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a report summarizing information provided by the agencies on 

 their FY 83 and FY 84 marine mammal research programs. The 

 report will be sent to the agencies for verification of the 

 data and will be reviewed by the Commission, in consultation 

 with its Committee of Scientific Advisors, to determine what 

 follow-up actions should be taken to better develop, orient, 

 or coordinate agency research programs. Copies of the final 

 report will be provided to all agencies conducting or supporting 

 marine mammal research and will also be available through 

 the National Technical Information Service. 



Pr otection and Recovery of the Hawaiian Monk Seal 

 (National Marine Fisheries Service) 



The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible, 

 under both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal 

 Protection Act, for identifying and taking, or causing other 

 agencies to take, such actions as may be necessary to protect 

 and encourage recovery of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal. 

 In partial fulfillment of this responsibility, the Service 

 has supported relevant studies and constituted a Recovery 

 Team which developed and now oversees implementation of the 

 Recovery Plan. The Plan, completed early in 1983, was 

 reviewed by the Service in consultation with the Marine 

 Mammal Commission, to identify tasks that should be undertaken 

 as matters of priority in 1983. Nine such tasks were 

 identified, but the Service did not have sufficient funds or 

 manpower available to undertake all of them in 1983. 

 Consistent with the expressed wish of Congress, the Commission 

 was able to ensure that these mutually agreed-upon research 

 and management activities be initiated by transferring funds 

 to the Service for their support. The results of the 

 studies and other activities carried out in 1983 will be 

 reviewed in February 1984 and used to update the Recovery 

 Plan and to determine what activities should be initiated as 

 matters of priority during 1984. 



Assessment of Oil Spill Risks in and near the California 

 Sea Otter Range 

 (R. T. Tinney, Jr.) 



In 1977, the small, remnant sea otter population in 

 California was designated as "threatened" under the Endangered 

 Species Act, due primarily to the increasing risk of oil 

 spills in and near the population's range. In September 

 1982, the Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a five-year 



