oversight. The Commission thanks the staff, and volunteers of the organizations that dedicate their resources, time, and energy to responding to these UMEs and all marine mammal strandings.
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False Killer Whale Take Reduction Team Update
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Fisheries bycatch is the largest direct cause of human-related injury and death to marine mammals in the United States and around the world. To address and mitigate interactions between a Hawaii longline fishery and false killer whales, NMFS established a Take Reduction Team (TRT) and, based on its advice, implemented a Take Reduction Plan (TRP) in 2012, as required by the MMPA. The 2012 False Killer Whale TRP is focused on protecting false killer whales and managing longline fishing gear and practices within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (the “management area”). Unfortunately, these measures have not been successful at reducing mortality and serious injury (MSI) to negligible levels, which led NMFS to reconvene the False Killer Whale TRT in April 2023, to discuss additional mitigation measures.
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A false killer whale captured on a pelagic longline (Eric Forney, NOAA).
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Given that the range of false killer whales and longline fishing effort extend well beyond the EEZ, NMFS recently expanded the management area to include fishing grounds outside of the EEZ. The larger management area, as well as bycatch mitigation options, such as reducing fishing effort and modifying fishing gear and practices were vigorously debated by the team. At its April meeting, the TRT agreed that there needs to be an increase in the portion of the fishery observed through electronic monitoring to gather more information on the fleet’s interactions with false killer whales. However, a consensus was not reached by the TRT on the approach most likely to achieve the goal of reducing MSI to sustainable levels. In the absence of a consensus recommendation, the MMPA requires that NMFS proceed with amending the TRP. The Commission will closely monitor the progress NMFS makes in support of sustainable fisheries practices that minimize impacts to false killer whales.
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Hot Topics in Marine Mammal Conservation:
Increasing Vessel Traffic in the Arctic
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Losses in seasonal ice cover and the longer open water season are creating more opportunities for industrial activity and increased vessel traffic in the Arctic. This expansion can have significant effects on marine mammals and the Alaska Native communities that rely on them for subsistence. Increased vessel traffic heightens the risk to whales from vessel strikes and noise, and also the risk of oil spills and vessel groundings. In March, the Commission met with the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK), a Juneau-based non-profit organization working to enhance dynamic real-time monitoring of vessels to promote safe and environmentally sound maritime activities throughout the Arctic. MXAK is working with the newly-established Arctic Shipping Knowledge Network to ensure that management plans and best practices for ships entering the Arctic incorporate Indigenous Knowledge and community input. Indigenous Knowledge of sensitive areas used by marine mammals for foraging and resting, and by coastal community members for subsistence hunting, can help determine nearshore areas that vessels should avoid to prevent disturbance, use conflicts, and maritime disasters in remote areas. The Commission also met with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in Juneau to discuss the Commission’s comments on, and recent updates to, the USCG’s Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study (Arctic PARS). Together, these vessel traffic management systems will use multiple knowledge systems and real-time observations to reduce impacts from increases in human activity in the Arctic as a result of climate change and loss of sea ice.
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Rare Pinniped Conservation Network Meets Again
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The second meeting of the Rare Pinniped Conservation Network (RAPCON) was held in Hämeenlina, Finland during 7-9 March 2023. This was the first opportunity for the RAPCON community to meet since the Commission-sponsored inaugural workshop in Barcelona in 2019. The Finland meeting was part of the “Our Saimaa Seal LIFE-project” funded by European Union and was hosted by the Saimaa Ringed Seal Research Team from the University of Eastern Finland. More than 50 attendees from at least 10 countries shared updates on their respective subject species. Plenaries and special sessions focused on climate change risks, health assessment, genetics, and novel monitoring and conservation tools. The Commission has played a key role in RAPCON since its inception, and was well-represented by Commission Chair Frances Gulland, staff members Brady O'Donnell and Lauri Leach, and Committee of Scientific Advisor member Jason Baker. The second RAPCON meeting was a great success in terms of sharing knowledge of both tried-and-true, and cutting edge, research and management techniques for rare seal, sea lion, and fur seal species around the globe. The meeting broadened participation in RAPCON and strengthened connections among all network members. The next RAPCON meeting is being planned in association with the 25th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Australia next year.
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New MMC-affiliated publications, media, and reports!
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Below are a few recent media highlights that reflect some of the ongoing scientific research, collaborations, and accomplishments of our world-renowned marine mammal scientists. For a reminder about our Commissioners, Committee of Scientific Advisors, and Staff, visit our website.
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Pair of bottlenose dolphins (NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center/Lisa Morse).
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