Notice2025-11069
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Marine Mammal Health MAP Data Forms
Primary source
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Published
June 16, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 114 (Monday, June 16, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 114 (Monday, June 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25240-25243]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11069]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Marine Mammal Health MAP Data Forms
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before August 15, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e9a7a6a8a8c7b9bba8a987868888c78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95dbdad4d4bbc5c7d4d5fbfaf4f4bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0178 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Stephen Manley, NMFS Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East West
Highway, #13604, Silver Spring, MD 20910, (301) 427-8476 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#54272031243c313a7a39353a38312d143a3b35357a333b22"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2f5c5b4a5f474a4101424e41434a566f41404e4e01484059">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 25241]]
I. Abstract
This request is for revision and extension of a previously approved
data collection (Marine Mammal Health MAP data forms; formerly the
Marine Mammal Stranding Reports/Marine Mammal Rehabilitation
Disposition Report/Human Interaction Data Sheet).
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA), the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), who has delegated responsibility
under this Act to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, is charged with the
protection and management of marine mammals (cetaceans and pinnipeds,
excluding walrus) and is responsible for collecting information on
marine mammal strandings, which will be compiled and analyzed, by
region, to monitor species, numbers, conditions, and causes of
illnesses and deaths of stranded animals. Under a revision to the MMPA
passed in December 2022, the Secretary is also responsible for
collection of information on other life history and reference data,
including results of tissue analyses from stranded marine mammal if
performed.
In addition, under the MMPA, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) has the responsibility to make determinations on the
sustainability of marine mammal population stocks, on the impact of
fisheries and other human activities on marine mammals, and on the
health of marine mammals and related environmental considerations.
Specifically section 402(b) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1421a) requires the
Secretary to collect and update information on strandings. It further
provides that the Secretary shall compile and analyze, by region, the
species, numbers, conditions, and causes of illnesses and deaths in
stranded marine mammals. Section 404 (a) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1421c)
mandates that the Secretary respond to unusual marine mammal mortality
events. Without a historical baseline, established through the
collection of health information from marine mammal stranding events,
detection of unusual mortality events could be difficult and
investigations could be impeded. Section 401(b) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.
1421) requires NMFS to facilitate the collection and dissemination of
reference data on the health of marine mammal populations in the wild
and to correlate health with physical, chemical, and biological
environmental parameters.
Section 402 of the MMPA (16 U.S. Code 1421a) was amended by the
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2023, P. L. 117-263, Div. J, Title CIV. The amendments mandated that
the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP)
shall--``(1) establish a marine mammal health monitoring and analysis
platform (Health MAP); ``(2) incorporate the Health MAP into the
National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System; and ``(3)
make the Health MAP--``(A) publicly accessible through the web portal
of the Observation System; and ``(B) interoperable with other national
data systems or other data systems for management or research purposes,
as practicable.
Additionally, the amendments mandated that Health MAP will collect
the following information: (A) data on the stranding event, including
NOAA Form 89-864, NOAA Form 89-878, similar successor forms, or similar
information in an appropriate format; (B) supplemental data surrounding
the event (i.e., weather tides, offshore human activities,
morphometric, etc.) that provide context for data collected during
stranding events; and (C) data and results from laboratory analyses of
tissues. In order to collect this information on a national scale from
members of the National Stranding Network and National Entanglement
Response Network, NMFS must standardize data collection protocols for
additional health parameters and analytic results. Data and samples
collected from stranded marine mammals are a critical part of the
implementation of this mandate.
Specifically, the data from the new Marine Mammal Health MAP forms
provide NMFS with information on the morphology, life history, biology,
general health, health and stranding trends, human interactions, causes
of mortality, and distribution of stranded marine mammal species. These
data provide information which may help in making assessments on the
status of population stocks. Recording data on marine mammal strandings
and entanglements may serve as an indicator that a particular
population is impacted, threatened or at increased risk from a specific
threat, and when provided in a timely manner, aid in management
practices.
Significant edits to the data collection forms are proposed. This
includes the significant reworking of one of the three currently
approved forms, the elimination of two of the three currently approved
forms, and the creation of eight new forms to respond to the new
mandated requirements and improve existing data collection practices.
The eight new forms are--(1) a Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form, a
significant reworking of the existing Level A Stranding Report into a
three page form to capture basic data on marine mammal strandings and
entanglements (paper and electronic version of the form are proposed),
(2) a Morphometrics form for cetaceans and pinnipeds (electronic form
only), (3) a Live Animal Evaluation Form, including rehabilitation
admission and release exam data (electronic form only); (4) a Dead
Animal Examination Form, including gross necropsy findings (electronic
form only); (5) Histopathology Form (electronic form only); (6) a
Samples Collected Form (electronic form only); (7) a Sample Analysis
Results Form (electronic form only) and (8) a Findings Form (electronic
form only).
The Marine Mammal Stranding Report--Level A currently serves as the
initial report for all marine mammal stranding events and some marine
mammal entanglement cases (entangled cetaceans) in the United States,
and provides basic health data on these events. This form is generally
filled out for every marine mammal stranding case, regardless of
whether or not a response was conducted by authorized members of the
U.S. Marine Mammal Stranding Response Network. Each of the NMFS regions
approves and issues a Stranding Agreement (SA) or other form of
agreement to marine mammal rehabilitation centers under Sec. 112(c) of
the MMPA, which allows the Secretary to enter into agreements in order
to fulfill the general purposes of the Act, and under Sec. 403 of the
MMPA, which provides specific authority to enter into such stranding
response agreements. A previous renewal of the Stranding Level A form
also included the collection of some entanglement data using the Marine
Mammal Stranding Report--Level A Form. However, NMFS has determined
that this form does not effectively capture the data necessary to
appropriately document marine mammal entanglement cases, and is
therefore proposing to significantly rework it into a streamlined form,
the Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form.
This new Basic Data Form combines some data fields from the three
forms currently in use for this data collection (Marine Mammal
Stranding Report-Level A Data, Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Disposition
Report, and Marine Mammal Human Interaction Report). The Basic Data
Form will be filled out for all live and dead marine mammal stranding
and entanglement events that should be entered into the
[[Page 25242]]
Health MAP database. The first page of the form will be used for all
cases, including both stranded and entangled marine mammals. The second
page of the form will be used for all live and dead stranding cases,
whether or not a response is conducted. The third page will be used for
all entangled animals: including live, entangled marine mammals,
whether or not a response is conducted; and for all dead, stranded
marine mammals that have gear or marine debris entangling the carcass.
Therefore, the first page of the Basic Data Form will be required for
all marine mammal cases that must be entered into the Health MAP
database. Whereas, the second and third pages will be required
depending on the specifics of the case with some cases having data
entered on all three pages (e.g., a live stranded sea lion with an
entanglement that is admitted to rehabilitation).
The Morphometrics Form will provide NMFS standardized data to
provide vital information regarding species differentiation, age class,
and growth of cetaceans and pinnipeds. Morphometric data can be actual
(physically measured by responders) or estimated. Morphometric data
have been primarily collected through direct measurements of dead
specimens from whaling, bycatch, and strandings or live individuals in
captivity or more rarely collected during capture-release studies. The
Morphometrics Form will be required for all marine mammal cases that
receive a Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form in which measurements
beyond straight length are collected. This revision broadened the scope
of work and forms recently used. We are also implementing a name change
to the information collection title, which will be named ``Marine
Mammal Health MAP Data Forms''. The new title summarizes the requested
revisions and serves as the host for all forms under said collection.
The Live Animal Evaluation Form will provide NMFS with health
information on marine mammals during events such as rescues,
rehabilitation, and health assessments. If the animal is alive, the
animal's health will be assessed by an authorized and trained
veterinarian, biologist, or network member. Based on the condition of
the live animal, it may be visually assessed only, assessed and
immediately released following capture, taken to an authorized
rehabilitation facility, or euthanized. Data collected from stranded
animals teaches us about interactions between marine mammals and
fisheries, vessels, or marine debris, and overall marine mammal
population health trends. This Live Animal Evaluation Form will be
required for all Code 1 (live) marine mammal cases that receive a
Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form and which receive a live animal
evaluation. For animals that enter rehabilitation and are released
after some time in care, the Live Animal Evaluation Form is required to
be filled out as a pre-release examination. It may additionally be
completed between these two time points (admission into rehabilitation
and release) optionally, at the discretion of the Network member.
The Dead Animal Evaluation Form will provide NMFS with significant
information regarding the health of the individual animal, the species,
and the ocean environment (e.g., harmful algal blooms). Examining the
carcass, both externally and internally, collecting samples for
analyses, collecting supplemental information about the stranding
event, and collecting information on the life history of the animal
(reproductive status, nutritional status, food habits, etc.) can
provide data on reasons for the stranding and/or death of the animal.
Collection of these types of information is highly variable depending
on the species, level of examination, state of carcass decomposition,
and other factors. Dead Animal Examinations will also be conducted on
animals that strand alive and subsequently die, including those that
die in rehabilitation. The Dead Animal Examination Form will be
required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal
Report--Basic Data Form in which the Network conducts a dead animal
exam.
The Histopathology Form will provide NMFS with significant
information regarding the health of the individual animal, the species,
and the ocean environment (e.g., harmful algal blooms). Conducting
histopathology on samples collected from live and dead marine mammals
can provide data on reasons for the stranding and/or death of the
animal. Collection of these types of information is highly variable
depending on the species, level of examination, state of carcass
decomposition, and other factors. The Histopathology Form will be
required for all marine mammal cases that receive a Marine Mammal
Report--Basic Data Form in which the Network receives histopathology
results.
The Samples Collected Form will provide NMFS with information on
samples collected from stranded and entangled marine mammals and where
and how they are stored. These samples may then be sent to laboratories
or scientists for further analysis and results will be collected in the
Sample Analysis Results Form. The Samples Collected Form will be
required for all marine mammal cases in which samples were analyzed by
the Stranding or Entanglement Response Networks.
The Sample Analysis Results Form will provide NMFS with data from
samples tested by a variety of laboratory-based tests, and the results
of any analyses of tissues for purposes such as identification of
infectious disease, toxins, or parasites. The Sample Analysis Results
Form will be required for all marine mammal cases in which results were
obtained from samples collected.
The Findings Form will provide NMFS with data from the full case
and any significant findings documented including findings that may
have led to stranding, injury, illness and/or death in both live and
dead animals. The Findings Form will be required for all marine mammal
cases that receive a Marine Mammal Report--Basic Data Form and a Live
Animal Evaluation Form and/or Dead Animal Evaluation Form.
II. Method of Collection
Paper forms and/or electronic reports are required from
participants in the U.S. National Marine Mammal Stranding Response
Network and participants in the U.S. National Marine Mammal
Entanglement Response Network pursuant to the requirements of the
Stranding Agreement or other authorization. Methods of submittal
include online submission through the NMFS National Marine Mammal
Stranding Database (preferred); facsimile transmission of paper forms;
or mailed copies of forms. Submission through the NMFS National Marine
Mammal Stranding Database can occur with single entry of cases, batch
upload of data from multiple cases, or Application Programming
Interface (API), which would allow respondents with internal databases
to quickly and seamlessly share their data directly with Health MAP.
III. Data
OMB Number: 0648-0178.
Form Number: 89-864 and 89-878.
Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a
current information collection).
Affected Public: State governments; not-for-profit institutions;
business or other for-profits organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 400.
Estimated Time Per Response: 60 minutes for the Marine Mammal
Report--Basic Data Form, 10 minutes for the Morphometrics Form, 45
[[Page 25243]]
minutes for the Live Animal Evaluation Form, 45 minutes for the Dead
Animal Evaluation Form, 10 minutes for the Histopathology Form, 30
minutes for the Samples Collected Form, 30 minutes for the Sample
Analysis Results Form, 30 minutes for the Findings Form. The total
estimated time if every form needs to be filled out for a case (not
common) would be four hours and ten minutes per case. The burden
estimate is conservative and based upon respondents filling out all
forms individually. However, the database will allow for batch upload
of multiple cases, as well as API. Both the API and batch upload
functions are expected to streamline the data submission process and
should significantly reduce the burden on those organizations that take
advantage of these functions. Most forms will be filled out
electronically, significantly reducing the financial burden to
respondents. We estimate that a small number of the Marine Mammal
Report--Basic Data paper forms will be filled out and mailed to NMFS
for upload into the electronic database.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 20,550.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $117.42 for paper Marine
Mammal Report--Basic Data Form submission.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA).
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-11069 Filed 6-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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