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Table 1. Definition
of the four research areas into which marine mammal studies supported by
the NEFSC during fiscal years 1990-95 were
organized |
| Research Area |
Definition |
| Ecological roles and habitat requirements |
Focus is on seasonal and spatial distribution patterns,
on feeding habits, and on basic population biology, including indirect
interactions with human activities through the food chain |
| Human interactions |
Focus is on those areas where human activities have a
direct impact on marine mammals, including bycatch, entanglement, ship
strikes, and whale watching |
| Optimum sustainable population size |
Focus is on abundance of marine mammals, addressing their
historic levels especially relative to information needs under the MMPA
and Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
| Research planning and archiving |
Focus is on identifying longer-term research planning
methods, and on documenting and archiving results of previous research |