MMBIO Conservation, Disturbance, Sound, and Behavior

Marine Mammal Protection Act

• dictates which agency is in charge

• defines OSP, PBR, and takes

• Marine Mammal Commission is aware of stock

• designates permits

NOAA Office of Protected Resources

• Dpt of Commerse → NOAA Fisheries

• authority of cetaceans and pinnipeds (NOT walrus)

Dpt of Fish and Wildlife

• Dpt of the Interior

• authority over all other marine mammals

  • otters, walrus, polar bears

optimum sustainable population

number of animals that would support the species

potential biological removal

max number that can be removed without impacting OSP (not including natural mortalities)

take

to harass, hunt, capture, or kill (or attempt to)

Level B

potential to distub

Level A

to injure or kill

Marine Mammal Commission

head is chosen by unbiased group, agencies must do what they ask

Directed Take

science (photo/behavior collection), entertainment, enhancement of species (health checks and roundups), stranding handling

• Level A if shooting, general authorization for all others (Level B)

Incidental Take

bycatch from fisheries, activities that could harm

Endangered Species Act

prevention of extinction, includes habitat protection

Magnuson Stevens Fishery Management Act

• protects fisheries in exclusive economic zone

• different councils in charge of specific fisheries

• prevent overfishing and allow stocks to recover

Pelly Amendment

ability to halt trade with a country if we are disagreeing/it goes against our laws (trade embargo)

CITES

develops red list, prevents movement of endangered species across borders (Appendix I)

• Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species

Overfishing

• 93% of world commercial fishing stocks are fished at max levels

• less food for everyone

  • Gray whales can’t reach OSP, Antarctic krill harvests keep increasing, less food means less species thrive (salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales)

Bycatch

• gill nets, trawl nets, pot fishing, purse seine, long lines

  • drifting gill nets are banned, FL completely banned gill nets

• N Atlantic Right Whale gets caught in lobster pots

catagory 1

kills marine mammals frequently

category 2

kills marine mammals occasionally

category 3

rarely kills marine mammals

category 1 and 2

requires fishing permits and must be willing to have observers onboard

TED and SLED

turtle/sea lion exclusion devices

• metal in trawling nets allowing for animal escape

ghost fishing

nets overboard can still catch and entangle

dry fisheries

Farose Islands, Solomon Islands, Tajii

dead zone

algal blooms eating up O2 in Gulf of Mexico, starting from pollution (fertilizer) in runoff

boat strikes

• most FL manatees have been hit once (helps with ID from propellor scars)

• reduction of speed limits could reduce strikes

  • N Atlantic Right Whale was in the path of boat traffic at Cape Cod, moved boat traffic out of hotspots

climate change

• poles are high productive areas for feeding and mating due to upwelling

  • shift of animals N

  • haul out space for pinnipeds is lost (birth, rest, and mating)

  • expending more energy to find food (PB F getting skinnier, swimming further distances for food)

Indirect disturbance

not involving direct contact between humans and wildlife (not actively looking for animals)

direct disturbance

disturbance due to physical proximity or contact between humans and wildlife

consequences of disturbance

less time feeding, act as though there is a predator, swim faster, dive longer, SPEND MORE ENERGY

Long term fitness

• sea lions (haul out for rest and to pup) have higher reproduction when human exposure was lower

• animals may shift away from habitat when disturbance is chronic

  • Spinner Dolphins (feed at night, rest during day) have only a few bays to rest at

manatee issues

• congregate during cold snaps, go to p