**DRAFT AGENDA**

**47th Meeting of the Marine Mammal Commission and**

**41st Meeting of the Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine
Mammals**

**Caribe Hilton Hotel**

**San Juan, Puerto Rico**

**9--11 December 2008**

# [TUESDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2008]{.underline}

**8:30 -- 8:45 Welcome and introductions**

**8:45 -- 9:00 Opening remarks**

***[CARIBBEAN]{.underline}***

**9:00 -- 9:15 Introduction to the Marine Mammal Action Plan**

**9:15 -- 10:15 Overview of Caribbean region and marine mammals**

Legal entities and authorities of the Caribbean

Marine mammals of the Caribbean

Cetaceans

Manatee

**10:15 -- 10:35 Break**

**10:35 -- 11:15 Risk factors for marine mammals in the Caribbean**

Fisheries bycatch

Pollution

Debris

Subsistence harvesting

Ecotourism, whale-watching, illegal feeding

Captive care, swimming with dolphins

**11:15 -- 12:00 Management efforts/needs**

Marine Mammal Action Plan

Manatee Action Plan

Education and outreach

Marine Protected Areas

Sister Sanctuary and Dominican Republic Marine Mammal Commission

**12:00 -- 1:30 Lunch**

**1:30 -- 1:50 Puerto Rico research and management on marine mammals**

**Marine mammals in Puerto Rican waters**

Major conservation issues/threats

Research and management to address those threats

**1:50 -- 3:15 Research efforts/needs**

Overview of humpback whale research efforts

Satellite tagging

Stranding efforts

Whale-watching

Subsistence hunting

Beaked whale studies in the Bahamas

Behavioral response study

Manatee research

**3:15 -- 3:30 Break**

**3:30 -- 4:15 U.S. obligations/roles in the Wider Caribbean**

**4:15 -- 4:45 NGO perspectives and roles in Caribbean**

Enhancing research/conservation and NGO future roles

[]{.mark}

**4:45 -- 5:45 Research and management needs and the role of the Marine
Mammal Commission**

**5:45 Summary and adjourn for the day**

**[WEDNESDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2008]{.underline}**

***[GULF OF MEXICO]{.underline}***

**8:30 -- 9:30 The U.S. Gulf of Mexico ecosystem**

**9:30 -- 10:45 Major marine mammal risk factors in the Gulf of Mexico**

Oil and gas operations (including noise)

Coastal development

Pollution

Harmful algal blooms and dead zones

Commercial and recreational fishing (including depredation)

Illegal feeding of marine mammals, swim-with programs

Military activities

State perspective

**10:45 -- 11:00 Break**

**11:00 -- 12:15 Management efforts/needs**

Response to risk factors

National Marine Fisheries Service management programs

Fisheries observer program

Stranding networks

Current Minerals Management Service research and management efforts

**12:15 -- 1:45 Lunch**

**1:45 -- 2:45 Research efforts/needs**

Stock structure

Assessment surveys

Health status

Staff and funding levels for all federal research and management
agencies

Minerals Management Service

**2:45 -- 3:00 Break**

**3:00 -- 3:45 Marine mammals of special concern**

Manatee

Coastal bottlenose dolphin

Sperm whale

**3:45 -- 5:00 Discussion of major gaps and needs for research and
management**

**5:00 Summary and adjourn for the day**

**[THURSDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2008]{.underline}**

***[GENERAL TOPICS]{.underline}***

**8:30 -- 9:30 Potential resources for marine mammal research and
management**

**9:30 -- 10:00 MMC's role in international research and management
efforts**

**10:00 -- 10:15 Break**

**10:15 -- 11:30 Continuation: MMC's role in international research and
management efforts**

**11:30 -- 12:00 Public comments**

**12:00 -- 12:30 Discussion of possible recommendations**

**12:30 -- 12:45 Summary and adjourn the public portion of the meeting**

**12:45 -- 2:15 Lunch**

**2:15 -- 4:00 Executive session (closed)**

**4:00 Adjourn the meeting**