Marine mammal commission Review

About Marine mammal commission

The Marine Mammal Commission: Protecting Our Oceans and Their Inhabitants

The Marine Mammal Commission is a government agency that was established in 1972 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The agency's primary goal is to promote the conservation of marine mammals and their environment through research, education, and policy development.

Marine mammals are an essential part of our oceans' ecosystems. They play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine life by regulating food chains, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. However, these animals face numerous threats from human activities such as overfishing, pollution, climate change, habitat destruction, and hunting.

The Marine Mammal Commission works tirelessly to address these challenges by conducting scientific research on marine mammal populations' status and trends. This information helps policymakers make informed decisions about how best to protect these animals.

One of the agency's most significant achievements is its work on reducing incidental catch or "bycatch" of marine mammals in commercial fishing operations. Bycatch is one of the most significant threats facing many species of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, manatees and other marine mammals worldwide.

Through its research efforts on bycatch reduction techniques such as acoustic deterrents or gear modifications like pingers or net sleeves that reduce entanglement risk for whales or sea turtles - The Marine Mammal Commission has helped develop new regulations that have significantly reduced accidental deaths caused by fishing gear entanglements.

Another critical area where The Marine Mammal Commission has made significant contributions is in addressing ocean noise pollution. Noise pollution from shipping traffic or oil exploration can cause hearing damage to whales or dolphins leading to stranding events when they lose their ability to navigate using echolocation signals.

To address this issue effectively - The commission has worked with industry stakeholders like shipping companies or offshore drilling operators - developing guidelines for reducing noise levels during operations while still allowing them to conduct business safely without harming wildlife populations nearby.

In addition to its scientific research efforts - The commission also plays an important role in educating people about marine mammal conservation issues through outreach programs aimed at schools or community groups nationwide. These programs help raise awareness about how human activities impact ocean ecosystems while encouraging people everywhere to take action towards protecting them better.

Overall - The work done by The Marine Mammal Commission over the years has been instrumental in promoting sustainable management practices for our oceans' resources while ensuring that future generations can enjoy healthy populations of these magnificent creatures we share our planet with today!