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Through the Annual Determination, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identifies U.S. fisheries operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Ocean that will be required to take observers upon NMFS request, pursuant to its authority under the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of observing identified fisheries is to learn more about sea turtle interactions in a given fishery, evaluate existing measures to prevent or reduce prohibited sea turtle takes, and to determine whether additional measures to implement the prohibition against sea turtle takes may be necessary. Fisheries identified in the 2015 Annual Determination will remain on the Annual Determination for a five-year period and are required to carry observers upon NMFS request until December 31, 2019.