INTRODUCTION 



The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 (16 U. S. C. 1361-1407) 

 recognized the importance of marine mammals and established a national policy designed 

 to protect marine mammals and the habitats in which they occur. The Endangered 

 Species Act of 1973 provided for the conservation of all plant and animal species that are 

 determined to be endangered or threatened. Implementation of both acts has pointed out 

 the complexity of biological systems and the need for information about organisms and 

 their environments to provide a basis for management decisions relating to man's 

 utilization of the environment. 



To make effective management decisions relative to oil and gas exploration and 

 production on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the Bureau of Land Management 

 requires information on the distribution and abundance of organisms that are potentially 

 affected or vulnerable to activities in the OCS area. Thirty-two species of marine 

 mammals protected by the MMPA, including six endangered species, occur within the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico OCS area. However, even the most basic aspects of 

 their biology within the area are poorly understood because of the lack of thorough 

 studies involving systematic and modern sampling regimes. Similarly, five species of 

 marine turtles are present, including four that are considered endangered within the 

 area. Since the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters are the warmest waters 

 coterminous with the United States, they contain the most significant sea turtle 

 populations within national limits and border on all significant nesting beaches in the 

 United States, with the exception of Hawaii and Puerto Rico. 



The birds of this area include several endangered species in coastal areas, but also 

 include key pelagic species. The abundance of these important oceanic migrants reflects 

 biological productivity and ecological relationships which are difficult and expensive to 

 measure directly. Thus, oceanic birds are an important data source. 



In order to minimize the impact of the development of energy resources in OCS 

 areas, baseline data are needed for birds, marine mammals, and turtles in marine and 

 coastal areas. Once species composition and abundance are known and key biological 

 areas are specified, more precise studies will be needed to address major data gaps, 

 potential problems with OCS activities, and the management procedure necessary to 

 minimize critical environmental alterations (Figure 1). These objectives are contingent 

 upon a firmly based survey expanding our present knowledge of birds, mammals, and 

 turtles within the study area. 



