We compiled data on marine and coastal petroleum oil spills in California during 1995-2019 that affected ≥10 birds (n = 30). These spills resulted in the collection of 12,842 birds (5241 collected alive, 7601 collected dead). Frequency of spills decreased over the study period, and varied intra-annually, with more spills and more birds collected during fall and winter months. The greatest number of spills affecting birds were in southern California (19/30), although far more birds were collected from spills in northern California (11,570/12,842). Most spills in southern California were related to oil production or pipeline transport, whereas most spills in northern California (and most impacted wildlife) were related to non-tank vessel spills. The most abundant bird species affected were Common Murre (Uria aalge), Western or Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis/clarkii), and Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata). Species-specific injury rates were roughly in proportion to species' abundance in the spill area and the amount of time they spend on the surface of the water. Some species were collected more often live than dead and these species also tended to have higher release rates. This information on geographic, temporal, and species-specific risk to birds from oil spills can be used to inform effective prevention and response measures for oil spills in California and elsewhere.

Southern sea otters (SSO: Enhydra lutris nereis) are a federally-listed threatened subspecies found almost exclusively in California, USA. Despite their zoonotic potential and lack of host specificity, K. pneumoniae and Klebsiella spp. have largely unknown epizootiology in SSOs. Klebsiella pneumoniae is occasionally isolated at necropsy, but not from live SSOs. Hypermucoviscous (HMV) K. pneumoniae strains are confirmed pathogens of Pacific Basin pinnipeds, but have not been previously isolated from SSOs. We characterized the virulence profiles of K. pneumoniae isolates from necropsied SSOs, evaluated killing of marine mammal K. pneumoniae following in vitro exposure to California sea lion (CSL: Zalophanus californianus) whole blood and serum, and characterized lesion patterns associated with Klebsiella spp. infection in SSOs. Four of 15 SSO K. pneumoniae isolates were HMV and all were recovered from SSOs that stranded during 2005. Many K. pneumoniae infections were associated with moderate to severe pathology as a cause of death or sequela. All HMV infections were assessed as a primary cause of death or as a direct result of the primary cause of death. Klebsiella-infected SSOs exhibited bronchopneumonia, tracheobronchitis and/or pleuritis, enteritis, Profilicollis sp. acanthocephalan peritonitis, septic peritonitis, and septicemia. All SSO HMV isolates were capsular type K2, the serotype most associated with HMV infections in CSLs. Multiplex PCR revealed two distinct virulence gene profiles within HMV isolates and two within non-HMV isolates. In vitro experiments investigating CSL whole blood and serum killing of K. pneumoniae suggest that HMV isolates are more resistant to serum killing than non-HMV isolates.

Accurate, timely, and cost-effective blood chemistry analysis is an essential tool for directing emergency treatment, monitoring the health status of captive and free-ranging individuals and flocks, and improving the efficacy of conservation actions. Blood samples were obtained from 52 canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were captured on San Francisco Bay, California, during December 2017 as part of a long-term study. Reference values and clinical agreement were determined for blood chemistry and plasma protein parameters among four commonly used point-of-care devices (VetScan® VS2, i-STAT®, AlphaTRAK®2 glucometer, refractometer) and two gold standard laboratory analyzers (Roche cobas® c501, Helena SPIFE 3000 system). Canvasback reference values were generally within expected ranges for Anatidae species with the exception of higher upper limits for sodium and chloride. Creatine kinase and aspartate transaminase values exceeded a published threshold for diagnosis of capture myopathy even though study birds were captured using low-stress techniques and successfully released. With the exception of higher alkaline phosphatase in hatch-year canvasbacks, no age or sex differences were observed for any analyte in this population that was captured during a nonbreeding period. Analysis of analyzer agreement found raw VetScan aspartate transaminase, calcium, glucose, and uric acid values; corrected VetScan albumin, potassium, sodium, and total protein values; raw i-STAT glucose and potassium values; and corrected i-STAT sodium and chloride values were clinically interchangeable with Roche cobas values. Raw VetScan and i-STAT glucose values were also interchangeable. However, none of the Roche or point-of-care analyzer plasma protein values were in clinical agreement with gold standard electrophoresis values. The findings of this study highlight the need for analyzer- or technique-specific reference values and provide biologists and veterinarians quantitative reference values using currently available analyzers to better assess and respond to the health of individuals and populations.

Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) are found exclusively in Southern California and Baja Mexico. They are federally endangered due to multiple threats, including introduced infectious disease. From 1981 - 2017, we conducted surveillance for 16 pathogens and estimated population sizes, adult survival, and lamb survival. We used mixed effects regression models to assess disease patterns at the individual and population levels. Pathogen infection/exposure prevalence varied both spatially and temporally. Our findings indicate that the primary predictor of individual pathogen infection/exposure was the region in which an animal was captured, implying that transmission is driven by local ecological or behavioral factors. Higher Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae seropositivity was associated with lower lamb survival, consistent with lambs having high rates of pneumonia-associated mortality, which may be slowing population recovery. There was no association between M. ovipneumoniae and adult survival. Adult survival was positively associated with population size and parainfluenza-3 virus seroprevalence in the same year, and orf virus seroprevalence in the previous year. Peninsular bighorn sheep are recovering from small population sizes in a habitat of environmental extremes, compounded by infectious disease. Our research can help inform future pathogen surveillance and population monitoring for the long-term conservation of this population.

The effects of season, location, species, and sex on body weight and a comprehensive array of blood chemistry and hematology analytes were compared for free-ranging western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's (Aechmophorus clarkii) grebes. Birds (n = 56) were collected from Puget Sound, WA, and Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay, CA, from February 2007 to March 2011. The data supported generalization of observed ranges for most analytes across Aechmophorus grebe metapopulations wintering on the Pacific coast. Notable seasonal and location effects were observed for packed cell volume (winter 6% greater than fall; winter California [CA] 5% greater than Washington [WA]), total white blood cell count (CA 3.57 × 103 cells/µL greater than WA), heterophils (WA 10% greater than CA), lymphocytes (winter 19% greater than fall), heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (fall 5.7 greater than winter), basophils (CA greater than WA), plasma protein (WA about 10 g/L [1.0 g/dL] greater than CA), plasma protein to fibrinogen ratio (winter about 15 greater than fall), potassium (CA 2 mmol/L greater than WA), and liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase: WA greater than CA). Within California, season had a greater effect on body mass than sex (mean winter weights about 200 g greater than fall), whereas within a season, males weighed only about 80 g more than females, on average. These data give biologists and veterinarians quantitative reference values to better assess health at the individual and metapopulation level.

The ability to rapidly detect and respond to wildlife morbidity and mortality events is critical for reducing threats to wildlife populations. Surveillance systems that use pre-diagnostic clinical data can contribute to the early detection of wildlife morbidities caused by a multitude of threats, including disease and anthropogenic disturbances. Here, we demonstrate proof of concept for use of a wildlife disease surveillance system, the 'Wildlife Morbidity and Mortality Event Alert System', that integrates pre-diagnostic clinical data in near real-time from a network of wildlife rehabilitation organizations, for early and enhanced detection of unusual wildlife morbidity and mortality events. The system classifies clinical pre-diagnostic data into relevant clinical classifications based on a natural language processing algorithm, generating alerts when more than the expected number of cases is recorded across the rehabilitation network. We demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the system in alerting to events associated with both common and emerging diseases. Tapping into this readily available unconventional general surveillance data stream offers added value to existing wildlife disease surveillance programmes through a relatively efficient, low-cost strategy for the early detection of threats.

Oil spills are environmental disasters and their long-term impact is not just a concern for the environment and economy, but also for first responders' health and wellbeing. Wildlife, such as aquatic birds and certain marine mammals, are highly susceptible to physiological effects of oiling, and oiled wildlife responders are crucial to provide measures for their survival. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of oiled wildlife responders and what factors and conditions have helped or inhibited the responders to care-affected wildlife. This study collected responses (n = 50) from a survey of responders who attended either the New Zealand MV Rena or US Refugio pipeline oil spills. Study participants were mostly older (>40), highly educated females. We found there were significant differences in compassion satisfaction, resilience, burnout and overall satisfaction based on age, gender and role. While most responders have only attended limited numbers of oil spill incidents, they reported positive experiences and found it rewarding. Findings from responders indicated that to lessen stress and compassion fatigue during an incident, provision of training and support from professional organizations equips responders with knowledge and skills that can support their personal resilience to respond to disaster events.

In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill, a number of government agencies, academic institutions, consultants, and nonprofit organizations conducted lab- and field-based research to understand the toxic effects of the oil. Lab testing was performed with a variety of fish, birds, turtles, and vertebrate cell lines (as well as invertebrates); field biologists conducted observations on fish, birds, turtles, and marine mammals; and epidemiologists carried out observational studies in humans. Eight years after the spill, scientists and resource managers held a workshop to summarize the similarities and differences in the effects of DWH oil on vertebrate taxa and to identify remaining gaps in our understanding of oil toxicity in wildlife and humans, building upon the cross-taxonomic synthesis initiated during the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. Across the studies, consistency was found in the types of toxic response observed in the different organisms. Impairment of stress responses and adrenal gland function, cardiotoxicity, immune system dysfunction, disruption of blood cells and their function, effects on locomotion, and oxidative damage were observed across taxa. This consistency suggests conservation in the mechanisms of action and disease pathogenesis. From a toxicological perspective, a logical progression of impacts was noted: from molecular and cellular effects that manifest as organ dysfunction, to systemic effects that compromise fitness, growth, reproductive potential, and survival. From a clinical perspective, adverse health effects from DWH oil spill exposure formed a suite of signs/symptomatic responses that at the highest doses/concentrations resulted in multi-organ system failure.

ABSTRACT In 2015, an ambitious wildlife response preparedness project was initiated; funded as part of the post-Macondo IPIECA-IOGP (International Association of Oil and Gas Producers) Oil Spill Response Joint Industry Project (OSR-JIP). The Global Oiled Wildlife Response System (GOWRS) Project, which involved 11 leading wildlife response organizations from seven countries, aimed to develop an international framework for oiled wildlife response as well as encourage the further development of wildlife response preparedness by industry and other stakeholders. This paper will provide an overview and assessment of the key outcomes of both the JIP-funded phase of the project (2015-16; development of internationally agreed standards and common operating procedures) and the second industry-funded phase (2017-18; focused on response readiness) in order to provide key background information to support the movement towards operationalizing the system.

Whaling has decimated North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis (NARW) since the 11 th century and southern right whales E. australis (SRW) since the 19 th century. Today, NARWs are Critically Endangered and decreasing, whereas SRWs are recovering. We review NARW health assessment literature, NARW Consortium databases, and efforts and limitations to monitor individual and species health, survival, and fecundity. Photographs are used to track individual movement and external signs of health such as evidence of vessel and entanglement trauma. Post-mortem examinations establish cause of death and determine organ pathology. Photogrammetry is used to assess growth rates and body condition. Samples of blow, skin, blubber, baleen and feces quantify hormones that provide information on stress, reproduction, and nutrition, identify microbiome changes, and assess evidence of infection. We also discuss models of the population consequences of multiple stressors, including the connection between human activities (e.g. entanglement) and health. Lethal and sublethal vessel and entanglement trauma have been identified as major threats to the species. There is a clear and immediate need for expanding trauma reduction measures. Beyond these major concerns, further study is needed to evaluate the impact of other stressors, such as pathogens, microbiome changes, and algal and industrial toxins, on NARW reproductive success and health. Current and new health assessment tools should be developed and used to monitor the effectiveness of management measures and will help determine whether they are sufficient for a substantive species recovery.

Excellence in oiled wildlife response requires knowledge of and the expertise to treat the physiological effects of oil exposure on affected animals. This chapter provides an overview of the considerations in care for oiled wildlife. The practice of oiled wildlife response has slowly evolved in the past 50 years from an activity undertaken by small nonprofit organizations with no external support to one that is fully enmeshed into the overall oil spill response effort. Oiled wildlife responses that involve more than just a few animals necessitate a herd health approach to care. This approach is used in all phases of the response including initial triage, housing, and nutrition guidelines, medical care, and release criteria. The veterinarian plays a critical role in making these decisions in a way that provides consistent, humane care while allowing the rehabilitation process to proceed in an orderly and timely manner.

Abstract ContextSeabirds were the most common taxa captured alive as part of the oiled wildlife response to the grounding of the container vessel MV Rena in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. AimsTo describe the management of seabirds during the spill response, to outline the common problems encountered and to make recommendations for future responses. MethodsSeabirds were collected from 7 October 2011 to 14 January 2012. They were stabilised and underwent pretreatment, washing and rinsing procedures to remove oil, followed by swimming physiotherapy to restore waterproofing and long-term housing in outdoor aviaries. The birds were released in batches close to the original sites of capture once the wild habitat was cleaned. Key results428 live seabirds were admitted. There were two temporal peaks in admissions associated with the ship grounding and when the ship broke up. The majority of live birds were little penguins (Eudyptula minor; 394/428, 92%). Most seabirds admitted (393/428, 91.8%) were contaminated with heavy fuel oil, with the remainder (35/428, 8.2%) found unoiled but starving and/or exhausted or with injuries. Little penguins had lower mortality during rehabilitation (28/394, 7.1%) than other seabird species combined (27/34, 79.4%). Seabirds in poorer body condition on arrival had higher mortality, and unoiled birds were also more likely to die than oiled birds. In oiled little penguins, the degree of oiling on the plumage ranged from 1 to 100%, but mortality was not significantly associated with the degree of oiling (P=0.887). Pododermatitis affected 66% of little penguins. The most common causes of death (n=45) included weakness, anaemia and hypothermia in oiled seabirds (16/45, 35.6%), and starvation and weakness in unoiled seabirds (14/45, 31.1%). ConclusionsTotal survival to release was 87.1%, primarily influenced by the species involved and the body condition of the birds on arrival. Unoiled seabirds had higher mortality rates than oiled seabirds. ImplicationsOiled wildlife can be rehabilitated with good success, even when heavily oiled, or to a lesser extent, when found in poor body condition. More work is needed to refine species-specific rehabilitation protocols for seabirds, especially for those being admitted in emaciated body condition.

Sublethal effects of oil spills may dampen seabird rehabilitation success due to lingering negative impacts of contamination and stress on reproduction and long-term survival. These effects can be difficult to measure while birds are in care as well as once birds are released. Expression of sexually selected traits that are sensitive to condition can provide information on physiological status of birds. We evaluated plumage molt and gular pouch skin color of California brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) following oil contamination and rehabilitation to test for differences between previously oiled and rehabilitated (post-spill) and presumably uncontaminated pelicans. Post-spill pelicans released with either color leg bands alone, or bands plus harness-mounted satellite GPS tags, were relocated and visually assessed in the field at non-breeding communal roosts and compared to surrounding unmarked pelicans in the general population. Non-oiled pelicans bearing GPS tags were also included in the study. Post-spill pelicans lagged the general population in molt of ornamental yellow crown feathers but hind neck transition into white plumage was not significantly different. Both post-spill and non-oiled pelicans wearing GPS tags had lower gular redness scores than the unmarked, non-oiled population. Pre-breeding gular pouch redness of post-spill pelicans was more strongly influenced by wearing of a GPS tag than a history of oil contamination and rehabilitation. Gular pouch redness of post-spill pelicans in the first 18 months after release was positively correlated with long term survivorship. If gular pouch color is a condition-dependent sexual signal and overall health influences plumage molt progression, our results indicate that many post-spill pelicans marked with bands alone were in relatively good condition going into the next breeding season, but those released with electronic tags experienced additional stress due to wearing the equipment, introducing a confounding variable to the post-release study.

Effectiveness of rehabilitating wildlife following oil spills has been controversial. Impacts include mortality or changes in behavior affecting health or reproduction. Immediately following a bunker fuel oil spill on San Francisco Bay, California, USA, a unique experiment was conducted to examine the movement and foraging behavior of Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) that had been oiled, captured, cleaned, rehabilitated, and radiomarked. Unoiled Surf Scoters were similarly cleaned, rehabilitated, and radio-marked while other unoiled Surf Scoters were radio-marked as controls. Surf Scoters in the control group had larger home-ranges (46.29 +/- 3.23 km(2)) than either the oiled/rehabilitated (32.58 +/- 5.48 km(2)) or rehabilitated only groups (31.06 +/- 3.05 km(2)); the control group also was more likely to use unsheltered, shallow areas of the bay (66.9 +/- 4.3% of locations) than either the oiled/rehabilitated (50.3 +/- 5.2%) or rehabilitated only groups (58.2 +/- 6.5%). The oiled/rehabilitated group was closer to shore (986 +/- 149 m) than rehabilitated (1,894 +/- 295 m) or control groups (2,113 +/- 227 m). Differences in habitat use, movement patterns, and home range sizes indicated that Surf Scoters held in captivity were more restricted in their movements; therefore, captivity and rehabilitation practices may also influence success of the rehabilitation.

Oil spills represent a continued threat to marine wildlife. Although the public expects, and the State of California, US requires, oiled animals to be rescued for rehabilitation and release, scientists have questioned the welfare and conservation value of capture and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife, based on poor postrelease survival documented in the few available studies. In May 2015, Plains Pipeline 901 spilled >100,000 gallons of oil near Refugio State Beach, California. Many California Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) were oiled; capture and rehabilitation efforts began within 1 d. Ultimately, 65 live birds were captured, including 50 pelicans. Forty-six pelicans survived and were released. Of these, 12 adults (six male, six female) were fitted with solar-powered GPS satellite Platform Terminal Transmitters (PTT) and released in June 2015. In early July, we captured eight adult (three male, four female, one unknown), unoiled pelicans from the Ventura, California area. These control birds were similarly instrumented and released immediately. At 6 mo after release, PTTs from nine of 12 oiled pelicans and six of eight control pelicans were still transmitting; at 1 yr, those numbers decreased to two of 12 and two of eight, respectively. Survival analysis revealed no difference in survival between oiled and control birds. Although our sample size is limited, these data demonstrate that most oiled and rehabilitated pelicans can survive for 6 mo following release, and some individuals can survive over 1 yr.

There is ongoing public debate about the best course of action to take when wildlife are affected by oil spills. Critics of wildlife rehabilitation suggest that the cleaning and release of oiled animals is a waste of resources focused on individual animals (not populations); thus, the most responsible course of action is to immediately euthanize affected animals. These critics claim that survival of rehabilitated animals is poor, and that the funds spent on rehabilitation would benefit wildlife more if spent on other conservation efforts. In this opinion piece, with a focus on birds, we review reasons for engaging in a coordinated response to oiled wildlife that includes cleaning and rehabilitation. The reasons for responding to oiled wildlife in any capacity include ethical, human safety, and legal aspects. Our rationale for proposing that responders attempt to rehabilitate wildlife, rather than planning on immediate euthanasia, includes financial, scientific, and additional ethical reasons. Financially, costs for wildlife rehabilitation are typically a very small portion of overall oil-spill response costs, and are typically independent of postspill enforcement and funds used to restore injured natural resources. Scientifically, we review recent studies that have shown that animals cleaned and rehabilitated after oil spills can often survive as well as nonoiled control animals. Ethically, some people would consider individual animals to have intrinsic value and that we, as consumers of petroleum products, have an obligation to reduce suffering and mitigate injuries associated with such accidents. For these reasons, we suggest that, although humane euthanasia should always be considered as an option for animals unlikely to return to normal function after rehabilitation, response to oil spills should include a coordinated effort to attempt wildlife rehabilitation.

During an oil spill, the response to oiled wildlife is a highly publicized and scrutinized activity. When oil threatens wildlife, there is high public and media interest due to the high intrinsic value and vulnerability of the natural environment and wildlife within. The effectiveness and speed of an oiled wildlife response can significantly influence media coverage and the overall public perception of the impacts of a spill and the effectiveness of a spill response. Wild base, Massey University, New Zealand and the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California at Davis, USA, have teamed up to write and deliver the world's first University-led on-line and face to face oiled wildlife response training courses (OWRT) for the international market. World leaders in higher education and oiled wildlife research, Massey University and UC Davis are the only two universities in the world with comprehensive oiled wildlife readiness and response teams. The OWRT courses on offer allow for multiple pathways to be undertaken to meet specific organisational oiled wildlife response needs from training entry-level personnel in rehabilitation, field operations or facility development, to team leaders in planning and preparation and managers of an oiled wildlife response. Theoretical courses are delivered online utilizing modern and interactive technology, with face-to-face delivery of practical skills. Courses have been developed using internationally recognised good practice standards, based on intended learning outcomes, ensuring specific skills necessary for key roles in a comprehensive readiness program. Having trained and in-house oiled wildlife response staff expands your organisations response and readiness capabilities. When the world is watching, speed is critical to both protect wildlife and to foster a positive public perception. www.owrt.org

ABSTRACT 2017-311 The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) was established in 1994 to address the need for timely, consistent, and professional science-based preparedness and response for wildlife at risk from oil spills occurring in the marine waters of California. Its mission focused on providing a high level of professional care based on the best available technology and science combined with the experience of many organizations that were pioneers in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. Since that time, the OWCN and its now more than 35 members have responded to over 100 spills while caring for more than 8,200 impacted animals. In 2014, in response to the increased risk due to changing sources and transport patterns in oil coming to refineries in California, the State legislature expanded the OWCN’s responsibility to include responding to oiled wildlife impacted during oil spills in all surface waters of California. Since then, the OWCN has worked to expand its plan and resources to ensure readiness to provide best achievable capture and care to a host of new species in the myriad of habitats and locations found in a large and ecologically diverse state. The biggest challenges to this expansion are the increased diversity of species and their habitats (California has 233 species and subspecies of reptiles and amphibians), and the increase in geographical scope. Working with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (specifically the Office of Spill Prevention and Response, or OSPR), the OWCN staff have identified species at risk and response challenges unique to an inland environment and terrestrial species and the appropriate resources meet those challenges and fill current gaps. We have incorporated lessons learned by colleagues during wildlife responses to inland spills including CNR Lake Wabamun (2005), Enbridge Kalamazoo River (2010), Silvertip Pipeline Yellowstone River (2011), and CNRL Cold Lake (2013). We have repurposed and redesigned existing equipment as well as acquiring additional mobile equipment to increase capacity and decrease response time. We have identified and trained first responders over a wide geographical area focusing on regions with increased risk of incident and impacts while leveraging our current primary care facilities with field stabilization and wildlife transportation plans to achieve maximum flexibility and cost effectiveness. We detail both the process that was used to develop this expansion and the resulting additions to the wildlife plan aimed to provide best achievable care to all wildlife species impacted by an inland oil spill in California.

Several recent oil spills in the United States have had the potential to impact large numbers and multiple populations of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), namely the Macondo-252/Deepwater Horizon oil spill from April 2010, the Texas City Y event in March 2014, and the Refugio Beach oil spill in May 2015. In each of these spills, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and partners have engaged in significant activities during and following the spills, to both respond effectively to minimize impacts and assess the effects of oil spills on marine mammals. Experience gained during these spills has led to improved preparedness for future events with potential involvement of marine mammals. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has developed the “National Pinniped and Cetacean Oil Spill Response Guidelines,” which are available online. These guidelines provide a broad national overview of response activities, a proposed organizational structure, and considerations to identify, recover, treat, and sample oiled and potentially oiled marine mammals. Further development of a response framework includes regional preparedness plans for marine mammals, based on the national guidelines but with regionally appropriate modifications to reflect local considerations, including species likely to be impacted, geographic concerns, and understanding of local cultural practices. Efforts are underway to improve training opportunities through a national exercise plan and to track trained and qualified individuals for potential deployment. For assessment, NMFS and NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) have partnered to develop the “National Marine Mammal Oil Spill Assessment Guidelines” to facilitate early, efficient, and effective assessment of impacts from oil spills on marine mammals as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process. This paper will outline the current status of these products and their role in marine mammal assessment and response in the U.S., raise awareness of marine mammals within oil spills, and identify potential resources for marine mammal response and assessment in other countries.