16 U.S.C. § 1392: Monitoring ocean soundscapes

Summary

Create and grow a program to monitor underwater noise. The Under Secretary must give grants to set up systems that record underwater sound, make standard ways to measure animal, natural, and human-made noises, and—after coordinating with the Secretary of Defense—share the data, models, and tools with the public. The program must work with existing efforts like NOAA’s Ocean Noise Reference Stations, the National Park Service, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, regional ocean partnerships, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Grant awards should consider geographic diversity. The Secretary of Defense can stop any activity that would harm defense readiness or national security. $1,500,000 is authorized for each fiscal year 2023 through 2028 from funds otherwise appropriated to the Under Secretary.

Title 16, §1392

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(a)In general

The Under Secretary shall maintain and expand an ocean soundscape development program to—

(1)award grants to expand the deployment of Federal and non-Federal observing and data management systems capable of collecting measurements of underwater sound for purposes of monitoring and analyzing baselines and trends in the underwater soundscape to protect and manage marine life;

(2)continue to develop and apply standardized forms of measurements to assess sounds produced by marine animals, physical processes, and anthropogenic activities; and

(3)after coordinating with the Secretary of Defense, coordinate and make accessible to the public the datasets, modeling and analysis, and user-driven products and tools resulting from observations of underwater sound funded through grants awarded under paragraph (1).

(b)Coordination

The program described in subsection (a) shall—

(1)include the Ocean Noise Reference Station Network of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Park Service;

(2)use and coordinate with the Integrated Ocean Observing System; and

(3)coordinate with the Regional Ocean Partnerships and the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as appropriate.

(c)Priority

In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall consider the geographic diversity of the recipients of such grants.

(d)Savings clause

An activity may not be carried out under this section if the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Under Secretary, determines that the activity would negatively impact the defense readiness or the national security of the United States.

(e)Funding

From funds otherwise appropriated to the Under Secretary, $1,500,000 is authorized for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2028 to carry out this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 and also as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, and not as part of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 11301 of div. K of Pub. L. 117–263, set out as a note under section 1390 of this title.

§1392 Monitoring Ocean Soundscapes

Summary

Title 16, §1392

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Citations & Metadata