Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2016

Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2016

This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 and revises the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, including by expanding the Act and the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program to include assistance for marine mammals that are entangled in material (e.g. fishing gear) and are on U.S. beaches or shores, or in U.S. navigable waters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) must develop a program to make publicly available certain data collected under this bill.

The bill requires sums received for marine mammal conservation (e.g. fines for violations) and sums received from emergency declaration grants for marine mammal conservation to be deposited into the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund.

The bill establishes the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund for providing emergency financial assistance for certain stranded or entangled marine mammals.

NOAA must: (1) establish a national marine mammal health and stranding observing system (Marine Mammal Health Map), (2) analyze gaps in data about marine mammal rescue and response, and (3) report on the response capabilities for sick and injured marine mammals in U.S. Arctic regions.