[Federal Register: December 14, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 240)]
[Notices]
[Page 75234-75236]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14de06-36]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 113006B]
Marine Mammals
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; availability of new criteria for designation of marine
mammal Unusual Mortality Events (UMEs).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces new
criteria developed by the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual
Mortality Events (Working Group) to help determine when a marine mammal
Unusual Mortality Event (UME) is occurring.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Teri Rowles, D.V.M., Ph.D. or Trevor
Spradlin, NMFS, Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program,
Office of Protected Resources; telephone: (301) 713-2322; fax: (301)
427-2522.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Marine mammals strand for a variety of reasons. Some identified
causes include: infectious disease (e.g., viral, bacterial, parasitic),
non-infectious disease (e.g., stress, starvation, exposure to biotoxins
or contaminants.), physical trauma (e.g., ship strikes, entanglements,
predation, acoustic sources), behavioral changes (e.g., associated with
prey shifts, social cohesiveness), weather and oceanographic conditions
(e.g., hurricanes, tsunamis, El Nino), to name a few (Geraci et al.,
1999; Dierauf and Gulland, 2001; Geraci and Lounsbury, 2005). Title IV
of the Marine Mammal
[[Page 75235]]
Protection Act (MMPA, 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) defines a set of multiple
strandings to be part of an ``Unusual Mortality Event'' (UME) if it has
the following characteristics: (1) It is unexpected; (2) involves a
significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and (3) demands an
immediate response. In recent years, increased efforts to examine
carcasses and live stranded animals and new diagnostic capabilities
have improved our knowledge of mortality rates, patterns, and causes,
allowing us to better understand population threats and stressors and
to determine when a situation is ``unusual.'' These advancements have
contributed significantly to conservation efforts for marine mammals.
Understanding and investigating marine mammal UMEs is also important
because they can serve as indicators of ocean status or health, giving
us insight into larger environmental issues which also may have
implications for human health and welfare (Reddy et al., 2001; Wells et
al., 2004) and population management. From 1991 through 2006, there
have been 37 formally recognized UMEs in the United States involving
either single or multiple species and dozens to hundreds of individual
marine mammals per event.
The Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) or the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) formally declare an UME upon the
recommendation of the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality
Events (The Working Group or WGMMUME). The Working Group was first
established in 1991 by NMFS in response to large numbers of marine
mammal mortalities in the late 1980s involving humpback whales in the
Northeast U.S., bottlenose dolphins along the Atlantic coast and the
Exxon Valdez oil spill (Geraci et al., 1999; Dierauf and Gulland, 2001;
Gulland, 2006), and was formalized when Congress passed the 1992
amendments to the MMPA as the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding
Response Act. As statutorily defined, the Working Group's primary role
is to determine when an UME is occurring and to help direct the
response and investigation. From 1991 through 2006, the Working Group
has consulted on 37 marine mammal UMEs throughout the United States
involving numerous species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and
porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions), manatees and sea otters
(Gulland, 2006).
The Working Group is comprised of members from scientific and
academic institutions, conservation organizations, and state and/or
Federal agencies who have a wide variety of expertise in biology,
toxicology, medicine, pathology, ecology, and/or epidemiology. The
members are appointed for three-year terms and meet annually in person,
and engage in discussions throughout the year by e-mail or conference
call to review and consult on individual cases, events, or disease
issues. In addition to the core members, there are two international
participants (one from Canada and one from Mexico) and Federal
Government representatives (currently including NMFS, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Marine Mammal Commission) who, although
they have no voting privileges, contribute significantly to the data
reviews, internal discussions, sample analyses, and overall UME
investigations. Responses to UMEs are coordinated by either the NMFS or
USFWS Regional Offices depending on the species (NMFS has jurisdiction
for all cetaceans and most pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), whereas
USFWS has jurisdiction for walrus, sea otters, manatees and polar
bears) and the regional stranding networks, as well as other Federal,
state and local agencies. Investigation of such events has led to a
greater understanding of the impacts of human-related and natural
causes of mortality in marine mammal populations.
In order to determine whether an UME is occurring, the Working
Group developed seven criteria to evaluate mortality events, which were
published in the National Contingency Plan for Response to Unusual
Marine Mammal Mortality Events (Wilkinson 1996):
(1) A marked increase in the magnitude of strandings when compared
with prior records.
(2) Animals are stranding at a time of the year when strandings are
unusual.
(3) An increase in strandings is occurring in a very localized area
(possibly suggesting a localized problem), is occurring throughout the
geographical range of the species/population, or spreads geographically
with time.
(4) The species, age, or sex composition of the stranded animals is
different than that of animals that normally strand in the area at that
time of the year.
(5) Stranded animals exhibit similar or unusual pathologic findings
or the general physical condition (e.g., blubber thickness) of stranded
animals is different from what is normally seen.
(6) Mortality is accompanied by behavior patterns observed among
living individuals in the wild that are unusual, such as occurrence in
habitats normally avoided or abnormal patterns of swimming and diving.
(7) Critically endangered species are stranding. Stranding of three
or four right whales, for example, may be cause for great concern
whereas stranding of a similar number of fin whales may not.
The Working Group considers that a single criterion or combination
of criteria may indicate the occurrence of an UME.
The process of declaring an UME involves the Working Group
reviewing all available information on the event within 24 hours of
receiving a request for a formal consultation from concerned
stakeholders (e.g., government officials, the marine mammal stranding
network, scientific researchers, wildlife conservation organizations,
etc.). The Working Group reviews historical stranding data and current
population trends for the species of marine mammals involved, as well
as environmental factors. After the Working Group announces their
decision, which is achieved by a majority vote from a quorum of
responders, NMFS or USFWS (depending on which agency has jurisdiction)
has an additional 24 hours to officially declare the event an UME and
appoint an Onsite Coordinator to oversee and administer the
investigation. If an UME is declared, the Working Group will provide
advice on how the investigation should be conducted, and individual
members may serve on the investigation team. When an UME is officially
declared, money from the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund may
be made available to help reimburse some of the ``special costs''
incurred during the investigation as specified in Section 405 of the
MMPA and the National Contingency Plan for Response to Unusual Marine
Mammal Mortality Events (Wilkinson 1996).
New Criteria for Determining Marine Mammal UMEs
At the Working Group's 2004 annual meeting, the members reevaluated
the original seven criteria used to determine an UME and have revised
them to include morbidity, pathology and population-level declines in
an effort to improve detection of events that could have significant
impacts on populations of marine mammals (e.g., unusual disease
outbreaks that do not necessarily result in mortalities). Steady
declines in population abundance can influence numbers of animals
detected by the stranding network, this in turn influencing the
likelihood of a stranding event being declared ``unusual'' under
[[Page 75236]]
the current criteria. An emphasis on considering mortalities in the
current criteria may also delay a response that could be crucial to
identify causal factors. Elevating the importance of ``morbidity''
could initiate consideration of an UME sooner, and improve the
effectiveness of a subsequent investigation. Therefore, the UME
criteria have been revised as follows:
(1) A marked increase in the magnitude or a marked change in the
nature of morbidity, mortality or strandings when compared with prior
records.
(2) A temporal change in morbidity, mortality or strandings is
occurring.
(3) A spatial change in morbidity, mortality or strandings is
occurring.
(4) The species, age, or sex composition of the affected animals is
different than that of animals that are normally affected.
(5) Affected animals exhibit similar or unusual pathologic
findings, behavior patterns, clinical signs, or general physical
condition (e.g., blubber thickness).
(6) Potentially significant morbidity, mortality or stranding is
observed in species, stocks or populations that are particularly
vulnerable (e.g., listed as depleted, threatened or endangered or
declining). For example, stranding of three or four right whales may be
cause for great concern whereas stranding of a similar number of fin
whales may not.
(7) Morbidity is observed concurrent with or as part of an
unexplained continual decline of a marine mammal population, stock, or
species.
As with the original criteria, the Working Group considers whether
a single criterion or combination of the revised criteria may indicate
the occurrence of an UME. The Working Group agreed to use the revised
criteria on a pilot basis beginning in July 2004 and evaluate their
utility after applying them to several consultation requests throughout
2005 and 2006. The Working Group has since determined that the revised
criteria have been more applicable to current stranding events than the
original criteria and has voted to adopt them as the new official UME
criteria to be used for all future consultations (or until such time
when they are reevaluated and revised again).
Additional information on the MMHSRP and UME program, including
frequent updates, can be found on the Internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/health/
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.
References
Dierauf, L.A. and F.M.D. Gulland. 2001. Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality
Events. In: L.A.Dierauf and F.M.D. Gulland (Eds.), Handbook of Marine
Mammal Medicine. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Pgs. 69-81.
Geraci, J.R., J.H. Harwood and V.J. Lounsbury. 1999. Marine Mammal Die-
Offs: Causes, Investigations, and Issues. In: J.R. Twiss, Jr. and R.R.
Reeves (Eds.), Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. Pgs. 367-395.
Geraci, J.R. and V.J. Lounsbury. 2005. Marine Mammals Ashore: A Field
Guide for Strandings, Second Edition. National Aquarium in Baltimore,
Baltimore, MD. 371 pp.
Gulland, F.M.D. 2006. Review of the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality
Event Response Program of the National Marine Fisheries Service. Report
to the Office of Protected Resources, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries
Service, Silver Spring, MD. 32 pp.
Reddy, M.L., L.A. Dierauf and F.M.D. Gulland. 2001. Marine Mammals as
Sentinels of Ocean
Health. In: L.A. Dierauf and F.M.D. Gulland (Eds.), Handbook of Marine
Mammal Medicine. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Pgs. 3-13.
Wells, R.S., H.L. Rhinehart, L.J. Hansen, J.C. Sweeney, F.I. Townsend,
R. Stone, D.R. Casper, M.D. Scott, A.A. Hohn and T.K. Rowles. 2004.
Bottlenose dolphins as marine ecosystem sentinels: Developing a health
monitoring system. EcoHealth, 1: 246-254.
Wilkinson, D.M. 1996. National Contingency Plan for Response to Unusual
Marine Mammal Mortality Events. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-OPR-9. 118 pp.
Dated: December 8, 2006.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E6-21300 Filed 12-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S