Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, 4973-4975 [2023-01563]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2023 / Notices required to provide to OSC to participate in TraCSS? • What, if any, actions should owners and operators agree to take to participate in TraCSS as part of the tenets of participation? • What should happen when owners or operators fail to provide the relevant information to OSC or fail to take actions consistent with the tenets of participation? Dated: January 23, 2023. Richard DalBello, Director, Office of Space Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. D. General Feedback [RTID 0648–XC680] OSC welcomes feedback about any other related topics. For example, are there any matters not discussed above that OSC should or must consider before it provides basic SSA safety services through TraCSS? Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 IV. How To Submit Your Response To facilitate review of your responses, please reference the subject of the RFI in your response. You may respond to some or all of the topic areas covered in the RFI, and you can suggest other factors or relevant questions. You may also include links to online material or interactive presentations. If including data sets, please make the data available in a downloadable, machine-readable format with accompanying metadata. Please note that this is an RFI only. In accordance with the implementing regulations of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), specifically 5 CFR 1320.3(h)(4), this general solicitation is exempt from the PRA. 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VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:17 Jan 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 [FR Doc. 2023–01556 Filed 1–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–HR–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of issuance of letter of authorization. AGENCY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS’ MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Echo Offshore LLC (Echo) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico. DATES: The LOA is effective from the date of issuance through June 31, 2023. ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and supporting documentation are available online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ action/incidental-take-authorization-oiland-gas-industry-geophysical-surveyactivity-gulf-mexico. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the contact listed below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Wachtendonk, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427– 8401. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: Background Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain findings PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 4973 are made and either regulations are issued or, if the taking is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is provided to the public for review. An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings are set forth. NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as an impact resulting from the specified activity that cannot be reasonably expected to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely affect the species or stock through effects on annual rates of recruitment or survival. Except with respect to certain activities not pertinent here, the MMPA defines ‘‘harassment’’ as: any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has the potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering (Level B harassment). On January 19, 2021, we issued a final rule with regulations to govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activities conducted by oil and gas industry operators, and those persons authorized to conduct activities on their behalf (collectively ‘‘industry operators’’), in Federal waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322, January 19, 2021). The rule was based on our findings that the total taking from the specified activities over the 5-year period will have a negligible impact on the affected species or stock(s) of marine mammals and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of those species or stocks for subsistence uses. The rule became effective on April 19, 2021. Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et seq. allow for the issuance of LOAs to industry operators for the incidental take of marine mammals during geophysical survey activities and prescribe the permissible methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat (often referred to as mitigation), as well as requirements E:\FR\FM\26JAN1.SGM 26JAN1 4974 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2023 / Notices pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR 217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be based on a determination that the level of taking will be consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable under these regulations and a determination that the amount of take authorized under the LOA is of no more than small numbers. Summary of Request and Analysis Echo plans to conduct a 2D high resolution seismic survey in Lease Block G14576 (Main Pass Area 91). Echo plans to use a single, 20-cubic inch airgun, in addition to three other high-resolution geophysical (HRG) acoustic sources. Please see Echo’s application for additional detail. Consistent with the preamble to the final rule, the survey effort proposed by Echo in its LOA request was used to develop LOA-specific take estimates based on the acoustic exposure modeling results described in the preamble (86 FR 5322, 5398, January 19, 2021). In order to generate the appropriate take number for authorization, the following information was considered: (1) survey type; (2) location (by modeling zone 1); (3) number of days; and (4) season.2 The acoustic exposure modeling performed in support of the rule provides 24-hour exposure estimates for each species, specific to each modeled survey type in each zone and season. Exposure modeling results were generated using the single airgun and HRG proxies. Because those results assume use of a 90-in3 airgun and sidescan sonar, multibeam echosounder, and sub-bottom profiler respectively, the take numbers authorized through this LOA are considered conservative (i.e., they likely overestimate take) due to differences in the sound source planned for use by Echo, as compared to those modeled for the rule. The survey is planned to occur for 2 days in Zone 2, with the airguns being used on only one of the days. The season is not known in advance. Therefore, the take estimates for each species are based on the season that has the greater value for the species (i.e., winter or summer). Based on the results of our analysis, NMFS has determined that the level of taking expected for this survey and authorized through the LOA is consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable under the regulations. See Table 1 in this notice and Table 9 of the rule (86 FR 5322, January 19, 2021). Small Numbers Determination Under the GOM rule, NMFS may not authorize incidental take of marine mammals in an LOA if it will exceed ‘‘small numbers.’’ In short, when an acceptable estimate of the individual marine mammals taken is available, if the estimated number of individual animals taken is up to, but not greater than, one-third of the best available abundance estimate, NMFS will determine that the numbers of marine mammals taken of a species or stock are small. For more information please see NMFS’ discussion of the MMPA’s small numbers requirement provided in the final rule (86 FR 5322, 5438, January 19, 2021). The take numbers for authorization, which are determined as described above, are used by NMFS in making the necessary small numbers determinations, through comparison with the best available abundance estimates (see discussion at 86 FR 5322, 5391, January 19, 2021). For this comparison, NMFS’ approach is to use the maximum theoretical population, determined through review of current stock assessment reports (SAR; www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ marine-mammal-protection/marinemammal-stock-assessments) and modelpredicted abundance information (https://seamap.env.duke.edu/models/ Duke/GOM/). For the latter, for taxa where a density surface model could be produced, we use the maximum mean seasonal (i.e., 3-month) abundance prediction for purposes of comparison as a precautionary smoothing of monthto-month fluctuations and in consideration of a corresponding lack of data in the literature regarding seasonal distribution of marine mammals in the GOM. Information supporting the small numbers determinations is provided in Table 1. TABLE 1—TAKE ANALYSIS Authorized take 1 Species lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 Rice’s whale 3 .............................................................................................................................. Sperm whale ................................................................................................................................ Kogia spp ..................................................................................................................................... Beaked whales ............................................................................................................................ Rough-toothed dolphin ................................................................................................................ Bottlenose dolphin ....................................................................................................................... Clymene dolphin .......................................................................................................................... Atlantic spotted dolphin ............................................................................................................... Pantropical spotted dolphin ......................................................................................................... Spinner dolphin ............................................................................................................................ Striped dolphin ............................................................................................................................. Fraser’s dolphin ........................................................................................................................... Risso’s dolphin ............................................................................................................................. Melon-headed whale ................................................................................................................... Pygmy killer whale ....................................................................................................................... False killer whale ......................................................................................................................... Killer whale .................................................................................................................................. Short-finned pilot whale ............................................................................................................... 0 0 0 0 40 32 0 5 26 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Scalar Abundance 2 51 2,207 4,373 3,768 4,853 176,108 11,895 74,785 102,361 25,114 5,229 1,665 3,764 7,003 2,126 3,204 267 1,981 Percent abundance n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0.0 n/a 0.0 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a ratios were not applied in this case due to brief survey duration. abundance estimate. For most taxa, the best abundance estimate for purposes of comparison with take estimates is considered here to be the model-predicted abundance (Roberts et al., 2016). For those taxa where a density surface model predicting abundance by month was produced, the maximum mean seasonal abundance was used. For those taxa where abundance is not predicted by month, only mean annual abundance is available. For the killer whale, the larger estimated SAR abundance estimate is used. 2 Best 1 For purposes of acoustic exposure modeling, the GOM was divided into seven zones. Zone 1 is not included in the geographic scope of the rule. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:17 Jan 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 2 For purposes of acoustic exposure modeling, seasons include Winter (December–March) and Summer (April–November). PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\26JAN1.SGM 26JAN1 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 17 / Thursday, January 26, 2023 / Notices 4975 3 The final rule refers to the GOM Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni). These whales were subsequently described as a new species, Rice’s whale (Balaenoptera ricei) (Rosel et al., 2021). 4 Modeled take of 1 decreased to 0. For rough-toothed dolphin, use of the exposure modeling produces results that are smaller than the average GOM group size (i.e., estimated exposure value of 1, relative to assumed average group size of 14) (Maze-Foley and Mullin, 2006). NMFS’ typical practice is to increase exposure estimates to the assumed average group size for a species in order to ensure that, if the species is encountered, exposures will not exceed the authorized take number. However, given the very short survey duration and small estimated exposure value NMFS has determined that is unlikely the species would be encountered at all. As a result, in this case NMFS has not authorized take for this species. 5 Modeled take of 7 increased to account for potential encounter with group of average size (Maze-Foley and Mullin, 2006). Based on the analysis contained herein of Echo’s proposed survey activity described in its LOA application and the anticipated take of marine mammals, NMFS finds that small numbers of marine mammals will be taken relative to the affected species or stock sizes (i.e., less than one-third of the best available abundance estimate) and therefore the taking is of no more than small numbers. Authorization NMFS has determined that the level of taking for this LOA request is consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable under the incidental take regulations and that the amount of take authorized under the LOA is of no more than small numbers. Accordingly, we have issued an LOA to Echo authorizing the take of marine mammals incidental to its geophysical survey activity, as described above. Dated: January 23, 2023. Kimberly Damon-Randall, Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2023–01563 Filed 1–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XC718] Marine Mammals; File No. 27027 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice; receipt of application. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Philip Hooge, Responsible Party), has applied in due form for a permit to conduct research on humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), killer (Orcinus orca), minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and gray (Eschrichtius robustus) whales. DATES: Written, telefaxed, or email comments must be received on or before February 27, 2023. lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:17 Jan 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 The application and related documents are available for review by selecting ‘‘Records Open for Public Comment’’ from the ‘‘Features’’ box on the Applications and Permits for Protected Species (APPS) home page, https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov, and then selecting File No. 27027 from the list of available applications. These documents are also available upon written request via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@ noaa.gov. Written comments on this application should be submitted via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Please include File No. 27027 in the subject line of the email comment. Those individuals requesting a public hearing should submit a written request via email to NMFS.Pr1Comments@ noaa.gov. The request should set forth the specific reasons why a hearing on this application would be appropriate. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Markin or Carrie Hubard, (301) 427– 8401. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The subject permit is requested under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), the regulations governing the taking and importing of marine mammals (50 CFR part 216), the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and the regulations governing the taking, importing, and exporting of endangered and threatened species (50 CFR parts 222–226). The applicant proposes to study humpback, killer, minke, and gray whales to gather information on their ecology, behavior, and population status in southeastern Alaska, including Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Individuals may be closely approached for vessel surveys, photo-identification, behavioral observation, collection of feces or sloughed skin, and passive acoustic recording. The maximum annual approaches to whales will be 2050 humpback whales, 500 killer whales, 20 minke whales, and 20 gray whales. Biopsy sampling of 50 humpback whales, annually, is also requested. Unidentified cetacean, pinniped, and salmonid species parts may be collected from predation events. Biological samples may be imported or ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 exported. The requested duration of the permit is 5 years. In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), an initial determination has been made that the activity proposed is categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement. Concurrent with the publication of this notice in the Federal Register, NMFS is forwarding copies of the application to the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors. Dated: January 23, 2023. Julia M. Harrison, Chief, Permits and Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2023–01548 Filed 1–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Patent and Trademark Office [Docket No.: PTO–P–2023–0001] Public Meeting on Innovation Driven by Artificial Intelligence United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) plays an important role in incentivizing and protecting innovation, including innovation driven by artificial intelligence (AI), to ensure continued U.S. leadership in AI and other emerging technologies (ET). The USPTO’s Texas Regional Office will host a public meeting on innovation driven by AI on February 8, 2023, at 11 a.m. CT. The meeting will be held in collaboration with the Dallas Bar Association (DBA) Intellectual Property (IP) section and the State Bar of Texas IP section. This will be the third meeting in the USPTO’s AI/ET Partnership Series. First announced in June 2022, the AI/ET Partnership provides an opportunity to bring stakeholders together through a series of engagements to share ideas, feedback, SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\26JAN1.SGM 26JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4973-4975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01563]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC680]


Taking and Importing Marine Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals 
Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in 
the Gulf of Mexico

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of issuance of letter of authorization.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as 
amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for 
Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil 
and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico, notification is hereby given 
that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has been issued to Echo Offshore 
LLC (Echo) for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical 
survey activity in the Gulf of Mexico.

DATES: The LOA is effective from the date of issuance through June 30, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: The LOA, LOA request, and supporting documentation are 
available online at: www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/incidental-take-authorization-oil-and-gas-industry-geophysical-survey-activity-gulf-mexico. In case of problems accessing these documents, please call the 
contact listed below (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Wachtendonk, Office of 
Protected Resources, NMFS, (301) 427-8401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 
direct the Secretary of Commerce to allow, upon request, the 
incidental, but not intentional, taking of small numbers of marine 
mammals by U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity (other than 
commercial fishing) within a specified geographical region if certain 
findings are made and either regulations are issued or, if the taking 
is limited to harassment, a notice of a proposed authorization is 
provided to the public for review.
    An authorization for incidental takings shall be granted if NMFS 
finds that the taking will have a negligible impact on the species or 
stock(s), will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the 
availability of the species or stock(s) for subsistence uses (where 
relevant), and if the permissible methods of taking and requirements 
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring and reporting of such takings 
are set forth. NMFS has defined ``negligible impact'' in 50 CFR 216.103 
as an impact resulting from the specified activity that cannot be 
reasonably expected to, and is not reasonably likely to, adversely 
affect the species or stock through effects on annual rates of 
recruitment or survival.
    Except with respect to certain activities not pertinent here, the 
MMPA defines ``harassment'' as: any act of pursuit, torment, or 
annoyance which (i) has the potential to injure a marine mammal or 
marine mammal stock in the wild (Level A harassment); or (ii) has the 
potential to disturb a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild 
by causing disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not 
limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or 
sheltering (Level B harassment).
    On January 19, 2021, we issued a final rule with regulations to 
govern the unintentional taking of marine mammals incidental to 
geophysical survey activities conducted by oil and gas industry 
operators, and those persons authorized to conduct activities on their 
behalf (collectively ``industry operators''), in Federal waters of the 
U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) over the course of 5 years (86 FR 5322, 
January 19, 2021). The rule was based on our findings that the total 
taking from the specified activities over the 5-year period will have a 
negligible impact on the affected species or stock(s) of marine mammals 
and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of 
those species or stocks for subsistence uses. The rule became effective 
on April 19, 2021.
    Our regulations at 50 CFR 217.180 et seq. allow for the issuance of 
LOAs to industry operators for the incidental take of marine mammals 
during geophysical survey activities and prescribe the permissible 
methods of taking and other means of effecting the least practicable 
adverse impact on marine mammal species or stocks and their habitat 
(often referred to as mitigation), as well as requirements

[[Page 4974]]

pertaining to the monitoring and reporting of such taking. Under 50 CFR 
217.186(e), issuance of an LOA shall be based on a determination that 
the level of taking will be consistent with the findings made for the 
total taking allowable under these regulations and a determination that 
the amount of take authorized under the LOA is of no more than small 
numbers.

Summary of Request and Analysis

    Echo plans to conduct a 2D high resolution seismic survey in Lease 
Block G14576 (Main Pass Area 91). Echo plans to use a single, 20-cubic 
inch airgun, in addition to three other high-resolution geophysical 
(HRG) acoustic sources. Please see Echo's application for additional 
detail.
    Consistent with the preamble to the final rule, the survey effort 
proposed by Echo in its LOA request was used to develop LOA-specific 
take estimates based on the acoustic exposure modeling results 
described in the preamble (86 FR 5322, 5398, January 19, 2021). In 
order to generate the appropriate take number for authorization, the 
following information was considered: (1) survey type; (2) location (by 
modeling zone \1\); (3) number of days; and (4) season.\2\ The acoustic 
exposure modeling performed in support of the rule provides 24-hour 
exposure estimates for each species, specific to each modeled survey 
type in each zone and season.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ For purposes of acoustic exposure modeling, the GOM was 
divided into seven zones. Zone 1 is not included in the geographic 
scope of the rule.
    \2\ For purposes of acoustic exposure modeling, seasons include 
Winter (December-March) and Summer (April-November).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Exposure modeling results were generated using the single airgun 
and HRG proxies. Because those results assume use of a 90-in\3\ airgun 
and side-scan sonar, multibeam echosounder, and sub-bottom profiler 
respectively, the take numbers authorized through this LOA are 
considered conservative (i.e., they likely overestimate take) due to 
differences in the sound source planned for use by Echo, as compared to 
those modeled for the rule. The survey is planned to occur for 2 days 
in Zone 2, with the airguns being used on only one of the days. The 
season is not known in advance. Therefore, the take estimates for each 
species are based on the season that has the greater value for the 
species (i.e., winter or summer).
    Based on the results of our analysis, NMFS has determined that the 
level of taking expected for this survey and authorized through the LOA 
is consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable 
under the regulations. See Table 1 in this notice and Table 9 of the 
rule (86 FR 5322, January 19, 2021).

Small Numbers Determination

    Under the GOM rule, NMFS may not authorize incidental take of 
marine mammals in an LOA if it will exceed ``small numbers.'' In short, 
when an acceptable estimate of the individual marine mammals taken is 
available, if the estimated number of individual animals taken is up 
to, but not greater than, one-third of the best available abundance 
estimate, NMFS will determine that the numbers of marine mammals taken 
of a species or stock are small. For more information please see NMFS' 
discussion of the MMPA's small numbers requirement provided in the 
final rule (86 FR 5322, 5438, January 19, 2021).
    The take numbers for authorization, which are determined as 
described above, are used by NMFS in making the necessary small numbers 
determinations, through comparison with the best available abundance 
estimates (see discussion at 86 FR 5322, 5391, January 19, 2021). For 
this comparison, NMFS' approach is to use the maximum theoretical 
population, determined through review of current stock assessment 
reports (SAR; www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-mammal-protection/marine-mammal-stock-assessments) and model-predicted abundance 
information (https://seamap.env.duke.edu/models/Duke/GOM/). For the 
latter, for taxa where a density surface model could be produced, we 
use the maximum mean seasonal (i.e., 3-month) abundance prediction for 
purposes of comparison as a precautionary smoothing of month-to-month 
fluctuations and in consideration of a corresponding lack of data in 
the literature regarding seasonal distribution of marine mammals in the 
GOM. Information supporting the small numbers determinations is 
provided in Table 1.

                                             Table 1--Take Analysis
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                    Authorized                        Percent
                             Species                                 take \1\      Abundance \2\     abundance
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rice's whale \3\................................................               0              51             n/a
Sperm whale.....................................................               0           2,207             n/a
Kogia spp.......................................................               0           4,373             n/a
Beaked whales...................................................               0           3,768             n/a
Rough-toothed dolphin...........................................           \4\ 0           4,853             n/a
Bottlenose dolphin..............................................              32         176,108             0.0
Clymene dolphin.................................................               0          11,895             n/a
Atlantic spotted dolphin........................................          \5\ 26          74,785             0.0
Pantropical spotted dolphin.....................................               0         102,361             n/a
Spinner dolphin.................................................               0          25,114             n/a
Striped dolphin.................................................               0           5,229             n/a
Fraser's dolphin................................................               0           1,665             n/a
Risso's dolphin.................................................               0           3,764             n/a
Melon-headed whale..............................................               0           7,003             n/a
Pygmy killer whale..............................................               0           2,126             n/a
False killer whale..............................................               0           3,204             n/a
Killer whale....................................................               0             267             n/a
Short-finned pilot whale........................................               0           1,981             n/a
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Scalar ratios were not applied in this case due to brief survey duration.
\2\ Best abundance estimate. For most taxa, the best abundance estimate for purposes of comparison with take
  estimates is considered here to be the model-predicted abundance (Roberts et al., 2016). For those taxa where
  a density surface model predicting abundance by month was produced, the maximum mean seasonal abundance was
  used. For those taxa where abundance is not predicted by month, only mean annual abundance is available. For
  the killer whale, the larger estimated SAR abundance estimate is used.

[[Page 4975]]

 
\3\ The final rule refers to the GOM Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni). These whales were subsequently
  described as a new species, Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei) (Rosel et al., 2021).
\4\ Modeled take of 1 decreased to 0. For rough-toothed dolphin, use of the exposure modeling produces results
  that are smaller than the average GOM group size (i.e., estimated exposure value of 1, relative to assumed
  average group size of 14) (Maze-Foley and Mullin, 2006). NMFS' typical practice is to increase exposure
  estimates to the assumed average group size for a species in order to ensure that, if the species is
  encountered, exposures will not exceed the authorized take number. However, given the very short survey
  duration and small estimated exposure value NMFS has determined that is unlikely the species would be
  encountered at all. As a result, in this case NMFS has not authorized take for this species.
\5\ Modeled take of 7 increased to account for potential encounter with group of average size (Maze-Foley and
  Mullin, 2006).

    Based on the analysis contained herein of Echo's proposed survey 
activity described in its LOA application and the anticipated take of 
marine mammals, NMFS finds that small numbers of marine mammals will be 
taken relative to the affected species or stock sizes (i.e., less than 
one-third of the best available abundance estimate) and therefore the 
taking is of no more than small numbers.

Authorization

    NMFS has determined that the level of taking for this LOA request 
is consistent with the findings made for the total taking allowable 
under the incidental take regulations and that the amount of take 
authorized under the LOA is of no more than small numbers. Accordingly, 
we have issued an LOA to Echo authorizing the take of marine mammals 
incidental to its geophysical survey activity, as described above.

    Dated: January 23, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-01563 Filed 1-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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