Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform (Health MAP)

In December 2022, Congress enacted the Marine Mammal Research and Response Act (MMRRA; page 1587), as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. The MMRRA requires NOAA Fisheries to establish a new database, the Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform (Health MAP), which will replace the existing National Marine Mammal Stranding Database. The MMRRA requires that data collected by stranding network responders from stranding or entanglement events, such as weather and tide conditions, morphometrics, histopathology, toxicology, microbiology, virology, parasitology, and life history data, be maintained by NOAA in a centralized database. The Act also requires that NOAA make some of the data on Health MAP publicly available through a web portal. Health MAP data will support modeling and analyses that will improve our understanding of the causes of strandings, and help to identify emerging threats.

How Will Marine Mammal Health MAP Data Be Collected?

NOAA Fisheries is proposing eight new forms to standardize the collection of marine mammal health data nationally. These data will be collected by participants in the U.S. National Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network and participants in the U.S. National Marine Mammal Entanglement Response Networks. These responders are authorized by NOAA Fisheries, or are government officials acting in the course of their duties, to respond to stranded or entangled marine mammals. The forms proposed will provide NOAA Fisheries with information on the morphology, life history, biology, general health, health and stranding trends, human interactions, causes of death, and distribution of stranded and entangled marine mammal species. These data may help determine the status of population stocks and be used to inform science-based management decisions. 

Paper forms and/or electronic reports are required from responders, pursuant to their authorization. Most data will be directly entered into the database, either through 1) direct entry, 2) batch upload of multiple records, or 3) transfer from a local database to Health MAP via an Application Programming Interface (API). In some instances, basic data may also be submitted to NOAA Fisheries using a paper form.

NOAA Fisheries is proposing to replace the current Level A data collection with the Marine Mammal Health MAP data collection. This collection will require the following forms and guides:

1. Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form (paper and electronic version of the form are proposed) (PDF, 4 pages), including Tag/Mark sub-form;
2. Morphometrics Form for cetaceans and pinnipeds (electronic form only) (PDF, 1 page);
3. Live Animal Evaluation Form, including rehabilitation admission and release exam data (electronic form only) (PDF, 2 pages);
4. Dead Animal Evaluation Form, including gross necropsy and histopathology findings (electronic form only) (PDF, 2 pages);
5. Histopathology Form (electronic form only) (PDF, 1 page);
6. Samples Collected Form (electronic form only) (PDF, 1 page);
7. Sample Analysis Results Form (electronic form only) (PDF, 1 page);
8. Findings Form (electronic form only) (PDF, 1 page); and
9. Examiner’s Guide, which defines all data fields in this data collection (PDF, 133 pages)

What Kinds of Data Do These Forms Collect?

Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form

The proposed Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form combines some data fields from three forms currently in use (Marine Mammal Stranding Report-Level A Data, Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Disposition Report, and Marine Mammal Human Interaction Report). The current form, the Marine Mammal Stranding Report - Level A, provides initial, basic health data on marine mammal stranding events and cases of entangled cetaceans in the United States. However, NOAA Fisheries has determined that this form does not adequately capture the data needed to appropriately document marine mammal entanglement cases in all taxa, which, is now required under the MMRRA. The proposed form was streamlined to avoid double entry of information, and also to customize forms to the event type (stranding or entanglement).

Morphometrics Form

The Morphometrics Form will provide vital information regarding species, age class, and growth of cetaceans and pinnipeds. Morphometric measurements can be actual (physically collected by responders) or estimated. 

Live Animal Evaluation Form

The Live Animal Evaluation Form provides health information on live marine mammals during events such as rescues, rehabilitation, and health assessments. The animal’s health will be assessed by an authorized and trained veterinarian, biologist, or network member. Based on the condition of the live animal, it may be visually assessed only, assessed and immediately released following capture, taken to an authorized rehabilitation facility, or euthanized. Data will be used to inform us about interactions between marine mammals and fisheries, vessels, or marine debris, and overall marine mammal population health trends. 

Dead Animal Evaluation Form

The Dead Animal Evaluation Form provides information regarding the health status of the individual animal, the species, and the ocean environment (e.g., harmful algal blooms). Responders may examine the carcass, either externally and/or internally, collect samples for histopathology, collect supplemental information about the stranding event, and collect information on the life history of the animal (reproductive status, nutritional status, food habits, etc.). These data can provide context for the stranding and/or death of the animal. This information is highly variable depending on the stranding location, species, level of examination, state of carcass decomposition, and other factors. Dead animal evaluations will also be conducted on animals that strand alive and subsequently die, including those that die in rehabilitation. 

Histopathology Form

The Histopathology Form will provide NOAA Fisheries with significant information regarding the health of the individual animal, the species, and the ocean environment (e.g., harmful algal blooms). Conducting histopathology on samples collected from live and dead marine mammals can provide data on reasons for the stranding and/or death of the animal. Collection of these types of information is highly variable depending on the species, level of examination, state of carcass decomposition, and other factors. The Histopathology Form will be required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form in which the Network receives histopathology results.

Samples Collected Form

The Samples Collected Form provides information on the samples collected from stranded and entangled marine mammals and where and how the samples are stored. The samples sent to laboratories or scientists for further analysis and results will have further information captured on the Sample Analysis Results Form. 

Sample Analysis Results Form

The Sample Analysis Results Form will provide data from samples tested by a variety of laboratory-based tests. The results of any tissue analyses for purposes such as identification of infectious disease, toxins, parasites, diet, or age determination will be included in this form. 

Findings Form

The Findings Form provides data from the full case and any significant findings documented. These findings may include causes that could lead to the stranding, injury, illness and/or death in both live and dead animals. 

When Should These Forms Be Completed?

The Examiner's Guide provides a detailed description of all events requiring entry into Health MAP.

Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form

The first page of the Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form will be filled out for all stranding and entanglement cases requiring entry into the Health MAP database. The second page will be used for stranded animals whether or not a response was conducted. The third page will be used for all entangled animals: whether or not a response is conducted; and for all dead, stranded marine mammals that have gear or marine debris entangling the carcass. The second and third pages may be required, depending on the specifics of the case. Some cases (e.g., a live stranded sea lion with an entanglement that is admitted to rehabilitation) will have data entered on all three pages. 

Morphometrics Form

The Morphometrics Form will be required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form in which measurements beyond straight length are collected.

Live Animal Evaluation Form

The Live Animal Evaluation Form will be required for all live marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form and a live animal evaluation.

Dead Animal Evaluation Form

The Dead Animal Evaluation Form will be required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form in which the Network conducts a dead animal evaluation.

Histopathology Form

The Histopathology Form will be required for all marine mammal cases in which histopathology samples were analyzed and results received by the Stranding or Entanglement Response Networks.

Samples Collected Form

The Samples Collected Form will be required for all marine mammal cases in which samples were analyzed by the Stranding or Entanglement Response Networks. It may be optionally used to track samples that are not yet analyzed by the Stranding or Entanglement Response Networks.

Sample Analysis Results Form

The Sample Analysis Results Form will be required for all marine mammal cases in which results were obtained from samples collected.

Findings Form

The Findings Form will be required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report – Basic Data Form and/or a Live Animal Evaluation Form and/or Dead Animal Evaluation Form.

How Can I Comment on the Forms?

We are soliciting public comments on the structure of the Health MAP database and the data fields on the eight proposed forms. All comments should be sent to Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 0648-0178 in the subject line of your comments.

Submitted comments in response to this notice are a matter of public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request to OMB to approve this data collection. Please know that any personal identifying information— including your address, phone number, email address, in your comment, may be made publicly available at any time. You may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments must be submitted by August 15, 2025.

Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to Stephen Manley (stephen.manley@noaa.gov).

When Will the New HealthMap Forms Be Required?

The Health MAP database is currently being built and a prototype version will be available for testing by the National Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement Networks sometime in 2026. The final database may become operational in a modular fashion and the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program will alert the National Marine Mammal Stranding and Entanglement Networks when the database is operational and the new forms will be required. Until the new HealthMap database is operational, the existing National Marine Mammal Stranding Database and its appropriate forms will be in use. 

How Can I Access Data Collected on These Forms?

In general, access to query and view data historically entered into Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program databases are limited to active participants of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Members of the public can submit a data request to obtain data from the National Database. Data not released to the general public include those that contain personally identifiable, or other sensitive, information. Additionally, data associated with active cases under investigation through the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement will not be available to the public. In Health MAP, a subset of data will be available publicly through visualization tools such as the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). As required by law, all data entered into Health MAP will be embargoed and not released to the public until two years after submission to the database.