Chapter VI — Marine Mammal Strandings and Die-Offs 
is charged with developing guidance regarding collec- 
tion, preparation, archiving, and quality control of 
specimens to be maintained in the tissue bank. The 
legislation mandates that uniform methods, standards, 
and procedures for collection and archiving be estab- 
lished to provide confidence in marine mammal tissue 
samples used for research. 
The Secretary also is required to issue guidance for 
analyzing tissue samples, using “the most effective 
and advanced diagnostic technologies and tools 
practicable,” to monitor and measure overall health 
trends in representative populations of marine mam- 
mals, to identify the levels and effects of potentially 
harmful contaminants, and to determine the frequency 
and causes of any abnormal lesions. A record of 
specimens in the tissue bank and information derived 
from those specimens is to be maintained in a central 
database. Qualified scientists, including participants 
in the marine mammal stranding networks, are to be 
given access to specimens in the tissue bank and to the 
information and analyses contained in the database. 
The legislation also establishes a Marine Mammal 
Unusual Mortality Event Fund. Monies in this fund 
are to be used to compensate stranding network 
participants and others for special costs incurred while 
responding to unusual mortality events and for reim- 
bursing stranding network participants for costs 
associated with preparing and transporting tissue bank 
specimens collected during such events. The Act 
authorizes $500,000 to be appropriated to the fund for 
Fiscal Year 1993. In addition, the Secretary may 
solicit and accept donations to the fund. 
149 
