AUGUST 7, 2015--OR&R staff coordinated with Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), NMFS Office of Protected Resources (OPR) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to conduct a workshop titled "Developing Guidance for Assessing Injuries to Marine Mammals from Oil Spills."

The workshop, held in Seattle August 4-6, 2015, was designed to inform NOAA program offices of the roles, responsibilities, and process for assessing oil spill impacts to cetaceans and pinnipeds that are under NOAA trust responsibility. Participants gained an understanding of required assessment endpoints for response (cleanup) and Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs) under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Marine Sanctuary Act (NMSA). Presentations were provided on these laws, oil spill science, vulnerabilities of marine mammals to oil, effects of cleanup actions, and summaries of the state of the science re: methods to assess exposure, effects, and magnitude of impacts. Facilitated breakout sessions were also conducted to evaluate spill scenarios in California, Alaska, and the Gulf of Mexico, and brainstorming to identify science needs for future spill assessments of marine mammals.

The information and contacts developed before and during the workshop should be immediately useful for the next oil spill. The organizers also plan to develop a NOAA technical memo providing guidance for conducting future oil spill assessments involving marine mammals.

Participants included NOAA General Counsel, NMFS Office of Law Enforcement, Office of Protected Resources, and Science Centers, NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R), and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS).

For further information, contact Laurie.Sullivan@noaa.gov.

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