As funding permits, the Commission will also contract 

 for studies to: determine the types of monitoring programs 

 that might be useful for detecting and monitoring the 

 possible effects of offshore oil and gas exploration and 

 development on marine mammals and the ecosystems of which 

 they are a part; determine whether and what data management 

 systems might be used to facilitate storage, retrieval, and 

 exchange of information concerning whales, seals, and other 

 components of the Southern Ocean ecosystem; and describe 

 additional international agreements or programs that may be 

 useful for protecting marine mammal populations and habitats 

 that occur in areas outside U.S. jurisdiction. 



14 



