{"id":26,"date":"2016-04-04T08:00:44","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T12:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2023-02-03T10:57:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T15:57:11","slug":"about-the-commission","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Commission"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"graphic alignright\" data-modal=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-677 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01.jpg\" alt=\"Humpbacks breaching\" width=\"700\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption><p>Humpbacks breach more than any other whale. It is unknown exactly why they do this so frequently, but some scientists believe the impact of hitting the water could be a way to remove skin parasites. Others think it might be a form of social interaction or play. (NOAA)<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Marine Mammal Commission is an independent government agency charged by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/our-mission\/marine-mammal-protection-act\/\">Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)<\/a> to further the conservation of marine mammals and their environment. We work to ensure that marine mammal populations are restored and maintained as functioning elements of healthy marine ecosystems in the world’s oceans. We provide science-based oversight of domestic and international policies and actions of federal agencies with mandates to address human impacts on marine mammals and their ecosystems. Our role is unique\u2014we are the only U.S. government agency that provides comprehensive oversight of all science, policy, and management actions affecting marine mammals.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mmc-video\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WdI-qyaw3es\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"heading-two\" class=\"heading-two\" id=\"who-we-are\">Who We Are<\/h2>\n<p>The Commission consists of three Commissioners appointed by the President, a nine-member Committee of Scientific Advisors, and 14 employees.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/meet-the-commission\/\">meet our Commissioners, Scientific Advisors, and staff<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-two\" class=\"heading-two\" id=\"what-we-do\">What We Do<\/h2>\n<section class=\"callout alignright\">\n<p class=\"callout-text\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-6390\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MMC-About-Us-Infographic-791x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"220\" height=\"285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MMC-About-Us-Infographic-791x1024.jpg 791w, https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MMC-About-Us-Infographic-232x300.jpg 232w, https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MMC-About-Us-Infographic.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 220px) 100vw, 220px\" \/>We provide oversight of all science, policy, and management actions affecting marine mammals for just about one penny per American per year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/MMC-About-Us-Infographic.pdf\">Click here<\/a> to view graphic above.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>As an independent oversight agency,\u00a0we are positioned\u00a0to affect\u00a0the evolution of policy decisions and\u00a0help develop consensus among\u00a0competing interests on controversial issues surrounding\u00a0marine mammal science and\u00a0conservation. We review proposed\u00a0actions by federal agencies and\u00a0others and provide\u00a0recommendations to minimize the\u00a0impacts of such actions on marine mammals and their environment.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple human-related risk factors affect marine mammals, including <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/priority-topics\/fisheries-interactions\/\">direct and indirect effects of fisheries<\/a>, underwater sound,\u00a0contaminants and disease, harmful algal blooms and dead zones, vessel strikes, and impacts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/effects-of-climate-change-on-marine-mammals\/\">climate change<\/a>.\u00a0We regularly consult with other federal agencies to understand, monitor, and mitigate these risk factors. Our work is centered on five strategic goals outlined in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Marine-Mammal-Commission-FY22-26-Strategic-Plan.pdf\" rel=\"\">FY2022\u20132026 Strategic Plan,<\/a> and we pay special attention to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/priority-topics\/species-of-concern\/\">species considered to be most vulnerable<\/a>\u00a0to human-related activities.<\/p>\n<p>We carry out several activities to help ensure that the protection and conservation of marine mammals is reflected in a wide array of actions. Such activities include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>reviewing permit and incidental take authorization applications, proposed regulations, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/our-mission\/endangered-species-act-and-other-legislation-and-agreements#national-environmental-policy-act\">National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)<\/a>\u00a0documents (e.g., draft environmental assessments and impact statements), and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/our-mission\/endangered-species-act-and-other-legislation-and-agreements#endangered-species-act\">Endangered Species Act (ESA)<\/a>\u00a0listing proposals;<\/li>\n<li>developing and\/or reviewing marine mammal policy and guidance documents;<\/li>\n<li>producing periodic reports of particular importance to the conservation of marine mammals and maintenance of healthy ecosystems for Congress and relevant agencies;<\/li>\n<li>reviewing results of research, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/grants-and-research-survey\/\">providing funding for research<\/a>, and identifying significant gaps in research and seeking ways to close such gaps;<\/li>\n<li>participating in scientific and policy organizations and meetings, both domestic and international; and<\/li>\n<li>conducting the Commission\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/events-meetings-and-workshops\/marine-mammal-commission-annual-meetings\/\">Annual Meeting<\/a>\u00a0and producing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/letters-and-reports\/reports\/\">reports<\/a>\u00a0on an annual basis highlighting the Commission\u2019s performance and accomplishments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"callout alignright\">\n<p class=\"callout-text\">Although not a regulatory agency, the Commission\u2019s comments must be taken into consideration by the relevant action agencies. Should an agency choose to not follow the Commission\u2019s recommendations, it must provide a rationale for taking a different approach.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>We provide\u00a0comments and recommendations regarding marine mammal protection and conservation to federal agencies and others through regular contact and meetings, as well as through formal <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/letters-and-reports\/letters\/\">letters<\/a>. In these letters, we identify actions that agencies could take to conserve and manage marine mammals.<\/p>\n<p>We are\u00a0also periodically called upon to brief Capitol Hill staff and, less frequently, to present <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/letters-and-reports\/congressional-testimony\/\">testimony to Congress<\/a>\u00a0regarding marine mammal protection and conservation issues.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"heading-two\" class=\"heading-two\" id=\"cross-agency-collaborations\">Cross-Agency Collaborations<\/h2>\n<p>The Commission helps develop and coordinate multi-agency research and management initiatives to facilitate marine mammal protection and conservation, working closely with those agencies most directly carrying out the mandate of the MMPA. Key partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Bureau of Ocean\u00a0Energy Management (BOEM) of the Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). We also work closely with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and other branches of the military on their activities that may impact marine mammals and their habitats.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"graphic alignright\" data-modal=\"photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-680 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_otkn_608b_endocean_manatees_web_1280-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Florida manatee\" width=\"520\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_otkn_608b_endocean_manatees_web_1280-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_otkn_608b_endocean_manatees_web_1280-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_otkn_608b_endocean_manatees_web_1280.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><figcaption><p>Florida manatee. (NOAA)<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Collaboration regularly involves support and coordination on basic research. Through our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/grants-and-research-survey\/\">grants and research program<\/a>, we seek to identify key research priorities and help coordinate this work to eliminate duplication and ensure effective use of scarce research funds. We also work to ensure that scientific results are rigorously reviewed and used in management to develop, improve, or evaluate mitigation measures to benefit marine mammals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Marine Mammal Commission is an independent government agency charged by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to further the conservation of marine mammals and their environment. We work to ensure that marine mammal populations are restored and maintained as functioning elements of healthy marine ecosystems in the world’s oceans. We provide science-based oversight of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"spay_email":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>About the Commission - Marine Mammal Commission<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"MMC is an independent government agency mandated by Congress under the MMPA to further the conservation of marine mammals and their environment.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About the Commission - Marine Mammal Commission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MMC is an independent government agency mandated by Congress under the MMPA to further the conservation of marine mammals and their environment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Mammal Commission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-03T15:57:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@MarineMammalCom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/\",\"name\":\"Marine Mammal Commission\",\"description\":\"An Independent Agency of the U.S. Government\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2.0_humpbackgallery01.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mmc.gov\/about-the-commission\/\",\"name\":\"About the Commission - 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