16 U.S.C. § 1421f: National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank and tissue analysis

The Secretary shall make provision for the storage, preparation, examination, and archiving of marine mammal tissues. Tissues archived pursuant to this subsection shall be known as the “National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank”. appropriate and uniform methods and standards for those activities to provide confidence in marine mammal tissue samples used for research; and documentation of procedures used for collecting, preparing, and archiving those samples. samples from marine mammals taken incidental to commercial fishing operations; samples from marine mammals taken for subsistence purposes; biopsy samples; and any other samples properly collected. the levels of, and if possible, the effects of, potentially harmful contaminants; and the frequency of, and if possible, the causes and effects of abnormal lesions or anomalies. The Secretary shall maintain a central data base which provides an effective means for tracking and accessing data on marine mammals, including relevant data on marine mammal tissues collected for and maintained in the Tissue Bank. reference data on marine mammal health and mortality and the health of populations of marine mammals; and data on species of marine mammals that are subject to unusual mortality events. marine mammal tissues in the Tissue Bank; analyses conducted pursuant to subsection (b); and marine mammal data in the data base maintained under subsection (c);