Permits and authorizations are required under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to conduct activities that may result in the “taking” of a protected species. Take is defined by the ESA as “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct”. Take is defined by the MMPA as “to harass, hunt, capture, collect, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, collect, or kill any marine mammal.”