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marine mammal-related studies that had been or were being 

 supported or conducted by the various OCS offices; reports 

 resulting from these studies; the OCS lease-sales scheduled 

 for the next five years; additional marine mammal research 

 or monitoring programs being planned or considered by the 

 various OCS offices; relevant Biological Opinions provided 

 by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species 

 Act; and lease stipulations, operating orders, and other 

 steps that have been and are being taken to assure that 

 marine mammals and their habitats are not affected adversely 

 by offshore oil and gas exploration and development. 



On the basis of information provided prior to and 

 during the general program review, the Commission recommended, 

 among other things, that the Minerals Management Service 

 consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service to: 

 obtain the best available information on local populations 

 of bottlenose dolphins in the coastal waters of the Gulf and 

 southeastern states; confirm conclusions regarding the 

 possible effects of OCS activities on local populations or 

 concentrations of bottlenose dolphins; and determine what, 

 if any, additional measures may be needed to assess, detect, 

 and mitigate the possible adverse effects of offshore oil 

 and gas exploration and development on bottlenose dolphins 

 and other non-endangered species of marine mammals. 



Pacific OCS Regional Studies Plan 



The Regional Studies Plan, prepared and updated annually 

 by the Pacific OCS Office, describes past and current 

 studies funded by the Office to provide information necessary 

 to predict, assess, and monitor the effects of oil and gas 

 exploration and development offshore California. The plan 

 includes studies to improve knowledge of the demography and 

 dynamics of the California sea otter population and to 

 assess and improve methods for keeping otters away from oil 

 spills and for catching, cleaning, and rehabilitating oiled 

 otters. The Commission's Scientific Program Director has 

 assisted in drafting the scopes of work for these studies, 

 and a Commission representative is serving as a member of 

 the Scientific Review Board constituted by the Minerals 

 Management Service to oversee the design and conduct of the 

 demographic study. 



