NOAA Wants More Data on Sick and Stranded Marine Mammals
Published Date: 6/16/2025
Notice
Summary
NOAA is updating and extending its Marine Mammal Health MAP data forms to keep track of sick or stranded marine mammals like whales and seals. This helps protect these animals by understanding their health and causes of illness or death. If you want to share your thoughts, send comments by August 15, 2025—no cost or big hassle involved!
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 0 mixed.
Estimated respondent burden hours
NOAA estimates 400 respondents and sets time-per-form estimates (e.g., 60 minutes for the Basic Data Form; 10 minutes Morphometrics; 45 minutes Live Animal Evaluation; 45 minutes Dead Animal Examination; 10 minutes Histopathology; 30 minutes Samples Collected; 30 minutes Sample Analysis Results; 30 minutes Findings). The agency estimates total annual burden of 20,550 hours and that filling every form for a single case would take 4 hours and 10 minutes.
Eight new Marine Mammal forms required
If you are a participant in the U.S. National Marine Mammal Stranding or Entanglement Response Networks, NOAA is replacing and expanding the previous forms and adding eight new Marine Mammal Health MAP forms (a three-page Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form plus Morphometrics, Live Animal Evaluation, Dead Animal Examination, Histopathology, Samples Collected, Sample Analysis Results, and Findings forms). The first page of the Basic Data Form is required for all cases entered into the Health MAP database; the second and third pages and the other forms are required in specific situations described in the notice.
Electronic submission options reduce burden
You may submit forms online through the NMFS National Marine Mammal Stranding Database (preferred), by batch upload, or via an Application Programming Interface (API). NOAA says batch upload and API are expected to streamline submissions and significantly reduce burden for organizations that use them.
Submission is mandatory under MMPA
Submission of these forms is mandatory for participants under the Marine Mammal Protection Act authorities and the Stranding Agreement or other authorization; the information collection is being revised and extended under OMB Control Number 0648-0178. NOAA is accepting public comment on the ICR until August 15, 2025.
Small paper-submission cost charged
NOAA estimates an annual cost to the public of $117.42 specifically for paper Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form submissions. This cost estimate applies to paper submissions only.
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Key Dates
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