NOAA has recently published a document titled "Guidelines for Assessing Exposure and Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine Mammals". This story map aims to translate this valuable information about marine mammals for a general audience.

The primary purpose of this guidance document is to provide updated information and practical guidance to authorities charged with protecting, assessing, and restoring marine mammals injured by oil spills, primarily for Natural Resources Damage Assessments (NRDA) conducted under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA).

Because of the wide variety of species, habitats, and varied circumstances around individual spills, information and methodologies are presented as summaries and not as detailed standard operating procedures. NOAA staff and marine mammal scientists involved with oil spills should use this document as a starting place for regional-based planning, where region-specific issues and species can be addressed and where necessary regional-specific standard operating procedures can be developed.

The Story Map covers marine mammal biology, vulnerability to oil, key elements of oil spill response, Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), and an overview of the legislation protecting these important protected marine resources.