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Act Now to Ensure Congress Provides Funding for Marine Mammal Rescue and Incident Response Research

Dear John,

Marine mammals face many threats, including chemical and noise pollution, habitat degradation, harassment, vessel strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and climate change. Some of these threats may lead to stranding, whereby marine mammals are unable to return to their normal habitat without assistance--often resulting in death at sea or beaching on land.

This year, over 1,000 Florida manatees have died, the highest yearly number since records began--with many succumbing to vessel strikes and starvation due to human-caused habitat degradation. The population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales continues to plummet because of entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. Only 336 North Atlantic right whales are believed to remain.

As we see an increase in catastrophic events impacting marine mammal species, we must invest in stranding response resources as well as in research to better understand how these threats impact marine mammals and our oceans.

The Marine Mammal Research and Response Act (S.1289/H.R.2848), led by Senators Cantwell (D-WA) and Murkowski (R-AK) and Representatives Murphy (D-FL) and Mast (R-FL), would increase funding to enable local governments and nonprofit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate stranded marine mammals, as well as provide resources to research the causes behind stranding events.

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What You Can Do

Contact your legislators and urge them to support the Marine Mammal Research and Response Act (S.1289/H.R.2848). ([link removed]) Be sure to share our alert with family, friends, and co-workers, and encourage them to email, call, or write to their legislators too. As always, thank you very much for your help!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

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