19 



cially designed, in-depth programs that enhance classroom science. 

 Over 8 million children visit our facilities each year; and another 

 2 million participate in outreach programs. Many State educational 

 guidelines encourage teachers to use our facilities as community 

 science resources. There are simply no other programs available 

 that can compare to the education opportunities we offer. 



In addition to our role as public educators, we have spent over 

 $20 million on scientific research alone in the last 5 years. We have 

 published over 1600 research studies reporting our breakthroughs 

 in animal health, behavior, physiology, blood chemistry, animal 

 communication and reproduction. Those efforts have led to incred- 

 ible advances in our veterinary care, husbandry training practices 

 and behavioral and social enrichment programs. 



Today, nearly 40 percent of the marine mammals in our facilities 

 have been born and raised there, a result of the extraordinary care 

 given by our veterinarians and marine mammal biologists who 

 have devoted their lives to the well-being of these animals. 



Further applying our knowledge, we regularly volunteer time 

 and resources to help rescue, rehabilitate, and hopefully, release 

 the marine mammals who strand on our beaches. This has resulted 

 in the return of over 1500 live marine mammals back to the wild 

 in the last 5 years alone, more than we currently have in our col- 

 lections. 



Our institutions have enormous expertise and knowledge that is 

 recognized and sought after around the world. Our experts helped 

 in the Valdez oil spill. We have been consulted by China in their 

 work on the Baiji River dolphin now close to extinction. And, at the 

 request of NMFS, we have applied our knowledge in a study on the 

 health of dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, to name but a few exam- 

 ples. 



The American public knows what we do and they support it. Ac- 

 cording to a recent independent Roper Poll, a nearly unanimous 92 

 percent recognized the important role we play in educating our 

 visitors about marine mammal conservation. An impressive 86 per- 

 cent stated that they are more likely to be committed to conserva- 

 tion after visiting our facilities, just as the drafters of the MMPA 

 knew they would. 



Mr. Chairman, the MMPA is an important law, sufficient in 

 scope and authority. We fully support is reauthorization. As the 

 Congress considers adjustments to the Act, we urge you to reaffirm 

 the important role modern zoos and aquariums play in achieving 

 the goals of the Act. 



We would also like to see simple language added that would 

 reenforce the Act's original intent and clarify the confusion over 

 agency jurisdiction which has diverted time and resources away 

 from our programs and our animals. 



The proposed permit regulations recently published by NMFS 

 serve as a case in point. If adopted, exemplary facilities like those 

 in the Alliance and the AZA would face burdensome and confusing 

 requirements. These regulations would duplicate and perhaps con- 

 flict with standards already set by the Animal and Plant Health 

 Inspection Service. Such duplication would be cumbersome and, in 

 the end, would not provide any real benefit to marine mammal wel- 

 fare or conservation. 



