MMPA Incidental Take Authorization (ITA) GIS Map Data

All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA). The MMPA prohibits, with certain exceptions, the "take" of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas. However, the MMPA allows, upon request, the incidental take of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographic region.

The Incidental Take Program within the Office of Protected Resources (OPR), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has produced a spatial dataset of in process and issued Incidental Take Authorizations under section 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1974 as amended. . The ITA GIS project provides a single location where the public, academia, non-governmental organizations, NOAA managers and scientists, and other federal agencies can find the latest data and metadata for proposed and issued Incidental Take Authorizations under the MMPA.

Goal: To provide the best available information on the temporal and spatial extent of MMPA Incidental Take Authorizations and links to all relevant documents.

Purpose: The purpose of these data is to visually represent proposed or issued Incidental Take Authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 for environmental analyses and display.

Users must assume responsibility to determine the appropriate use of these data.

The layer for all authorized incidental take since 2008 (including both expired and currently active authorizations) and all in process applications includes at least one point for each project. Points are located in the approximate center of project areas. Projects that take place over large areas in different hemispheres or ocean basins have points in each major area. Projects that have multiple discrete project areas located more than approximately 50 miles apart also have additional points in each project area.

Projects are symbolized based on the type of project (construction, military, research/other, oil and gas, and alternative energy) and status (currently active, expired, or application in process).

Clicking on a project point in the map opens a popup window that provides the applicant, type of permit, year(s) issued, expiration date if active, a short description and location. It also provides a link to the Incidental Take Program Webpage that provides access to the project application, authorization (if issued), monitoring reports, GIS data, and any other supplemental materials associated with the project and permit.

MMPA Incidental Take Authorizations cover activities that occur within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and outside the U.S. EEZ (i.e., the high seas, excluding territorial waters of any foreign nation).

Access by NOAA Geoplatform

None

None

None

The layer for all authorized incidental take since 2008 (including both expired and currently active authorizations) and all in process applications includes at least one point for each project. Points are located in the approximate center of project areas, with some bias to be closer to coastlines. Projects that take place over large areas in different hemispheres or ocean basins have points in each major area. Projects that have multiple discrete project areas located more than approximately 50 miles apart also have additional points in each project area.

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

The applicant defines the spatial extent of the specified geographic region. NMFS OPR staff describe this spatial extent in the data and represnt it with one or more points as noted above. Data points are checked against application maps and information to ensure accuracy. The metadata adhere to FGDC standards.

This is a new project. Work in progress. TBD.

This is a new project. Work in progress. TBD.

Applicants requesting an MMPA Incidental Take Authorization must submit information on the location of where the proposed activities would occur (i.e., a specified geographic region, per regulation 50 CFR 216.104(a)(2)).

The initial dataset submission by the applicant is either a high-quality map (jpeg), ESRI shapefile, Google Earth Kmz or kml file, or a comma-separated value (csv) file.

If points for the projects location are not submitted by the applicant, NMFS OPR staff create points in the approximate center of project areas. Projects that take place over large areas in different hemispheres or ocean basins have points in each major area. Projects that have multiple discrete project areas located more than approximately 50 miles apart also have additional points in each project area.

Projects are symbolized based on the type of project (construction, military, research/other, oil and gas, and alternative energy) and status (currently active, expired, or application in process).