Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, 62542-62543 [2016-21668]
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62542
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices
deployments up to 150 XBTs, 20 XCTDS
and 55 drifters. The U.S. AMLR Program
may deploy upwards of three mooring
arrays which will release up to 6 ferrous
weights (train wheels), at the recovery of
the mooring(s). Each mooring weight set
will weigh between 750 and 1500lbs,
depending on the magnitude of the
current speed in the vicinity of the
mooring locations. These mooring
weights will not be recovered. In
addition to drifters and XBTs, the
AMLR Program also deploys and
recovers a variety of gears that are not
intentionally released into the
environment. These may include both
oceanographic instruments and fishing
gears, for example: Conductivitytemperature-depth profilers (CTD),
plankton nets, commercial bottom
trawls, continuous plankton records,
winged optical particle counters, towed
current profilers, and acoustic buoys.
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@
nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541), as
amended by the Antarctic Science,
Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996,
has developed regulations for the
establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
Location
Permit Application: 2017–012
Applicant: Dr. George Watters, Director,
AMLR Program, Southwest Fisheries
Science Center, National Marine
Fisheries Service, 8901 La Jolla
Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island;
Copacabana, western shore of Admiralty
Bay; Western Antarctic Peninsula
Dates: October 1, 2016–July 30, 2021.
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of
Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016–21669 Filed 9–8–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
National Science Foundation.
Notice of permit applications
received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law
95–541.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act at title
45 part 670 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice
of permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by October 11, 2016. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Division of Polar Programs, National
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 Sep 08, 2016
Jkt 238001
Application Details
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter
Antarctic Specially Protected Areas,
Import into USA. This permit
application pertains to research
activities conducted by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s (NOAA) Antarctic
Marine Living Resources (AMLR)
Program. The U.S. AMLR Program
proposes to take pinniped species in the
Antarctic Peninsula region, primarily at
Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, as part
of a long-term ecosystem monitoring
program established in 1986. Permission
is requested to take Antarctic fur seals
(Arctocephalus gazelle; 1203 adult/
juvenile; 6005 pups), southern elephant
seals (Mirounga leonine; 102 adult/
juvenile; 102 pups), crabeater seals
(Lobodon carcinophaga; census only),
leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx; 202
adult/juvenile), Ross seals
(Ommatophoca rossii; census only), and
Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii;
62 adult/juvenile; 42 pups) by
harassment associated with life-history
studies and surveys to census or
estimate abundance and distribution of
pinnipeds. Specific take activities
include capture/handling/release of
animals for studies of attendance
behavior (radio transmitter (VHF)),
diving (time-depth recorders; TDRs), atsea foraging locations (platform terminal
transmitter (PTT), geo-location light
loggers (GLS), or global positioning
system (GPS) instruments), energetics
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(doubly-labeled water studies using
stable and or radio-isotopes), diet
(including enema, milk collection for
fatty acid signature analysis, or tissues
for stable isotope analysis), age
determination (post-canine tooth
extraction), pathology (blood
collection), and population dynamics
(tagging). The U.S. AMLR Program does
not plan any lethal take; however,
accidental mortality as a direct result of
the studies is possible and thus
included as part of this application. All
methods to be used in the conduct of
the proposed studies have been used
extensively by U.S. AMLR researchers
and the marine mammal research
community, generally. All studies of
foraging ecology, population dynamics,
mark-recapture, census, reproductive
success and energetics are part of a longterm monitoring effort coordinated with
other Antarctic treaty nations under the
auspices of Convention for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources (CCAMLR).
The U.S. AMLR Program also
proposes continue studies of the
behavioral ecology and population
´
biology of the Adelie, gentoo, and
chinstrap penguins, as well as
interactions among these species and
their principal avian predators (skuas,
gulls, sheathbills and giant petrels).
These studies make use of permanent
marks (including flipper banding, pit
tagging, and genetic markers) to identify
individuals and track them accurately
over time. The applicant will continue
to study penguins’ foraging habits,
involving the use of VHF, PTT, GPS,
TDRs and GLS tags. These instruments
may be deployed on adults of all species
at any time during the breeding season
and on chicks of all species during the
fledging period. Another component of
the foraging behavior studies will
involve diet collections using the wet
offloading technique. The applicant
plans to stomach lavage adult penguins
at each site. The applicant will also
collect data on egg sizes and adult
weights of each species and weigh and
`
measure chicks at creche age (ca. 21
days of age) and fledging for
comparative annual growth indices in
all species. In addition, penguin
uropygial gland oil may be collected for
contaminant studies and unhatched
penguin eggs may be collected for lipid
analysis. Empty egg shells and feathers
(breast and tail) may also be collected
for isotopic and genetic studies.
Morphometric information to be
recorded includes bill (culmen) depth
and length and tarsus length. These
measurements are usually taken during
tag deployment, diet collection, or
E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM
09SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
banding. The principal avian predators
of the penguins (skuas, gulls, giant
petrels and sheathbills) are also
monitored and, when possible, adults
and chicks will be banded, weighed and
measured for behavioral and
demographic studies. In addition, the
applicant may census, band and
measure cape petrels and blue-eyed
shags. The applicant may collect
samples of penguin and skua blood from
adults of each species. The number of
takes per annum of each avian species
will be as follows: chinstrap penguin,
3320; Adelie penguin, 2880; Gentoo
penguin, 3020; brown skua, 600; south
polar skua, 600; giant petrel, 600; kelp
gull, 100; blue-eyed shag, 150; snowy
sheathbill, 45; cape petrel, 200. All
sampling protocols involve techniques
that are standard within the seabird
community. Those protocols related to
the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring
Program (CEMP) are described by
CCAMLR.
The U.S. AMLR Program requests
permission to conduct extensive studies
at the Cape Shirreff and Copacabana
research sites. Additionally, the
Program anticipates conducting
intermittent peninsula-wide pinniped
and seabird surveys. As such, the
applicant requests access to all ASPAs
in the South Shetland Islands and in the
Antarctic Peninsula. Entry to sites will
be made via U.S. AMLR charter or NSF
vessels, with immediate access via
zodiac operations. Peninsula-wide
pinniped and seabird surveys may
include the use of unmanned aerial
vehicles and photogrammetry. U.S.
AMLR researchers will adhere to ASPA
protections at all times and plan all
activities to minimize disruption to flora
and fauna. All species, pinniped and
avian, are subject to harmful
interference due to census (aerial or
ground) and other work described in
this application.
Location
Antarctic Peninsula region, South
Shetland Islands vicinity: Cape Shirreff,
Livingston Island; San Telmo Islands;
Copacabana, western shore of Admiralty
Bay; and Lions Rump, King George
Island.
ASPA 108, Green Island, Berthelot
Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 112, Coppermine Peninsula,
Robert Island
ASPA 113, Litchfield Island, Arthur
Harbor, Palmer Archipelago
ASPA 125, Fildes Peninsula, King
George Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 126, Byers Peninsula, Livingston
Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 128, Western Shore of Admiralty
Bay, King George Island
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:11 Sep 08, 2016
Jkt 238001
ASPA 132, Potter Peninsula, King
George Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 133, Harmony Point, Nelson
Island, South Shetland Island
ASPA 134, Cierva Point Offshore
Islands, Danco Coast, Antarctic
Peninsula
ASPA 139, Biscoe Point, Anvers Island
ASPA 140, Shores of Port Foster,
Deception Island, South Shetland
Islands
ASPA 144, Chile Bay
ASPA 145, Port Foster, Deception
Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 146, South Bay, Doumer Island,
Palmer Archipelago
ASPA 148, Mount Flora, Hope Bay,
Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 149, Cape Shirreff, Livingston
Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 150, Ardley Island, Maxwell Bay,
King George Island, South Shetland
Islands
ASPA 151, Lions Rump, King George
Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 152, Western Bransfield Strait,
Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 153, East Dallmann Bay,
Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 171, Narebski Point, Barton
Peninsula, King George Island
Dates: October 1, 2016–July 30, 2021
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of
Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016–21668 Filed 9–8–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received
Under the Antarctic Conservation Act
of 1978
National Science Foundation
Notice of permit applications
received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law
95–541.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is required to publish
a notice of permit applications received
to conduct activities regulated under the
Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978.
NSF has published regulations under
the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title
45 Part 670 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This is the required notice
of permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to
submit written data, comments, or
views with respect to this permit
application by October 11, 2016. This
application may be inspected by
interested parties at the Permit Office,
address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
62543
Division of Polar Programs, National
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@
nsf.gov or (703) 292–7149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Science Foundation, as
directed by the Antarctic Conservation
Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95–541), as
amended by the Antarctic Science,
Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996,
has developed regulations for the
establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and
designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring
special protection. The regulations
establish such a permit system to
designate Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2017–014
1. Applicant: Jerry McDonald (Principal
in Charge), Leidos Innovations
Group, Antarctic Support Contract,
7400 S. Tucson Way, Centennial,
CO 80112–3938.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas (ASPAs). The applicant plans to
transit through three marine ASPAs
(ASPA 145 Port Foster, Deception
Island, South Shetland Islands; ASPA
152 Western Bransfield Strait and ASPA
153 Eastern Dallmann Bay) only when
necessary and when transit through the
areas does not jeopardize the values to
be protected as described in each
management plan.
Location
ASPA 145 Port Foster, Deception Island,
South Shetland Islands
ASPA 152 Western Bransfield Strait
ASPA 153 Eastern Dallmann Bay
Dates
September 1, 2016 to September 1,
2021
Permit Application: 2017–015
2. Applicant: Jerry McDonald (Principal
in Charge), Leidos Innovations
Group, Antarctic Support Contract,
7400 S. Tucson Way, Centennial,
CO 80112–3938.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Enter Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas (ASPAs). The following ASPAs
contain historic huts from the Heroic
Age of Antarctic Exploration: ASPA 155
Cape Evans, Ross Island; ASPA 157
Backdoor Bay, Cape Royds, Ross; ASPA
E:\FR\FM\09SEN1.SGM
09SEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62542-62543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21668]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978
AGENCY: National Science Foundation.
ACTION: Notice of permit applications received under the Antarctic
Conservation Act of 1978, Public Law 95-541.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish a
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at title 45 part 670
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of
permit applications received.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments,
or views with respect to this permit application by October 11, 2016.
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit
Office, address below.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755,
Division of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nature McGinn, ACA Permit Officer, at
the above address or ACApermits@nsf.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541), as amended
by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, has
developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and
certain geographic areas a requiring special protection. The
regulations establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic
Specially Protected Areas.
Application Details
Permit Application: 2017-012
Applicant: Dr. George Watters, Director, AMLR Program, Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 8901 La
Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037.
Activity for Which Permit Is Requested
Take, Harmful Interference, Enter Antarctic Specially Protected
Areas, Import into USA. This permit application pertains to research
activities conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR)
Program. The U.S. AMLR Program proposes to take pinniped species in the
Antarctic Peninsula region, primarily at Cape Shirreff, Livingston
Island, as part of a long-term ecosystem monitoring program established
in 1986. Permission is requested to take Antarctic fur seals
(Arctocephalus gazelle; 1203 adult/juvenile; 6005 pups), southern
elephant seals (Mirounga leonine; 102 adult/juvenile; 102 pups),
crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga; census only), leopard seals
(Hydrurga leptonyx; 202 adult/juvenile), Ross seals (Ommatophoca
rossii; census only), and Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii; 62
adult/juvenile; 42 pups) by harassment associated with life-history
studies and surveys to census or estimate abundance and distribution of
pinnipeds. Specific take activities include capture/handling/release of
animals for studies of attendance behavior (radio transmitter (VHF)),
diving (time-depth recorders; TDRs), at-sea foraging locations
(platform terminal transmitter (PTT), geo-location light loggers (GLS),
or global positioning system (GPS) instruments), energetics (doubly-
labeled water studies using stable and or radio-isotopes), diet
(including enema, milk collection for fatty acid signature analysis, or
tissues for stable isotope analysis), age determination (post-canine
tooth extraction), pathology (blood collection), and population
dynamics (tagging). The U.S. AMLR Program does not plan any lethal
take; however, accidental mortality as a direct result of the studies
is possible and thus included as part of this application. All methods
to be used in the conduct of the proposed studies have been used
extensively by U.S. AMLR researchers and the marine mammal research
community, generally. All studies of foraging ecology, population
dynamics, mark-recapture, census, reproductive success and energetics
are part of a long-term monitoring effort coordinated with other
Antarctic treaty nations under the auspices of Convention for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
The U.S. AMLR Program also proposes continue studies of the
behavioral ecology and population biology of the Ad[eacute]lie, gentoo,
and chinstrap penguins, as well as interactions among these species and
their principal avian predators (skuas, gulls, sheathbills and giant
petrels). These studies make use of permanent marks (including flipper
banding, pit tagging, and genetic markers) to identify individuals and
track them accurately over time. The applicant will continue to study
penguins' foraging habits, involving the use of VHF, PTT, GPS, TDRs and
GLS tags. These instruments may be deployed on adults of all species at
any time during the breeding season and on chicks of all species during
the fledging period. Another component of the foraging behavior studies
will involve diet collections using the wet offloading technique. The
applicant plans to stomach lavage adult penguins at each site. The
applicant will also collect data on egg sizes and adult weights of each
species and weigh and measure chicks at cr[egrave]che age (ca. 21 days
of age) and fledging for comparative annual growth indices in all
species. In addition, penguin uropygial gland oil may be collected for
contaminant studies and unhatched penguin eggs may be collected for
lipid analysis. Empty egg shells and feathers (breast and tail) may
also be collected for isotopic and genetic studies. Morphometric
information to be recorded includes bill (culmen) depth and length and
tarsus length. These measurements are usually taken during tag
deployment, diet collection, or
[[Page 62543]]
banding. The principal avian predators of the penguins (skuas, gulls,
giant petrels and sheathbills) are also monitored and, when possible,
adults and chicks will be banded, weighed and measured for behavioral
and demographic studies. In addition, the applicant may census, band
and measure cape petrels and blue-eyed shags. The applicant may collect
samples of penguin and skua blood from adults of each species. The
number of takes per annum of each avian species will be as follows:
chinstrap penguin, 3320; Adelie penguin, 2880; Gentoo penguin, 3020;
brown skua, 600; south polar skua, 600; giant petrel, 600; kelp gull,
100; blue-eyed shag, 150; snowy sheathbill, 45; cape petrel, 200. All
sampling protocols involve techniques that are standard within the
seabird community. Those protocols related to the CCAMLR Ecosystem
Monitoring Program (CEMP) are described by CCAMLR.
The U.S. AMLR Program requests permission to conduct extensive
studies at the Cape Shirreff and Copacabana research sites.
Additionally, the Program anticipates conducting intermittent
peninsula-wide pinniped and seabird surveys. As such, the applicant
requests access to all ASPAs in the South Shetland Islands and in the
Antarctic Peninsula. Entry to sites will be made via U.S. AMLR charter
or NSF vessels, with immediate access via zodiac operations. Peninsula-
wide pinniped and seabird surveys may include the use of unmanned
aerial vehicles and photogrammetry. U.S. AMLR researchers will adhere
to ASPA protections at all times and plan all activities to minimize
disruption to flora and fauna. All species, pinniped and avian, are
subject to harmful interference due to census (aerial or ground) and
other work described in this application.
Location
Antarctic Peninsula region, South Shetland Islands vicinity: Cape
Shirreff, Livingston Island; San Telmo Islands; Copacabana, western
shore of Admiralty Bay; and Lions Rump, King George Island.
ASPA 108, Green Island, Berthelot Islands, Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 112, Coppermine Peninsula, Robert Island
ASPA 113, Litchfield Island, Arthur Harbor, Palmer Archipelago
ASPA 125, Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 126, Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 128, Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, King George Island
ASPA 132, Potter Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 133, Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Island
ASPA 134, Cierva Point Offshore Islands, Danco Coast, Antarctic
Peninsula
ASPA 139, Biscoe Point, Anvers Island
ASPA 140, Shores of Port Foster, Deception Island, South Shetland
Islands
ASPA 144, Chile Bay
ASPA 145, Port Foster, Deception Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 146, South Bay, Doumer Island, Palmer Archipelago
ASPA 148, Mount Flora, Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 149, Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 150, Ardley Island, Maxwell Bay, King George Island, South
Shetland Islands
ASPA 151, Lions Rump, King George Island, South Shetland Islands
ASPA 152, Western Bransfield Strait, Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 153, East Dallmann Bay, Antarctic Peninsula
ASPA 171, Narebski Point, Barton Peninsula, King George Island
Dates: October 1, 2016-July 30, 2021
Nadene G. Kennedy,
Polar Coordination Specialist, Division of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 2016-21668 Filed 9-8-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-P