Marine mammal the attempt at such") of any marine mammal without a permit issued by the Secretary. Authority to manage the MMPA was divided between the Secretary of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and the Secretary of Commerce, which is delegated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) was established to review existing policies and make recommendations to the Service and NOAA to better implement the MMPA. The Service is responsible for ensuring the protection of sea otters and marine otters, walruses, polar bears, the three species of manatees, and dugongs;
The Marine Mammal Center operating budget came from private donations and individual and family memberships. The Marine Mammal Center presently has a paid staff of 45 individuals. Its operation is reliant on several hundred volunteers who are trained in rescue, release, animal care, and education. The main facility in Sausalito can accommodate approximately 1,200 animals a year; although a typical year brings between 600-800 patient. In 2009, a lack of available fish related to the El Nino weather pattern brought 1,750 patients to the Marine Mammal Center, more than in any other year since it opened. 2012 marked the year with the highest percentage