Scientists can keep counting marine mammals, even if they accidentally bother a few

The US government is proposing rules that would allow University of California Santa Cruz researchers to continue their marine mammal monitoring surveys. These rules would permit the researchers to accidentally disturb a small number of marine mammals during their work along the Oregon and California coasts.

For years, scientists have needed special permission to conduct research that might incidentally affect protected marine mammals. This proposed rule means that a specific, long-running monitoring program can continue its work without constant, individual approvals. It streamlines the process for collecting data on coastal ecosystems, which is crucial for understanding environmental changes.