One Health Priority Focus Areas:
- Extreme Conditions and Climate Change, International, Marine Animal Health, Regional, Water Quality and Related Illnesses
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, an unusual mortality event (UME) is “a stranding that is unexpected, involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population, and demands immediate response.” Understanding and investigating marine mammal UMEs is crucial because they can be ocean health indicators, giving insight into a broader scope of environmental issues that may also have human health implications.