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possible that these and other endangered and threatened 

 species may be affected by OCS-related oil spills, collisions 

 with vessels, and disturbances from construction activities, 

 the DEIS concluded that these species are expected to sustain 

 a very low level of impact from the proposed action. The 

 DEIS also noted that proposed activities may affect non- 

 endangered marine mammals, including bottlenose dolphins, 

 and the effects are expected to be at a very low level, with 

 no significant impact on their populations or habitats. 



The Commission, in consultation with its Committee of 

 Scientific Advisors, reviewed the DEIS and provided comments 

 to the Service by letter of 31 August 1983. The Commission 

 noted that while the stated conclusion regarding the expected 

 level of impacts on endangered whales seemed appropriate, 

 the information needed to make this determination, including 

 information on abundance, distribution, habitat-use patterns, 

 and food requirements of these species, was not provided in 

 the DEIS. The Commission therefore recommended that the 

 pertinent section of the document be expanded to provide 

 such information for those species and populations occurring 

 in the proposed lease area, and that the discussions be 

 further expanded to include two additional endangered species, 

 the blue whale and the West Indian manatee. 



With respect to non-endangered bottlenose dolphins, the 

 Commission questioned whether the conclusions in the DEIS 

 were based on the most recent information available on local 

 populations and it recommended that, if the Service had not 

 already done so, it consult with the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service, Southeast Fisheries Center, to obtain such information 

 and to confirm conclusions regarding the possible effects of 

 OCS activities on these populations. The Commission also 

 noted that bottlenose dolphins may provide useful indicators 

 of the general health of the coastal ecosystems and that 

 assessment and monitoring of local Gulf coast populations 

 would be useful for assuring that offshore oil and gas 

 development does not adversely affect discrete bottlenose 

 dolphin populations. It recommended that consultations be 

 carried out with the Center to determine what, if any, 

 additional measures are needed to assess and monitor possible 

 adverse effects of offshore oil and gas activities on local 

 bottlenose dolphin populations, as well as on other species 

 of non-endangered marine mammals. 



