The Society for Marine Mammalogy

The Committee of Scientific Advisors is charged with advising the Board of Governors and the membership on matters related to the conservation and management of marine mammals and with providing to the Board such scientific information as may be requested of it. To this end the Committee shall:

1. Consist of an international membership of persons, active in research and/or management, who can advise the Board about important issues as they become apparent or coordinate the collection and summary of relevant information with which an informed scientific perspective can be developed.
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3. If appropriate, the Committee may be directed [by the Board] to prepare a summary indicating options, based on whatever reliable information is available, and identify gaps in data. As appropriate or as directed by the Board, prepare recommendations for consideration by the members and possible action. Decisions on how to respond to information and recommendations provided by the Committee will be taken by the Board. Recognizing that within the membership there is often a diversity of opinions on the management of marine mammals, the Committee will not make value judgments.
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5. Keep the membership informed through a regular newsletter, the Editor of which will be a member of the Committee of Scientific Advisors. The Editor will develop an international network of contacts and assistants as required to ensure that information is received regularly and on a timely basis. Besides general news, the newsletter may include information on scientific and management issues related to marine mammals worldwide, addresses where members can obtain information or express opinions, letters of personal opinion on scientific matters, requests for data or specimens, employment information, educational opportunities, public announcement, recent publications, and advertising.

As chair of the Society for Marine Mammalogy’s Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) I (Steve Swartz) have been continually impressed with the dedication of the Committee members over the past two years to respond to requests from the Board of Governors to research and advise them on various issues concerning the conservation and management of marine mammals worldwide. While some members have rotated off the CSA and have been replaced, many of the current members have served since the Committee was created in 1995, which is a long time for anyone to be asked to volunteer to serve on such a Committee. In response to a suggestion made during the Society’s general business meeting in Maui, the Board discussed the issue of CSA membership and agreed that the members needed to reflect a balance of scientific expertise, national representation, and experience with the Committee’s activities. The Board agreed that while the Chair of the CSA serves at the behest of the current Society President, a system of sequential rotation of members serving three year terms could accomplish the goals of the CSA while allowing the membership of the Committee to "refresh" itself and not overly burden some members with prolonged periods of volunteer service.

As the current Chair of the CSA I am pleased to announce that we will begin the policy of rotating Committee members on a three-year cycle of service beginning in 2000. As existing members rotate off the Committee, new members will be appointed to serve three-year terms. Selection of new members will be made by consensus of the Committee with the approval of the President of the Society and the Board of Governors. Vacancies on the Committee will be announced in the Society’s Newsletter. Society members who are interested in applying for these vacancies are asked to contact the Committee Chair to submit a current CV and a statement as to why they would like to serve on the Society’s CSA.

Steven L. Swartz, NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149, U.S.A.  email: Steven.Swartz@noaa.gov