The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) received a request from the University of California Santa Cruz for permission to conduct research that may incidentally affect small numbers of marine mammals along the coasts of Oregon and California over the next five years. This request, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), aims to regulate any potential disturbances during the university's rocky intertidal monitoring work. The public is invited to provide feedback on this request by January 6, 2025. NMFS will evaluate all comments before finalizing any regulations to ensure the protection of marine mammal populations while allowing necessary research activities.
Simple Explanation
The University of California Santa Cruz wants to study the coastal areas of Oregon and California, and this might bother some sea animals living there. They are asking for permission, and the public can say what they think about this until early next year to help decide if it can happen.