Protocol for Access to Tissue
Specimen Samples from the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
05/13/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2021
100
110
98
90
76
84
This request is for extension of a
current information collection. In 1989, the National Marine Mammal
Tissue Bank (NMMTB) was established by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources (OPR) in
collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), Minerals Management Service (MMS), and the US
Geological Survey/Biological Resources Division (USGS/BRD). The
NMMTB provides protocols, techniques, and physical facilities for
the long-term storage of tissues from marine mammals. Scientists
can request tissues from this repository for retrospective analyses
to determine environmental trends of contaminants and other
substances of interest. The NMMTB collects, processes, and stores
tissues from specific indicator species (e.g., Atlantic bottlenose
dolphins, Atlantic white sided dolphins, pilot whales, harbor
porpoises), animals from mass strandings, animals that have been
obtained incidental to commercial fisheries, animals taken for
subsistence purposes, biopsies, and animals from unusual mortality
events through two projects, the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding
Response Program (MMHSRP) and the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue
Archival Project (AMMTAP). The purposes of this collection of
information are: 1) to enable NOAA to allow the scientific
community the opportunity to request tissue specimen samples from
the NMMTB and, 2) to enable the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding
Response Program (MMHSRP) of NOAA to assemble information on all
specimens submitted to the National Institute of Standards and
Technology’s Biorepository (NIST Biorepository), which includes the
NMMTB. Under 16 U.S.C. 1421f section 407(d)(1) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act, the NMFS must establish criteria for access to
marine mammal tissues in the NMMTB and make those available for
public comment and review. This was accomplished through the
proposed rule RIN 0648-AQ51, published on 11/12/2002, and codified
in 50 CFR 216.47.
US Code:
16 USC
31 Name of Law: Marine Mammal Protection Act
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.