"Whales"

NOAA Fisheries to issue a final rule to include Lolita, a captive killer whale at the Miami Seaquarium, in the endangered species listing for Southern Resident Killer Whales.

This plan identifies measures to protect, promote, and monitor the recovery of North Pacific right whale populations. Because the most significant historical threat to North Pacific right whales (whaling) has been and continues to be addressed, and there

This report describes field activities and data analyses for the Aerial Surveys of Arctic Marine Mammals (ASAMM) project conducted during summer and fall (1 July – 28 October) 2013. Surveys were based in Barrow and Deadhorse, Alaska, and targeted the northeastern Chukchi and western Beaufort seas, between 68°N and 72N, 140°W and 169°W.

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration within and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions could be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the Outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

The 2011 Sei whale recovery plan which provides a research strategy to obtain data necessary to estimate population abundance, trends, and structure and identifies factors that may be limiting sei whale recovery

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration within and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions could be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the Outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

The goal of this Recovery Plan is to promote recovery of sperm whales to a point at which they can be downlisted from endangered to threatened status, and ultimately to remove them from the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, under the provisions of the ESA.

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions might be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

In 1953, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 USC 1331-1356) charged the U.S. Secretary of the Interior with the responsibility for administering minerals exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Act empowered the Secretary to formulate regulations so that its provisions might be met. The OCSLA Amendments of 1978 (43 USC 1802) established a policy for the management of oil and natural gas in the OCS and for protection of the marine and coastal environments. The amended OCSLA states that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct studies in areas or regions of sales to ascertain the “environmental impacts on the marine and coastal environments of the outer Continental Shelf and the coastal areas which may be affected by oil and gas development” (43 USC 1346).

The Chukchi Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area (COMIDA) aerial survey component was initiated in 2008, via an Interagency Agreement (No. M08PG20023) between the Minerals Management Service (MMS) [Department of the Interior; currently the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement] and the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) [Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce]. These surveys are a continuation of aerial surveys that were conducted by MMS-sponsored contractors from 1982-1991 (Ljungblad et al., 1987; Moore and Clarke, 1992) and use similar methodology. Aerial surveys remain the only practical means of assessing marine mammal distribution, population density, and habitat use in large study areas. The goal of this study is to investigate the distribution and relative abundance of marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea Planning Area (CSPA) during the open water (ice-free) months of June-October, when various species are undertaking seasonal migrations through the area. The COMIDA study area encompasses the northeastern Chukchi Sea from shore seaward, latitude 68°N to 72°N and longitude 157°W to 169°W, and overlays Lease Sale 193 (offered in February 2008). Species of interest include the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), beluga (Delphinapterus leucas), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), and ice seals. Increasing the understanding of marine mammal distribution, abundance and migration timing in this region will assist in decision-making to minimize impacts from petroleum exploration, development and production activities and other anthropogenic impacts.