Sec. 3. Distribution mapping of certain species of whales
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The Secretary, in consultation with the Marine Mammal Commission, shall produce for stocks, populations, or species, as the Secretary determines appropriate, of baleen whale and sperm whale within waters under the jurisdiction of the United States— distribution maps of high accuracy and spatial and temporal resolution; and predictive distribution maps of high accuracy and spatial and temporal resolution that take into account expected future environmental conditions. In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary— shall— use the best scientific information available; conduct or support, including through grants or other financial assistance, research to fill knowledge gaps, which may include— developing novel sources of data, such as passive acoustic monitoring or detection through satellite and drone imagery; and developing innovative methodologies to combine different sources of whale detection data and to improve marine mammal distribution and habitat modeling; include in each map produced under such subsection, as applicable— calving grounds; feeding grounds; migration routes; and other habitat uses; as needed, use current and novel sources of data, such as passive acoustic monitoring and detection through satellite or drone imagery; make each map produced under such subsection available— through— electronic and machine readable formats that can be integrated into on-board vessel navigation systems, including— electronic navigational products of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as appropriate; an online platform for the general public; and in coordination with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, carriage requirements set by the Commandant of the Coast Guard for commercial or recreational vessels; in coordination with the Commandant of the Coast Guard, other formats not specified under subclause
(I)that may be required in carriage requirements set by the Commandant of the Coast Guard for commercial or recreational vessels, as appropriate; and other formats the Secretary determines appropriate; and to other entities that produce products or publications included in the carriage requirements set by the Commandant of the Coast Guard for commercial or recreational vessels, as appropriate; and require the heads of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration line offices to coordinate the work of such offices, as needed; and may, in making use of amounts appropriated to carry out this section pursuant to section 7 and in consultation with the Marine Mammal Commission, determine— which stocks, populations, or species of baleen whale and sperm whale to prioritize; and whether to prioritize the collection and aggregation of new data or the processing, analysis, aggregation and modeling of existing data.