A stated goal of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Marine Mammal Taxon Advisory Group is, "To provide a centralized framework for coordination and management of marine mammal propagation programs." Preliminary steps toward the cooperative management of marine mammals within North American zoological institutions nave included censusing formation of studbooks and performance of demographic analyses Intermediate management groups are under formation for the collective management of marine mammal species using techniques adopted from our current understanding of small populations. Intermediate management plans resulting from these efforts will collectively define a regional collection plan for North American marine mammals.