For about 1 penny per American per year, the Marine Mammal Commission has met its Congressional mandate to conserve marine mammals for over 40 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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Uncertainty for People, Science, and Animals Alike
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While it is difficult to focus on anything other than the global and local challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marine Mammal Commission continues its work to protect and conserve marine mammals and their ecosystems. Our thoughts are with all of those who have been impacted by the virus and we look forward to a time beyond the present difficulties. Currently, the Commission is following the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 disruptions on marine mammal research even as we continue our work on our
priority topics
. Many scientists and policy-makers are asking questions about how changes in human activity, such as shipping and fishing effort, as a result of the response to the COVID-19 virus may affect marine mammals and their ecosystems. Reductions in surveys and monitoring of critical populations and marine mammal stranding response are two areas of particular concern to the Commission.
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A humpback whale feeds near a whale watching boat (photo by Ari Friedlaender, Duke University -
NMFS Permit #775-1875
).
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In the meantime, the Marine Mammal Commission remains open and all employees are teleworking. Please contact staff individually by email or write to us at our general mailbox,
mmc@mmc.gov
.
Individual contact information is provided on the
Meet the Commission
page. Thank you for your patience and we wish you the best.
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Commission Surveys Agencies' Research Efforts
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The Commission recently launched its new and improved Survey of Federally Funded Marine Mammal Research. This online survey and data repository aids the Commission in fulfilling its duties under the Marine Mammal Protection Act by helping to identify gaps or overlap in marine mammal research efforts or funding, to illuminate areas of strength in federal research investment, and to inform recommendations on needed agency actions and budget priorities. The fiscal year 2019 data call is open until May 8
th
, and the Commission thanks all participating federal agencies for providing their information. Please visit the
Commission’s website
for more information on the Survey and check back this summer for a summary of the fiscal year 2019 results.
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Work Continues Ten Years After
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
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April marked the 10-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In the past decade, there has been an immense effort by scientists and managers across the Gulf of Mexico to assess injuries to marine mammals and develop plans to restore injured populations back to their pre-spill numbers. Restoration projects, led by multiple Trustee Implementation Groups (TIGs), are in various stages of development under the
Natural Resource Damage Assessment
process. In Alabama, the TIG is in the process of implementing its
restoration plan #2
, issued in September 2018, which includes enhancing the capacity for enforcement and public education,
Alabama’s marine mammal stranding network, and for marine mammal health and stock assessments. The Open Ocean TIG issued its
restoration plan #2
in December 2019, which would spend nearly $23 million on four projects: (1) reducing impacts to cetaceans during disasters by improving response activities, (2) developing a data platform for coordinating restoration and other data on cetaceans, (3) reducing impacts of human-made sounds, and (4) reducing and mitigating vessel strike mortality. The Louisiana TIG published its
draft restoration plan #5
in March 2020, which proposes to increase the capacity for marine mammal stranding response and expand stranding network partnerships.
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Bottlenose dolphins continue to experience low reproductive rates in areas significantly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
(photo by NOAA).
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Commission Introduces a Career Resources Webpage
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Commission staff receive dozens of inquiries each year about career opportunities and pathways in marine mammal science, policy and management. To try and help with some of those questions we have compiled several lists of institutions, organizations, and agencies with marine mammal programs in a new
Career Resources
webpage. Providing this information does not imply that the Commission endorses or supports any of the institutions, nor is it intended to be exhaustive. However, we hope that students, early-career scientists and other members of the public find it useful in their exploration of career pathways related to marine mammals. We welcome any additions to the lists and intend to periodically update them.
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Hot Topics in Marine Mammal Conservation:
West Coast Gray Whale Strandings
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A gray whale found dead off Point Reyes National Seashore in northern California (photo by M. Flannery, California Academy of Sciences.
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In 2019, 123 gray whales stranded in the U.S., which exceeded the annual mean over the previous decade and resulted in a declaration of an
Unusual Mortality Event (UME) by the National Marine Fisheries Service
. A previous UME of gray whales that started in 1999 spanned two years and caused an almost 20 % decline in the population. Whether the 2019 UME will similarly persist into a second year is still unclear. To date, strandings in Mexico at the calving lagoons in 2020 were high, with 84 dead whales counted (81 in 2019). During the northward spring migration, as of April 15, 10 whales had stranded in California, three in Oregon, one in Washington. With limited examination of the carcasses in the U.S. in 2020 due to COVID-19, determination of causes of death has been limited. The location of some carcasses around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles suggest ship strikes may be important. Ongoing studies of body condition of live whales using drone photography are being used to provide insight into changes in nutritional status that might lead to mortality. The Commission
provided financial support
to gray whale stranding and necropsy efforts in Mexico.
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Social Distancing at the Commission
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In addition to Commission staff working from home during COVID-19, our Commissioners and Committee of Scientific Advisors are staying home and practicing social distancing in their respective corners of the world. Here’s a window into the lives of one of our Commissioners and Scientific Advisors: From
Commission Chairman Dr. Daryl Boness
, “The stay-at-home orders do not seem to be diminishing papers being submitted to the journal Marine Mammal Science so, in between collecting and boiling maple sap for maple syrup, I continue to keep busy with my Editor-in-Chief duties for Marine Mammal Science.” And when
CSA member Robin Baird
has not been working at home he has been spending time with his 3-year old son Bryson carrying out a back-yard study of Washington State’s only endemic fish, the Olympic Mudminnow.
Recognizing the many people working from home and with children at home, we have been using
social media
to raise awareness of the K-12 educational materials on the
Commission’s website
and of other educational resources. Check it out!
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Marine Mammal Commission
Staff, Scientific Advisors, and Commissioners in the News
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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.
Merra Howe and Robin Baird
Randall Wells
Research by Patricia Rosel and others
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Merra Howe (Marine Mammal Commission) and Marc Lammers (University of Hawai'i) conducting cetacean surveys.
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