*Announcement of availability of tissue samples collected from stranded marine mammals within the Gulf of Mexico * During and after the* Deepwater Horizon* oil spill, numerous biological samples were collected from stranded cetaceans found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Due to the unique nature of these samples being collected following the *Deepwater Horizon* oil spill, NOAA recognizes that these samples may be of particular interest to the broader research community. NOAA intends to make a portion of the samples from this collection available to the scientific community. Samples are primarily from bottlenose dolphins, though tissues from some other species may be available. Samples were collected from strandings between the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana from 2010 to early 2016. There are 2 types of samples addressed in this email. Those that will be made available in the near time through this request, and those that will go to the National Marine Mammal Tissue Bank (NMMTB) for archival and can be requested in the future. *Near-term sample availability: * Certain types of tissues will be available for distribution this fall. These include formalin-fixed tissues from fresh dead and moderately decomposed cetaceans (code 2 & 3 cases), as well as a limited number of whole stomachs and teeth. A limited number of samples from severely decomposed cetaceans (code 4) may be available including frozen skin, blubber, and muscle. Organizations interested in obtaining tissues (per 50 CFR 216.22 and/or 216.37) should complete the attached sample request form and *return it by September 19, 2016* to *DWHmammalsamples@noaa.gov <DWHmammalsamples@noaa.gov>*. Requests received in a different format or after this date may not be able to be processed. Please let us know on the attached form what types of samples you are interested in (tissue type, fixative, species, geographic area, strand date range). Requesters must have or be in the process of applying for authorization to receive marine mammal parts under 50 CFR 216.22 or 216.37 (e.g., parts authorization letter, marine mammal permit, stranding agreement). Requesters will be responsible for all shipping fees. Tissues can only be distributed to researchers within the United States. *Future sample availability:* In early 2017, frozen tissue samples collected from fresh dead and moderately decomposed cetaceans (code 2 & 3, e.g. small frozen tissue samples collected for analyses such as virology, Brucella, PAH, and biotoxins) stored at the NMMTB will be available for research requests. A future notification about how to access these tissues will be issued later in the fall of 2016. Questions regarding this process can be emailed to DWHmammalsamples@noaa.gov .