UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN ... - Bizjournals

Case 1:13-cv-03241-AT Document 1 Filed 09/30/13 Page 23 of 64changes now affecting arctic regions, a better understanding of beluga energeticsrepresents some of the physiological and behavioral insights necessary for theconservation of the wild population. [Such information] is increasingly importantto policy makers and scientists making decisions in areas such as balancing theneeds of ecosystem management and setting sustainable fishing levels to ensureadequate food supplies.”48. Dr. Ann Pabst at the University of North Carolina at Wilmingtonsubmitted similar comments to NMFS on the Georgia Aquarium permit applicationstating: “The study of marine mammals in human care has added significantly toour understanding of their biology, and, thus, to our efforts to conserve them in thewild. The controlled conditions provided by research [at] public display facilitieshave permitted careful study of such fields as energetics (i.e., metabolism,locomotion, thermoregulation), and reproductive and sensory biology of a numberof marine mammal species. These data have provided critical baselines that havebeen used to determine how human activities may impact marine mammals in thewild.”49. Dr. Brandon Southall, who is affiliated with the University ofCalifornia, Santa Cruz and Duke University, submitted a comment to NMFS on theGeorgia Aquarium permit application stating: “There is no viable debate about the23