Supplemental Environmental Assessment for the Disposition of Two Beluga Whales Held by Mystic Aquarium (Permit No. 22629-04)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has prepared this Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the Disposition of Two Beluga Whales Held by Mystic Aquarium (Permit No. 22629-04) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. § 4321 et seq.), and NOAA Administrative Order (NAO) 216-6A, “Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Executive Orders (E.O.s) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions; 11988 and 13690, Floodplain Management and 11990, Protection of Wetlands,” issued April 22, 2016, and the Companion Manual for NAO 216-6A, “Policy and Procedures for Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act and Related Authorities,” (June 30, 2025). This SEA evaluates the environmental impacts of approving the post-permit disposition of two captive beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) currently held by Mystic Aquarium under Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Scientific Research Permit No. 22629-04. This document supplements NMFS’s August 2020 Final EA (2020 EA), Issuance of a Marine Mammal Protection Act Scientific Research Permit to Mystic Aquarium for the Importation and Take of Captive Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas), which analyzed the original import and research parameters and is hereby incorporated by reference.