---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1421f–2"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1421f–2"
heading: "Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform (Health MAP)"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1421f-2"
units:
  - "Chapter 31 — Marine Mammal Protection"
  - "Subchapter V — Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response"
---

# §1421f–2. Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform (Health MAP)

- (a) **In general—** Not later than 1 year after December 23, 2022, the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A), acting through the [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) of the Interior and the [Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c), shall—
  - (1) establish a [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health monitoring and analysis platform (referred to in this chapter as the “[Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3)”);
  - (2) incorporate the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) into the [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4); and
  - (3) make the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3)—
    - (A) publicly accessible through the web portal of the [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4); and
    - (B) interoperable with other national data systems or other data systems for [management](/usc/16/1362.md?p=2) or research purposes, as practicable.
- (b) **Purposes—** The purposes of the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) are—
  - (1) to promote—
    - (A) interdisciplinary research among individuals with knowledge and experience in [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) science, [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) veterinary and husbandry practices, medical science, and oceanography, and with other marine scientists;
    - (B) timely and sustained dissemination and availability of [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health, [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6), [entanglement](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=1), and mortality data;
    - (C) identification of spatial and temporal patterns of [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) mortality, disease, and [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6);
    - (D) evaluation of [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health in terms of mortality, as well as sublethal [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health impacts;
    - (E) improved collaboration and forecasting of [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) and larger ecosystem health events;
    - (F) rapid communication and dissemination of information regarding [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [strandings](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) that may have implications for human health, such as those caused by harmful algal blooms; and
    - (G) increased accessibility of data in a user friendly visual interface for public education and outreach; and
  - (2) to contribute to an ocean health index that incorporates [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health data.
- (c) **Requirements—** The [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) shall—
  - (1) integrate in situ, remote, and other [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health, [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6), and mortality data, including visualizations and metadata, collected by [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) networks, Federal, [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a), local, and Tribal governments, private partners, and academia; and
  - (2) be designed—
    - (A) to enhance data and information availability, including data sharing among [stranding network participants](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=7), scientists, and the public within and across [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) network regions;
    - (B) to facilitate data and information access across scientific disciplines, scientists, and managers;
    - (C) to facilitate public access to national and regional [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health, [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6), [entanglement](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=1), and mortality data, including visualizations and metadata, through the national and regional data portals of the [Observation System](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=4); and
    - (D) in collaboration with, and with input from, [States](/usc/16/544.md?p=r) and [stranding network participants](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=7).
- (d) **Procedures and guidelines—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) shall establish and implement policies, protocols, and standards for—
  - (1) reporting [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health data collected by [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) networks consistent with subsections (c) and (d) of [section 1421a of this title](/usc/16/1421a.md);
  - (2) promptly transmitting health data from the [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6) networks and other appropriate data providers to the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3);
  - (3) disseminating and making publicly available data on [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health, [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6), [entanglement](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=1), and mortality data in a timely and sustained manner; and
  - (4) integrating additional [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) health, [stranding](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=6), or other relevant data as the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) determines appropriate.
- (e) **Consultation—** The [Administrator](/usc/16/450rr–1.md?p=a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall maintain and update the [Health MAP](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=3) in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) of the Interior and the [Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Commission](/usc/16/544.md?p=c).
- (f) **Acceptance of donations—**
  - (1) **In general—** For the purposes of carrying out this section, the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) may solicit, accept, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, devises, and bequests without any further approval or administrative action.
  - (2) **Monetary donations—** A monetary gift, devise, or bequest accepted by the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) under [paragraph (1)](#f-1) shall be credited as discretionary offsetting collections to the currently applicable appropriation, account, or [fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) of the Department of Commerce and shall be made available for such purposes only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 92–522, title IV, § 408A, as added Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIV, § 10407(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3988.)