[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 234 (Friday, December 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78307-78311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26681]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA349]


Draft 2020 Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments and new information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS reviewed the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regional 
marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) in accordance with the 
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). SARs for marine mammals in the 
Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions were revised according to new 
information. NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2020 SARs. NMFS 
is also requesting new information for strategic stocks that were not 
updated in 2020.

DATES: Comments must be received by March 4, 2021.

ADDRESSES: The 2020 draft SARs are available in electronic form via the 
internet at https://www.fisheries .noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-
protection/draft-marine-mammal-stock-assessment-reports.
    Copies of the Alaska Regional SARs may be requested from Marcia 
Muto, Alaska Fisheries Science Center; copies of the Atlantic, Gulf of 
Mexico, and Caribbean Regional SARs may be requested from Elizabeth 
Josephson, Northeast Fisheries Science Center; and copies of the 
Pacific Regional SARs may be requested from Jim Carretta, Southwest 
Fisheries Science Center (see

[[Page 78308]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT below).
    You may submit comments or new information, identified by NOAA-
NMFS-2020-0130, through the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal:
    1. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2020-0130.
    2. Click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, and complete the required 
fields.
    3. Enter or attach your comments.
    Instructions: NMFS may not consider comments if they are sent by 
any other method, to any other address or individual, or received after 
the end of the comment period. Due to delays in processing mail related 
to COVID-19 and health and safety concerns, no mail, courier, or hand 
deliveries will be accepted. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain 
anonymous).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Zachary Schakner, Office of 
Science and Technology, 301-427-8106, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6933080a01081b10473a0a010802070c1b2907060808470e061f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="643e05070c05161d4a37070c050f0a0116240a0b05054a030b12">[email protected]</span></a>; Marcia 
Muto, 206-526-4026, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#efa28e9d8c868ec1a29a9b80af81808e8ec1888099"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="54193526373d357a1921203b143a3b35357a333b22">[email protected]</span></a>, regarding Alaska regional 
stock assessments; Elizabeth Josephson, 508-495-2362, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ffba9396859e9d9a8b97d1b5908c9a8f978c9091bf91909e9ed1989089"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4b0e2722312a292e3f23650124382e3b233824250b25242a2a652c243d">[email protected]</span></a>, regarding Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and 
Caribbean regional stock assessments; or Jim Carretta, 858-546-7171, 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#551f3c387b1634272730212134153b3a34347b323a23"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d298bbbffc91b3a0a0b7a6a6b392bcbdb3b3fcb5bda4">[email protected]</span></a>, regarding Pacific regional stock assessments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 117 of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) requires NMFS and 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to prepare stock assessments 
for each stock of marine mammals occurring in waters under the 
jurisdiction of the United States, including the U.S. Exclusive 
Economic Zone (EEZ). These reports must contain information regarding 
the distribution and abundance of the stock, population growth rates 
and trends, estimates of annual human-caused mortality and serious 
injury (M/SI) from all sources, descriptions of the fisheries with 
which the stock interacts, and the status of the stock. Initial reports 
were completed in 1995.
    The MMPA requires NMFS and FWS to review the SARs at least annually 
for strategic stocks and stocks for which significant new information 
is available, and at least once every three years for non-strategic 
stocks. The term ``strategic stock'' means a marine mammal stock: (A) 
For which the level of direct human-caused mortality exceeds the 
potential biological removal level or PBR (defined by the MMPA as the 
maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that may 
be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to 
reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population); (B) which, based 
on the best available scientific information, is declining and is 
likely to be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) within the foreseeable future; or (C) which is listed 
as a threatened species or endangered species under the ESA. NMFS and 
FWS are required to revise a SAR if the status of the stock has changed 
or can be more accurately determined.
    Prior to public review, the updated SARs under NMFS' jurisdiction 
are peer-reviewed within NMFS Fisheries Science Centers and by members 
of three regional independent Scientific Review Groups, established 
under the MMPA to independently advise NMFS on information and 
uncertainties related to the status of marine mammals.
    The period covered by the 2020 draft SARs is 2014 through 2018. 
NMFS reviewed the status of all marine mammal strategic stocks as 
required and considered whether significant new information was 
available for all other stocks under NMFS' jurisdiction. As a result of 
this review, NMFS revised a total of 81 reports representing 84 stocks 
in the Alaska, Atlantic, and Pacific regions to incorporate new 
information. The 2020 revisions to the SARs consist primarily of 
updated or revised human-caused mortality and serious injury (M/SI) 
estimates and updated abundance estimates. For the Gulf of Maine 
humpback whale stock, the revisions include the application of an 
established capture-mark-recapture method to estimate the abundance and 
unobserved or cryptic mortality. Five stocks changed in status from 
``non-strategic'' to ``strategic'' (Eastern Bering Sea beluga whale, 
Gulf of Maine humpback whale, Gulf of Mexico spinner dolphin, Gulf of 
Mexico striped dolphin, and Gulf of Mexico Clymene dolphin stocks). The 
stock summary tables have been reformatted for consistency across each 
region. Highlights of the draft 2020 SAR revisions are discussed below.
    NMFS solicits public comments on the draft 2020 SARs. To ensure 
NMFS is aware of new information relevant to all strategic stocks, NMFS 
also requests new information for strategic stocks that were not 
updated in 2020. Specifically, new relevant information could include 
peer-reviewed information on human-caused M/SI, fishery interactions, 
abundance, distribution, stock structure, and habitat concerns, which 
could be incorporated into the SARs, and other information on emerging 
concerns for strategic stocks.

Alaska Reports

    In 2020, NMFS reviewed new information for 28 stocks in the Alaska 
Region and revised 23 Stock Assessment Reports under NMFS' 
jurisdiction: 16 strategic stocks and 7 non-strategic stocks. The 
Eastern Bering Sea beluga whale stock changed from ``non-strategic'' to 
``strategic'' (see below). A list of the revised stocks in 2020 for the 
Alaska region is presented in Table 1. Information on the remaining 
Alaska region stocks can be found in the final 2019 reports (Muto et 
al. 2020).

  Table 1--List of Marine Mammal Stocks in the Alaska Region Revised in
                                  2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Strategic stocks                   Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<bullet> Steller sea lion, Western       <bullet> Spotted seal, Bering.
 U.S.*.
<bullet> Northern fur seal, Eastern      <bullet> Ribbon seal.
 Pacific *.
<bullet> Bearded seal, Beringia........  <bullet> Beluga whale, Beaufort
                                          Sea.
<bullet> Ringed seal, Arctic...........  <bullet> Beluga whale, Eastern
                                          Chukchi Sea.*
<bullet> Beluga whale, Eastern Bering    <bullet> Beluga whale, Bristol
 Sea *.                                   Bay.*
<bullet> Beluga whale, Cook Inlet *....  <bullet> Killer whale, Gulf of
                                          Alaska, Aleutian Islands.
<bullet> Killer whale, AT1 Transient...  <bullet> Killer whale, West
                                          Coast Transient.*
<bullet> Harbor porpoise, Southeast
 Alaska.
<bullet> Harbor porpoise, Gulf of
 Alaska.
<bullet> Harbor porpoise, Bering Sea *.

[[Page 78309]]

 
<bullet> Sperm whale, North Pacific....
<bullet> Humpback whale, Western North
 Pacific.
<bullet> Humpback whale, Central North
 Pacific.
<bullet> Fin whale, Northeast Pacific..
<bullet> North Pacific right whale,
 Eastern North Pacific.
<bullet> Bowhead whale, Western Arctic.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes updated abundance estimates.

Stock Name Changes

    NMFS changed the stock names for the four ice seal stocks (bearded 
seal, ribbon seal, ringed seal, and spotted seal) to reflect advice in 
the NMFS Policy Directive, ``Guidelines for preparing stock assessment 
reports pursuant to the 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act'' (NMFS 2016) regarding trans-boundary stocks. While the stocks 
extend beyond the boundaries of the U.S. EEZ, the stock assessment 
reports consider only the portions of the stocks that are within the 
U.S. EEZ because the relevant stock assessment data on abundance and 
human-caused mortality and serious injury are generally not available 
for the broader range of the stock or even for waters adjacent to the 
U.S. EEZ.

Beluga Whale, Eastern Bering Sea

    The updated abundance estimate, derived from aerial surveys in 
2017, is 9,242 beluga whales. This is an increase from the previous 
estimate of 6,994. The updated minimum population estimate is 8,357, 
previously considered unreliable for calculating a PBR as the survey 
data were more than eight years old. The Eastern Bering Sea beluga 
whale stock changed from non-strategic to strategic because the 
calculated PBR of 167 is less than the estimated human-caused mortality 
and serious injury of 198 beluga whales.

Beluga Whales--Cook Inlet

    A new approach using video data was applied to address bias in the 
group-size estimation process of previous methods. The updated best 
estimate of abundance in 2018, derived using this new analytical method 
on aerial survey data from 2014, 2016, and 2018, is 279 beluga whales. 
This is a decrease from the previous estimate of 327. During the most 
recent 10-year time period (2008-2018), the estimated exponential trend 
in the abundance estimates is a decline of 2.3 percent per year (95 
percent Probability Interval: -4.1 percent to -0.6 percent), with a 
99.7 percent probability of a decline, and a 93.0 percent probability 
of a decline that is more than 1 percent per year (Wade et al. 2019).

Harbor Porpoise, Bering Sea

    The abundance estimate for harbor porpoise in the eastern Bering 
Sea, derived from vessel surveys in association with pollock stock 
assessment surveys in 2008, is 5,713 harbor porpoise. However, this 
estimate is for only a small portion of the range of this stock. 
Because the survey data are more than eight years old, the minimum 
population estimate (N<INF>MIN</INF>) is now considered unknown, and 
the PBR is now considered undetermined.

Atlantic Reports

    In 2020, NMFS reviewed all 116 stocks in the Atlantic region for 
new information (including the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and U.S. 
territories in the Caribbean). This year, NMFS revised 33 reports in 
the Atlantic region (13 strategic and 20 non-strategic). Four stocks 
(Gulf of Maine humpback whale, Gulf of Mexico spinner dolphin, Gulf of 
Mexico striped dolphin, and Gulf of Mexico Clymene dolphin) changed 
from ``non-strategic'' to ``strategic'' (see below). A list of the 
revised stocks in the Atlantic region for 2020 is presented in Table 2. 
Information on the remaining Atlantic region stocks can be found in the 
final 2019 reports (Hayes et al. 2020).

 Table 2--List of Marine Mammal Stocks in the Atlantic Region Revised in
                                  2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Strategic stocks                   Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<bullet> North Atlantic right whale,     <bullet> Minke whale, Canadian
 Western North Atlantic (WNA) *.          East Coast.*
<bullet> Fin whale, WNA *..............  <bullet> Common dolphin, WNA.*
<bullet> Sei whale, Nova Scotia........  <bullet> Harbor porpoise, Gulf
                                          of Maine.
<bullet> Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine.  <bullet> Gray seal, WNA.
<bullet> Common bottlenose dolphin, WNA  <bullet> Blainville's beaked
 Northern Migratory coastal.              whale, Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Common bottlenose dolphin, WNA  <bullet> Cuvier's beaked whale,
 Southern Migratory coastal.              Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Common bottlenose, Northern     <bullet> Gervais' beaked whale,
 North Carolina Estuarine System.         Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Common bottlenose, Southern     <bullet> Bottlenose dolphin,
 North Carolina Estuarine System.         Gulf of Mexico, Oceanic.*
<bullet> Bryde's whale, Gulf of Mexico   <bullet> Dwarf sperm whale,
 *.                                       Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Clymene dolphin, Gulf of        <bullet> Pygmy sperm whale,
 Mexico *.                                Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Sperm whale, Gulf of Mexico *.  <bullet> False killer whale,
                                          Gulf of Mexico.*
<bullet> Spinner dolphin, Gulf of        <bullet> Fraser's dolphin, Gulf
 Mexico *.                                of Mexico.*
<bullet> Striped dolphin, Gulf of        <bullet> Killer whale, Gulf of
 Mexico*.                                 Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Harbor seal, WNA.
                                         <bullet> Pantropical spotted
                                          dolphin, Gulf of Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Pygmy killer whale,
                                          Gulf of Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Risso's dolphin, Gulf
                                          of Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Rough-toothed dolphin,
                                          Gulf of Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Short-finned pilot
                                          whale, Gulf of Mexico.*
                                         <bullet> Melon-headed whale,
                                          Gulf of Mexico.*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes updated abundance estimates.


[[Page 78310]]

North Atlantic Right Whale, Western Atlantic

    For the second year, western North Atlantic right whale stock size 
is based on a state-space model of the sighting histories of individual 
whales (Pace et al. 2017). Using a hierarchical, state-space Bayesian 
open population model of these histories produced a median abundance 
value of 412 individuals (95 percent credible intervals 403-424). The 
previous best abundance estimate in the 2019 SAR was 428 (95 percent 
credible intervals 406-447).
    The estimated annual rate of total mortality using this modeling 
approach is 18.6 animals for the period 2013-2017 (Pace et al. 
submitted). This estimated total mortality accounts for detected 
mortality and serious injury, as well as undetected (unobserved or 
cryptic) mortality within the population. When comparing the detected 
mortality and serious injury to the model estimates for the five-year 
period (2013-2017), the detection rate was 51 percent of the state 
space model's annual morality estimate.

Humpback Whale, Gulf of Maine

    For the Gulf of Maine humpback whale report, two independent 
abundance estimates are presented. One based on ship/aerial line-
transect surveys, and a second based on applying mark and recapture 
methods to photo identification records (Robbins and Pace 2018). The 
best abundance estimate of 1,396 (95 percent credible intervals 1363-
1429) is based on the mark and recapture method that utilizes a state-
space model of the sighting histories of individual whales. Using the 
resulting N<INF>MIN</INF> associated with this abundance estimate of 
1,380, the PBR for the Gulf of Maine Humpback whale stock is 22.
    The state-space model was also used to estimate total mortality as 
described above for North Atlantic right whales. The estimated annual 
rate of total mortality using this modeling method is 57.6 animals for 
the period 2011-2015 (estimated mortality for 2016 forward is not yet 
available due to ongoing processing of all photographs collected 
through 2020). The estimated human caused mortality and serious injury 
now exceeds PBR (22), and the Gulf of Maine humpback whale stock 
changed in status from ``non-strategic'' to ``strategic.''

Gulf of Mexico Stocks Abundance Estimates

    New abundance estimates for 20 Gulf of Mexico stocks were generated 
from vessel surveys conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico and an 
updated methodology (Garrison et al. 2020). The new estimates were 
produced using a new double-platform data-collection procedure to allow 
estimation of the detection probability on the trackline using the 
independent observer approach assuming point independence (Laake and 
Borchers 2004). Unlike previous abundance estimates, these estimates 
were corrected for the probability of detection on the trackline. Three 
stocks changed from ``non-strategic'' to ``strategic'' (spinner 
dolphin, striped dolphin, and Clymene dolphin) because the mean modeled 
annual human-caused mortality and serious injury due to the Deepwater 
Horizon (DWH) oil spill exceeds PBR.

Deep Water Horizon Mortality and Serious Injury Estimates

    A population model was developed to estimate the injury and time to 
recovery for stocks affected by the DWH oil spill, taking into account 
long-term effects resulting from mortality, reproductive failure, 
reduced survival rates, and the proportion of the stock exposed to DWH 
oil (DWH MMIQT 2015). As a result, the mean modeled annual human-caused 
mortality and serious injury due to the DWH oil spill now exceeds PBR 
in Gulf of Mexico spinner dolphin, striped dolphin, and Clymene dolphin 
stocks. The mortality is not associated with commercial fishery-related 
mortality and serious injury and does not trigger action under section 
118 of the MMPA.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Western North Atlantic Stocks

    An analysis of coast-wide (New Jersey to Florida) trends in 
abundance for common bottlenose dolphins was included in the WNA 
Northern and Southern Migratory Coastal SARs and indicated a declining 
trend. There was a statistically significant change in slope between 
2011 and 2016, indicating a decline in population size. The coast-wide 
inverse-variance weighted average estimate for coastal common 
bottlenose dolphins during 2011 was 41,456 (Coefficient of Variation--
CV = 0.30), while the estimate during 2016 was 19,470 (CV = 0.23; 
Garrison et al. 2017). This apparent decline in common bottlenose 
dolphin abundance in coastal waters along the eastern seaboard may be a 
result of the 2013-2015 Unusual Mortality Event.

Pacific Reports

    In 2020, NMFS reviewed all 85 stocks in the Pacific region (waters 
along the west coast of the United States, within waters surrounding 
the main and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and within waters 
surrounding U.S. territories in the Western Pacific) for new 
information, and revised SARs for 28 stocks (7 strategic and 21 non-
strategic). A list revised stocks in 2020 for the Pacific region is 
presented in Table 3. Information on the remaining Pacific region 
stocks can be found in the final 2019 reports (Carretta et al. 2020).

 Table 3--List of Marine Mammal Stocks in the Pacific Region Revised in
                                  2020
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Strategic stocks                   Non-strategic stocks
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<bullet> False killer whale, Main        <bullet> Gray whale, Eastern
 Hawaiian Islands Insular.                North Pacific.
<bullet> Hawaiian monk seal *..........  <bullet> Rough-toothed dolphin,
                                          Hawaii.*
<bullet> Killer whale, Eastern N         <bullet> Risso's dolphin,
 Pacific Southern * Resident.             Hawaii.*
<bullet> Sperm whale, Hawaii *.........  <bullet> Pantropical spotted
                                          dolphin, Hawaii Pelagic.*
<bullet> Fin whale, Hawaii *...........  <bullet> Bottlenose dolphin,
                                          Hawaii Pelagic.*
<bullet> Fin whale, California/Oregon/   <bullet> Striped dolphin,
 Washington.                              Hawaii Pelagic.*
<bullet> Gray whale, Western North       <bullet> Frasers dolphin,
 Pacific.                                 Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Melon-headed whale.*
                                         [cir] Hawaiian islands.
                                         [cir] Kohala Resident.
                                         <bullet> Pygmy killer whale,
                                          Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> False Killer whale.*
                                         [cir] Northwest Hawaiian
                                          Islands.
                                         [cir] Hawaii Pelagic.
                                         <bullet> Killer whale, Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Short-finned pilot
                                          whale, Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Blainville's beaked
                                          whale, Hawaii Pelagic.*

[[Page 78311]]

 
                                         <bullet> Cuvier's beaked whale,
                                          Hawaii Pelagic.*
                                         <bullet> Longman's beaked
                                          whale, Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Pygmy sperm whale,
                                          Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Dwarf sperm whale,
                                          Hawaii.
                                         <bullet> Bryde's whale,
                                          Hawaii.*
                                         <bullet> Minke whale, Hawaii.*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Includes updated abundance estimates.

Updated Abundance Estimates for Hawaiian Stocks

    The majority of Hawaii reports contain new abundance estimates for 
all Hawaiian Islands Cetacean Assessment Survey (HICEAS) years (2002, 
2010, and 2017) using a consistent analysis approach across years. Some 
stocks use model-based estimates of abundance when available.

False Killer Whale, All Pacific Stocks

    The stock range and boundaries of the three Hawaiian stocks of 
false killer whales were recently reevaluated, given significant new 
information on the occurrence and movements of each stock in Bradford 
et al. (2015), and further revised for the pelagic stock in Bradford et 
al. (2020). A new model-based methodology, taking into account the 
removal of the inner stock boundary for the pelagic stock, was used to 
estimate abundance. This resulted in new abundance, N<INF>MIN</INF>, 
and PBR estimates for the Hawaii EEZ and broader central Pacific study 
area.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin-Hawaii Pelagic

    There were no sightings of bottlenose dolphins during systematic 
survey effort in 2017, and therefore design-based estimates are not 
available. This results in an undetermined abundance estimate 
(previously 21,815) and correspondingly, the PBR for this population is 
now undetermined (previously 140).

References

Bradford, A.L., E.M. Oleson, R.W. Baird, C.H. Boggs, K.A. Forney, 
and N.C. Young. 2015. Revised stock boundaries for false killer 
whales (Pseudorca crassidens) in Hawaiian waters. U.S. Department of 
Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum. NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-47, 29 p.
Bradford, A.L., E.A. Becker, E.M. Oleson, K.A. Forney, J.E. Moore, 
and J. Barlow. 2020. Abundance estimates of false killer whales in 
Hawaiian waters and the broader central Pacific. U.S. Department of 
Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA-TM-NMFS-PIFSC-104, 78 p.
Carretta, J.V., K.A. Forney, E.M. Oleson, D.W. Weller, A.R. Lang, J. 
Baker, M.M. Muto, B. Hanson, A.J. Orr, H. Huber, M.S. Lowry, J. 
Barlow, J.E. Moore, D. Lynch, L. Carswell, and R.L. Brownell Jr. 
2020. U.S. Pacific marine mammal stock assessments: 2019. U.S. 
Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWFSC-629, 
385 p.
DWH MMIQT. 2015. Models and analyses for the quantification of 
injury to Gulf of Mexico cetaceans from the Deepwater Horizon Oil 
Spill, MM_TR.01_Schwacke_Quantification.of.Injury.to.GOM.Cetaceans. 
Southeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document PRBD-2020-02.
Garrison, L.P., J. Ortega-Ortiz, and G. Rappucci. 2020. Abundance of 
marine mammals in the waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in the 
summer of 2017 and 2018. Southeast Fisheries Science Center 
Reference Document PRBD-2020-07, 55 p.
Garrison, L.P., K. Barry, and W. Hoggard. 2017. The abundance of 
coastal morphotype bottlenose dolphins on the U.S. east coast: 2002-
2016. Southeast Fisheries Science Center Reference Document PRBD-
2017-01, 43 p.
Hayes, S.A., E. Josephson, K. Maze-Foley, and P.E. Rosel, Editors. 
2020. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico marine mammal stock 
assessments--2019. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical 
Memorandum NMFS-NE-264, 477 p.
Laake, J.L. and D.L. Borchers. 2004. Methods for incomplete 
detection at distance zero, In: Advanced distance sampling, edited 
by S.T. Buckland, D.R. Andersen, K.P. Burnham, J.L. Laake, and L. 
Thomas, p. 108-189, Oxford University Press, New York.
Muto, M.M., V.T. Helker, B.J. Delean, R.P. Angliss, P.L. Boveng, 
J.M. Breiwick, B.M. Brost, M.F. Cameron, P.J. Clapham, S.P. Dahle, 
M.E. Dahlheim, B.S. Fadely, M.C. Ferguson, L.W. Fritz, R.C. Hobbs, 
Y.V. Ivashchenko, A.S. Kennedy, J.M. London, S.A. Mizroch, R.R. 
Ream, E.L. Richmond, K.E.W. Shelden, K.L. Sweeney, R.G. Towell, P.R. 
Wade, J.M. Waite, and A.N. Zerbini. 2020. Alaska marine mammal stock 
assessments, 2019. U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical 
Memorandum NMFS-AFSC-404, 395 p.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 2016. Guidelines for 
preparing stock assessment reports pursuant to the 1994 amendments 
to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 23 p.
Pace, R.M., III, P.J. Corkeron, and S.D. Kraus. 2017. State-space 
mark-recapture estimates reveal a recent decline in abundance of 
North Atlantic right whales. Ecol. and Evol. 7:8730-8741. DOI: 
10.1002/ece3.3406.
Pace, R.M., III, R. Williams, A.R. Knowlton, H.M. Pettis, and S.D. 
Kraus. Submitted. Cryptic mortality of North Atlantic right whales.
Robbins, J. and R.M. Pace, III. 2018. Trends in abundance of North 
Atlantic humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine. EE133F-17-SE-1320 
Task I Contract Report. Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Woods 
Hole, MA.
Wade, P.R., C. Boyd, K.E.W. Shelden, and C.L. Sims. 2019. Chapter 2: 
Group size estimates and revised abundance estimates and trend for 
the Cook Inlet beluga population. In K.E.W. Shelden and P.R. Wade 
(eds.), Aerial surveys, distribution, abundance, and trend of 
belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Cook Inlet, Alaska, June 2018. 
AFSC Processed Rep. 2019-09, 93 p. Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 
Seattle, WA.

    Dated: November 30, 2020.
Christopher Wayne Oliver,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-26681 Filed 12-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>